59. Dig it out

Jayden exhaled sharply, tilting his head back as if the ceiling could offer him some sort of reprieve. He knew this moment was inevitable—the weight of his past pressing down on him like an iron chain. No more running. No more excuses. “I was awful,” he admitted, his voice raw. “There’s no justification for the way I treated people. I was cruel—I know that. But no matter how much of a jerk I was… I would never want you dead. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. And I’m sorry, Henry. For everything you went through because of me.” Henry studied him for a long moment, the tension between them thick, unspoken words lingering in the air. Then he shook his head. “What happened today wasn’t because of you,” Henry said. Jayden’s brows furrowed. “Then who the hell was behind it?” Henry hesitated, a flicker of something unsettled in his expression. “I don’t know her name. But she was a girl. Beautiful—but there was something cold about her, something… dangerous.” He trailed off, his gaze distant. “S