Addiction| 18+

20| a date?

Grey

The office was quiet.

I sat at my desk, staring at a report I wasn't even reading. The numbers all blurred together. My mind kept going back to Hayley, the way she flinched at me yesterday.

It was small. A tightening of her shoulders, her hands curling in just a little. Like she was bracing for something even when nothing was happening.

That kind of reaction doesn't come from nowhere.

A knock broke my thoughts. Mathew stepped in and shut the door behind him.

"You look distracted," he said.

"She flinches," I said.

"Okay," he said, settling into the chair across from me. "What does that mean?"

"When I raise my voice. Or move too fast. Sometimes when I lift my arms. She notices everything."

Mathew nodded. "Learned behavior. That kind of reaction isn't accidental."

"Yes," I said. "Someone taught her that. And I don't know who or why."

He didn't respond. Just sat there, listening.

"She left without telling me where she was going," I added. "I reacted... probably the wrong way."

"You did," he said flatly. "She noticed."

"Yes," I admitted. Suddenly surprised he just called me out on my bull shit.

"Then figure out a way to fix that without... yelling or pressing."

I rubbed my hands together. "I don't want her thinking she has to tiptoe around me."

"Then don't give her a reason to."

Silence stretched for a moment. "I'm thinking of asking her to spend some time together. Somewhere neutral. Outside the house," I said.

"Public?" Mathew asked.

"Yes. Simple. No pressure."

"That works," he said. "Keep it casual. Let her say no. Don't make it about control or expectation."

"I will," I said.

Mathew stood. "That's all you can do for now. Nothing more."

When he left, the office went quiet again.

The questions didn't disappear.

Who hurt her?
What made her flinch before she even had a chance to react?
Why did she learn so young to apologize when she hadn't done anything wrong?

And then the thought hit me, sharp as a punch: she's part of the family now. Legally. She's not just someone living under the same roof.

She's mine. And fuck, that changes everything.

Not in the sense of owning her. Not in the sense of control. But responsibility. The kind you can't escape. Every flinch, every pause, every hesitation is a reminder that she's here, tied to me in ways that I can't undo.

I wanted to understand every detail of her past. I wanted to know so I could stop screwing things up. So I could stop being the next person she braced herself around. But I also knew I couldn't ask. She didn't owe me answers, and the moment I treated her story like a debt, I'd be crossing a line.

I cursed under my breath. Damn it. I hated how much this weighed on me. How much I wanted clarity, but had to settle for patience.

I thought about all the mistakes I'd already made. Times my tone was off, times I'd assumed she'd act a certain way, times I hadn't noticed the small flinch that meant everything. Every one of those moments felt heavier now.

And yet, I couldn't just push her for answers. That wasn't safe. That wasn't right.

All I could do was control my actions. My voice. My movements. The space I occupied. Make myself predictable. Make her feel safe, not trapped. And if she chose to tell me the story behind the flinch, it would have to come from her, not me.

For now, that was all I could manage.

I ran through it in my head again: how I'd ask her to spend some neutral time with me. Somewhere public, somewhere low-pressure. Somewhere where she could leave if she wanted to, without me making it a big deal. It sounded simple, but I knew how easy it was to fuck it up.

I hated that I was walking on eggshells around someone I barely knew, but this was different. She wasn't just someone I liked or wanted—she was part of my life. Part of my family. And that meant more.

I didn't have the answers yet. Maybe I never would.

But I could decide how I behaved.
 

***

End of chapter 20!

I hope everyone had an amazing weekend!!!