Telling Her

Jax POV

I cradle Dhalia in my arms as the car glides through the softly lit streets, the city outside a blur of shadows and fleeting lights. I'm not sure what I had expected tonight, but it certainly wasn't this. The entire time, I was convinced she would say her safe word, bolt, and never look back—just like everyone else had done before her.

But here she is, clinging to me like I’m her anchor in a storm. It’s as if what just happened didn’t terrify her, didn’t make her question my sanity. We sit in silence, both awake yet enveloped in our own thoughts. I don’t care what anyone says—she’s not the type to exploit us for a story or money. There’s no evidence, just strange coincidences.

My fingers absentmindedly trace patterns along her back, and she nestles even closer, her warmth pressing into me. But then, the thought creeps in, uninvited and unsettling: What if? What if she really is working to sell a story about us? After hearing everything, seeing everything, would she really do t