Liv pulled her Subaru into the lot of her apartment, leaning back in the seat for a moment after she came to a stop. She pressed her fingertips over her lips, swollen from the way she and Z had made out at Cherokee Park like a couple of teenagers. She hadn’t felt this amazing or so deeply in far too long. The sheepish way he’d confessed his dream of owning a food truck, like he held the secret dear, launched a missile straight to her heart.

Even though Z always played tough with the guys back in high school, he’d melted around her. He’d revealed a softer side that others couldn’t believe then and definitely wouldn’t believe now, not from the rough-talking, massive man he’d become. Today proved they hadn’t lost that connection, proved she had reason to place her trust in him.

With a jangle of her keys, she slipped out of her car and made her way up the steps to her apartment. Percival the Bold would be yowling up a storm, but he could count himself lucky she’d even returned tonight. Every fiber of her being lit in response to Zane’s touch, the possessive way he held her, and the skillful claim he lay to her lips. Her vibrator had been pulling double duty as of late with the way they kept leaving things. Still, he never pushed, leaving the decision to move forward in her court. For the first time since she’d been assaulted, she felt in control, ready to seal the deal.

A stupid smile played on her face as she slipped the key into the lock and turned, opening her apartment door.

A prickle along her arms halted her as she peered inside rather than strolling right in.

“Hello?” she called out, reaching for the switchblade in her pocket.

“Just me, Liv,” Tessa’s voice came from the other room, delivering a needed dose of familiarity. The paranoia came crashing down, and she sucked in a shaky breath. “We’re in the kitchen.”

Liv’s brows furrowed at the mention of ‘we,’ but she ventured inside. Percival nuzzled against her bare legs, those olive eyes of his glowing with affection. She reached down to run her fingers through the soft fur before continuing towards her kitchen. Tessa showing at random times was no big deal—her bestie had a key—but she’d wanted to bask in the bliss she felt over solidifying her relationship with Zane, and Tessa didn’t approve.

Tessa sat on Liv’s countertop, leaning against the bleach-white cabinets as she lifted a mug of piping hot tea to her mouth.

Lex stood near her, hunched over the bamboo island in her kitchen. When Liv stepped into view, ice blue eyes mirroring her own flicked her way. At the sight of her bestie and her brother standing there with serious expressions on their faces, her stomach soured. Her hand balled into a fist by her side, but she sucked in a steadying breath to keep herself from jumping to conclusions.

“Long time no see, big bro,” she said, reaching up to give him a hug. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tight, affection easy like always with Lex. Her nose wrinkled as she skimmed her fingers through his buzz cut. “What are you doing cutting all your gorgeous blonde hair off?”

He arched an eyebrow. “Like you’re any better, dyeing it every shade of the rainbow.”

Liv stepped away from him to the cabinet, pulling out her brass-knuckle mug. Tessa hefted over the electric kettle, steam pouring out the top. She rummaged through her tea canister, determined to not let the surprise visit destroy her good mood. She had her suspicions as to why they’d both shown up on her doorstep at the same time. Lex didn’t pay a visit often enough for his appearance to be coincidence.

“How’s recruiting going?” she asked, swishing her bag of peppermint chamomile around to steep in the hot water. “Did they let you out of your cage early?”

Lex batted a lazy hand at her hair, rustling her curls. “Not all of us consider offices cages. Some folks enjoy a regular schedule.”

Her nose wrinkled in distaste as she leaned against the countertop beside Tessa. “They must be doling out the good drugs where you work. I never drank the Kool-Aid.” She took a sip of tea, the liquid scorching her already sensitive lips. Unease percolated through her veins at their silence, at the way Tessa glanced to her brother with signals that were anything but subtle.

“Liv,” Tessa began, placing her mug on the counter.

Liv lifted her chin and stared at Tessa head-on. “Care to explain the casual coincidence that has you both congregating in my kitchen? You can skip past the bullshit.” She didn’t give a damn if her words were blunt. In outnumbering her, they’d placed her on the defensive.

Lex let out a sharp laugh. “Should’ve known you’d see straight through us, Livs.”

Her childhood name pierced right through her, the one which warmed her heart every time it left Zane’s lips. Here, the nickname slammed into her like an attack. “I’m assuming Tessa took it upon herself to share the details of my personal life with you?”

“Not fair,” Tessa jumped in, her cup of tea lying forgotten as her eyes flashed with frustration. “You of all people should understand why we’d be worried about you getting involved with an ex-con. Even after our conversation, you never dug into his past and never made sure you were safe.”

