Page 47 of Romancing in Rot

His brow creases.

I swallow, my grip tightening just a little against his sleeve. “You barely know us.”

That’s not true, though. Not exactly.

“You know us,” I correct, because apparently my mouth has decided honesty is happening whether I approve or not. “But you don’t really know us. Not all of it. Not the ugly parts. Not the parts that make people decide we’re too much work.”

His expression doesn’t change, but something sharp flickers in his eyes.

There it is. The truth under everything.

I don’t trust easy anymore. Not after Russ. Not after my parents. Not after years of learning that love always came with instructions, expectations, corrections. A list of ways I needed to be smaller before I became acceptable.

Leon doesn’t move. Doesn’t pull away. Doesn’t look offended.

He just reaches for his notebook.

He writes slowly, each movement deliberate, his hand steady despite the chill. When he finishes, he tears the page free and hands it to me.

His fingers brush mine. His eyes stay on my face, holding something back so carefully it makes my chest ache. Then he releases the paper, turns, and walks back toward the fire.

I stare after him, my pulse tripping over itself.

Camp noise envelops him before I can make myself move.

I unfold the page.

Because she deserves to learn without being made smaller.

My breath catches. There is another line beneath it.

So do you.

The words blur before I can stop them.

Then I see down in the corner.

Conditioning with Trish. Tomorrow. 5am.

My muscles scream in protest as a watery laugh escapes.

This man.

NINE

MAKING A MOVE

LEON

Six days into Riverside, and Clair still hates morning runs.

Trish runs her until her legs shake. I work her through strength drills after breakfast. Balance. Grip. Core. How to keep her bad leg from stealing her weight at the wrong time.

Then we train close.

Grips first. Holds. Angles. How to use leverage instead of strength. How to stop meeting a bigger body head-on and start making that body work against itself.

She is better than she was.