Chapter 309

Chapter 309:

And then I feel it—the wall. That goddamn wall he’s slamming up between us. I press my forehead to his, trying to ground him, to anchor him to the fucking now. “Breathe, Ryder. Just fucking breathe with me p>

He tries. I see it—the fight, the struggle to drag in air, to slow his ragged breaths. Each inhale is shaky as hell, each exhale like a jagged blade. The storm hasn’t left his eyes, but he’s here. He hasn’t been pulled under completely.

I brush his hair back, the strands damp and clinging to his forehead. My chest aches at the vulnerability staring back at me. This strong, unbreakable man, the one who takes the weight of the world without flinching, is shattering right in front of me.

“Ryder, what the hell happened?” My voice is soft, but the fear wraps itself around my throat like a noose. “Talk to me. Please p>

His eyes squeeze shut, and his hands clench into fists so tight his knuckles crack. I feel him pulling away, even though he’s right fucking here. It’s that goddamn shadow again, creeping in between us, making me feel like I’m losing him piece by piece.

“I can’t…” he rasps, his voice broken, raw, and splintered. “I can’t tell you.” A cold dread coils in my stomach, sharp and heavy, dragging me down. What could be so dark, so fucking brutal, that he can’t say it out loud? What the fuck is he hiding? From me? From us?

I swallow hard, forcing down the panic clawing at my throat. My voice shakes, but I push through it. “You don’t have to do this alone, Ryder. Whatever it is, I’m here. I fucking love you. Let me help p>

His eyes flicker open, and there it is—the guilt, the fear, the goddamn abyss he’s been trying to hide from me. It’s like staring into a void that wants to pull him down forever.

And then he shuts it down. The shutters come crashing down so fast it’s like a slap to the face. He shakes his head, jaw tight, voice a raw whisper. “Not now, Jasmine. Please p>

The desperation in his voice guts me. He’s begging me to back off, to let him drown in his own fucking torment. And fuck, I want to fight him, to tear through those walls he keeps building. But I see it—the exhaustion, the vulnerability, the fucking fragility holding him together by a thread.

Mⱺɍɇ Ʉρȡąţɇş ĩŋ

I can’t push him. Not now. Not when he’s already so close to breaking.

Instead, I wrap my arms around him, pulling his trembling body against mine. He stiffens, rigid as steel, but then he fucking breaks. He collapses into me, his head pressing against my shoulder, his breaths jagged and shallow. His entire body shakes, the weight of his pain pressing into me, suffocating us both.

“Not going anywhere,” I whisper, my voice shaky but firm. “Whatever it is, whenever you’re ready—I’m here p>

His arms come around me, desperate and hard, his grip so fucking tight it hurts. Like he’s terrified that if he lets go, I’ll disappear. The pain seeps into my bones, his anguish wrapping around me, heavy and unrelenting. I wish I could take it away, rip it from his soul and carry it myself. But all I can do is hold him tighter.

Minutes bleed into hours, the darkness outside softening into gray, but it’s still there—that fucking torment. The sleeplessness, the nightmares—they’re back with a vengeance. And I can feel it—whatever chased him in his dreams isn’t done with him yet.

I press a kiss to his temple, lingering there, my lips trembling.

“Whatever demons you’re facing, Ryder, I’ll face them too. Even if you think you have to do this alone p>

Ryder’s POV