Funny how someone can convince you without even trying. Han didn't beg. He didn't push. He just spoke… and I felt it. That pull in my chest. That truth that no matter how scared I was of the L.A. government, no matter how loud the fear screamed in my head, missing her burial would scream louder.
Azazel gave her life for mine.
How the hell was I supposed to skip the one moment that mattered most?
Besides, if I didn't show up, it'd be obvious. Too obvious. They'd know I was running. They'd know I had something to hide. And the last thread of the secret I'd been barely holding on to would unravel in public.
So I swallowed the fear.
Just one more day, I told myself.
Han walked beside me as we climbed the stairs back into the house. No words. Just presence. His fingers brushed mine once, and even that sent a shock through me. Like we were still tethered. Still burning quietly in some shared silence we refused to unpack.
