Her Ways

Chase POV

We all sit there, staring at each other, the weight of Blake's idea hanging in the air like a storm about to break. Each of us has our concerns about what it would mean for her to go back to work now, the risks, the dangers. For me, the idea of her returning there is out of the question. It’s a risk we can’t afford to take.

Blake breaks the silence with a laugh, though it’s more forced than genuine. “You know, we could just tell her we want her to stay,” he says, a hint of desperation in his tone. “Then she’d know exactly how we feel.”

But both Jax and I shake our heads almost in unison.

Blake turns his frustration toward me, pointing an accusatory finger. “Of course, you wouldn’t agree, Chase. You never let anyone in.”

He thinks he’s got me figured out, that my reluctance is about keeping my walls up. But it’s not that simple. “No, Blake, it’s not about that,” I respond, my voice firm. “I don’t want her to feel obligated to stay just because we helped her or because we want