“Because I am safe,” Liv shot back. Her words fell on deaf ears while Lex and Tessa worked themselves into a protective fury. If she’d never been assaulted, they wouldn’t be questioning her like this. Hell, they might have even trusted the decisions she made about the guys she dated or at least respected her business as her own. What her sibling and best friend didn’t realize was that every time they got riled themselves up like this trying to protect her, they cemented the notion that she was still damaged.

“Like hell you are.” Lex whipped around to face her, frostiness descending like always upon mention of Zane Parata. “I know you had a schoolgirl crush on him back in the day, but he’s not the guy we used to hang out with. He’s not safe to be around.” The chilly way he discussed the past he refused to broach frustrated her, telling her it wasn’t safe without saying why, warning her without trusting her judgment.

“He’s right, Liv,” Tessa jumped to his defense, her brows furrowing with concern. “You’ve got no idea what’s on his file, but I do.”

“I think I’m quite capable of deciding what’s safe and not,” Liv argued, her grip tightening so hard around her mug she wouldn’t be surprised if it shattered. “And just because you’ve got access to someone’s personal details doesn’t mean you should dive right in. Folks deserve to share their secrets on their own accord.”

“Your judgment hasn’t always been sound,” Lex warned in a preachy big-brother tone. Tessa, who had been backing him, whipped his way, indignation written on her face.

Oh hell no.

Fury radiated through Liv in one fierce, sweeping torrent. Fury at what had happened to her in college, fury at the way people treated her once they found out, and fury, endless fury at the blame that infiltrated even from her closest friend.

“You’re going to shut the hell up, now, Lex,” she said, her voice simmering at a deadly, even tone. “You’ve been hovering ever since that incident happened, throwing jabs like if my judgment had been better, I might not have gotten raped. Do you realize how fucking demoralizing that is? Don’t you think I haven’t blamed myself a thousand times over what that asshole did? If you can’t manage to move past that and start trusting my decisions again, you’ll just hold back my progress. And I have no more use for that shit in my life.”

Rage flooded her from head to toe, the bliss of being with Z earlier today banished by the way her damaged past reared its ugly head even around those closest to her.

Lex stepped back as if she’d struck him, and at once, the harshness leeched out of his expression, those ice blue eyes melting.

Tessa gaped from where she sat at the kitchen counter, her grip tightening around the edge. “Liv, I’m sorry,” she murmured, her voice softening. Tessa opened her mouth as if to continue but shut it again a moment later. The aftermath of Liv’s outburst rang around the room, evident by the thick tension in the air and the awkward hesitation from Lex and Tessa. Whatever solid intentions they’d arrived with, both seemed to be reconsidering their manner of approach.

Liv flexed her jaw. To hell with this childish confrontation, and to hell with their judgments. She’d allowed the protectiveness until they smothered her, until she’d forgotten how to live. And yet every moment with Zane re-awakened her, like the slow unfurl of a flower in early spring.

“When you guys are prepared to treat me like a normal human being, we can talk,” she said frostily. “While I was planning on enjoying the rest of the night following a wonderful day, you two have fucked that up. If you don’t mind locking when you leave, I’m heading out.”

Liv turned on her heel, not waiting for either of them to respond as she marched for the door of her apartment. Cold rage radiated through her, the sort holding her heart in a vice and tightening her throat. Yet she refused to bow to any of the nonsense they wanted to spoonfeed her, and she wanted no part in their intervention.

Lex and Tessa cared. Deep down, she knew that. However, no matter who threw the blame, she refused to accept an ounce. Refused to let the fear of one bad thing shatter her. Liv poured some kibble into Percival’s bowl by the door before snagging her knapsack from where she’d let it slump to the floor. Silence radiated from her kitchen. Either they’d realized what asses they were being, or the two of them were pissed enough to not follow. She didn’t have the energy to handle them right now, didn’t have enough armor on to guard her tongue and keep from destroying those relationships.

Liv felt a complicated brew of anger, shame, and sadness broiling through her like a kettle ready to steam. She just wanted to feel normal. Just wanted to be in control for once, not fighting her family, friends, and even her own body.

Her footsteps echoed through the lonely corridor of her apartment, a familiar, choking walk. Her hand curled into a fist as she trudged past the wrinkles in the carpet and the overhead light that kept flickering. The memory of breaking down in this stale hall, of curling against the wall and sobbing until her ribs rattled, seared into her.

Even as she pounded down the stairs en route to her car, she didn’t question where she headed. One person made her feel safer than anything, and right now, he was the only one who didn’t treat her like she was damaged. Liv slipped into her Subaru, curled her hands around the steering wheel, and drove off.