Chapter 88. The One Who Broke the Lie

S:

I don't wait. I don’t explain.

I just take her hand—cold, small, barely there in mine—and lead her out of the room.

The others trail behind us. No one dares speak.

When we reach the hallway, I stop. My voice is low but firm.

“Leave him. Give him space.”

Kieran hesitates, but nods. Eliza looks like she wants to protest, but she glances at Rae’s pale face and bites it back.

Good.

Because I’m holding her together with nothing but silence and the space between us.

Outside the room, Rae slips her hand out of mine. Doesn’t meet my eyes.

“I need some time… for myself,” she says quietly.

Something in me pulls taut. But I nod.

“I’ll be nearby,” I tell her, watching her carefully. “Call me if you need anything. Anything, Rae.”

She nods, lips pressed thin. Not really here.

Eliza steps forward. Her voice is soft, a thread of comfort.

“Don’t keep it all in,” she says. “If you feel like crying, call me. I