Chapter 35. You Are Made of Ego

Rae:

**A month later**

The wounds have scabbed over. The bruises faded. The stitches tug every time he moves too fast, but S still insists he’s fine.

“I’m not made of glass,” he grumbles for the third time this morning, swatting Kieran’s hand away as he tries to help him into the jet.

“You’re made of ego and stitched-up regrets,” Kieran mutters, earning himself a death glare and a chuckle from Eliza.

The flight home is quieter than the one that brought us here. No flirting, no teasing. Just the sound of engines humming and pages turning as S buries himself in some thick folder of intel, while Kieran types away like his keyboard personally wronged him.

Eliza and I stick to the back seats, curled into the corner with lattes the staff packed for us. She watches Kieran with a look she’s still pretending not to feel. I pretend not to notice.

I glance at S. His brow is furrowed, eyes unreadable. He hasn’t asked me how I’m doing once since we left