Jessica's POV
Exhaustion had settled deep in my bones. The last time I had broken down like that, letting every raw emotion spill out, was on that terrible night years ago. Since then, I had locked everything away, sealing it tight where no one could see the cracks.
But tonight had shattered that control completely.
My instincts had screamed warnings the moment Papa suggested dinner. I should have trusted that voice in my head and declined. Instead, I had been weak and naive, and now I was paying the price.
What caught me off guard was finding sanctuary in Caleb's embrace. I never expected the gentleness, the way he held me like I might break apart at any moment. In that dark alley, he became my entire world. His scent filled my lungs, his presence wrapped around me like armor against everything else.
