"I already did," Eden said.
Her voice wasn't loud. It didn't have to be.
It cut straight through the silence like thunder wrapped in velvet.
Liam's shoulders stiffened.
His jaw clenched.
But he didn't speak.
He just stared at her. At her neck. Her lips. Her tangled hair. At the hand, Hunter still refused to let go of.
His silence was worse than shouting.
Eden lowered her eyes.
But Hunter?
He held his ground like a shadow refusing to fade. "You heard her."
Liam blinked, then gave a breathless laugh. One of disbelief. Of betrayal. "Wow. After everything…"
Eden stepped forward, but he took a step back.
"Don't," he said. "I got the message loud and clear."
Then he turned and got into his car, the engine roaring to life as he reversed out of the driveway and sped off.
Dust settled in his place.
But Eden's chest felt heavier than ever.
Hunter wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You okay?"
She nodded — but the tears were already stinging.
"I didn't mean to hurt him," she whispered.
"I know."
"But I did."
"You chose honesty. That's not the same thing as cruelty."
"I wish it didn't have to be like this."
Hunter pulled her closer. "It had to be. People like Liam… they only loved when you're small. When you fit in a box, they can carry."
She swallowed hard.
"You're not that girl anymore, Eden. You don't fit in his box."
Inside – Her Bedroom
Eden sat on her bed while Hunter stood near the window, arms crossed, watching the fading taillights disappear down the street.
She curled her knees to her chest. Quiet. Processing.
"You don't have to stay," she said after a moment.
Hunter turned.
"I know."
"But you're still here."
He walked over and crouched in front of her again, just like earlier.
"I'll always be here. Until you tell me to leave."
Her eyes met his.
She didn't speak.
Instead, she reached forward and touched his face, fingers brushing lightly over the stubble along his jaw. "What happens now?"
He leaned into her hand.
"Now?" he said. "You start breathing again. And I start protecting you properly."
"Even if it gets worse?"
"It will get worse. They'll talk. They'll judge. Liam might even try to ruin you."
"Then why stay?"
His eyes locked onto hers with something wild and beautiful.
"Because you're not just a girl. I want to f*ck, Eden. You're a girl, I feel. And I don't walk away from that."
Tears welled again.
But this time, they weren't from heartbreak.
They were from everything she didn't think she'd ever deserve.
And suddenly, she threw her arms around him.
Hunter caught her, strong and steady. She buried her face in his neck, her breath ragged, his heartbeat loud beneath her ear.
"I'm scared," she whispered.
"Good," he murmured. "Because that means this is real."
They held each other like the world outside didn't exist.
Like they'd earned this moment.
And maybe… they had.
Later – As He Left
Hunter kissed her on the porch. Slow. Deep. A promise more than a goodbye.
He lingered, his hand on her hip, the other sliding under her shirt just enough to feel her skin one last time.
"Tomorrow, you walk in with your head high. You hear me?"
She nodded.
"And if anyone touches you—"
"They won't."
He leaned down, his voice in her ear.
"But if they do, Eden… I'll make them regret breathing."
A shiver ran down her spine.
"You're kind of terrifying, you know that?"
He smirked. "Good. Then they'll stay the hell away."
She watched him walk away until he disappeared into the night.
Only then did she close the door.
Only then did she let the tears fall again.