Page 70 of Halo

With a growl, he lunges at me.

I slip to the side and catch him by the forearm, stopping his momentum. “Easy, big guy.” I release him with a small push backward. “Take a breath.”

“Hey, Dec! You back here?”

I glance over to see a tall man with sandy blond hair approaching us.

Declan immediately smooths the front of his shirt and runs a hand through his hair. “Hey, Matt. Need me?” He closes the distance between them, and the two quietly discuss festival matters.

“Lee?” Matt chuckles, turning toward Leah. “I thought you were helping Mom and Rach.”

She forces a smile. “I was. Just ... taking a minute.”

Matt's expression brightens when he notices me. He extends his hand. “Oh, hey! You're the guy from the gym. Julian's friend.”

I give him a firm shake. “Good to see you again.”

“You too ...” His gaze drifts to Leah, who still has a fistful of the back of my shirt. He raises an eyebrow. “How … do you know my sister?”

“He's a good friend of Chelsea's,” Leah answers quickly. “And the father of one of my students this year.” She lets out a nervous laugh before releasing my shirt and folding her hands behind her back.

Matt hums thoughtfully before flashing a crooked grin. “Well, I'm glad you made it out to our harvest festival—uh, Nick, was it?”

I nod. “Thanks for having us. We've had a great time.”

Matt pivots toward Declan. “Sorry to cut this short, but I've got a few older church members threatening to go AWOL if I don't turn down the music.” He chuckles. “Dec, you coming?”

Declan takes a step toward Leah, but I step into his path. His jaw tightens as his eyes meet mine. Then he looks past me to Leah. “I'll call you.” He softly smiles. “We'll figure this out, okay, angel?”

The two men step back into the festival, disappearing into the sea of families.

I let out a long breath before turning to find Leah leaning against the side of the trailer, her hands braced on her knees.

“Hey ...” I step toward her. “Are you okay?”

“Mmhmm,” she whispers, refusing to meet my gaze. She hurriedly wipes at her face. “I'm fine—”

I don't let her finish. I gently take her by the arm and pull her against my chest.

The tension melts from her body. She clutches the front of my shirt as a shuddering breath escapes her, the sobs she'd been holding back finally breaking free.

“Shhh,” I murmur into her hair. “You're safe now. It's okay. I've got you.”

Her body shakes against mine, each sob a little weaker than the one before. I hold her tighter, one hand cradling the back of her head, and she settles into my embrace with an ease that steals the breath from my lungs. Little by little, the rigidity leaves her body until she's simply resting against me, letting herself be held. She doesn't rush, and neither do I. Hell, I'd stand here all night if that's what she needed.

She shifts in my arms, looking up at me. “I'm sorry you had to see that.”

I grimace. “Me?” I shake my head. “Leah ... don't you dare apologize.” My voice softens. “No one should ever treat you like that.”

The corner of her mouth lifts. “It was my fault.”

“No, Leah—”

“It was.” She nods.

“How?”

She sighs, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. “I probably shouldn't be telling you this.”