Page 242 of Nyx

She's an answer to a prayer I never had the courage to ask for or considered a possibility for me.

I pull on my clothes from last night, unconcerned if people will question why I haven't changed, but there's also a chance that no one will even notice. I don't think anyone pays me enough attention other than trying to gauge my mood when I'm around, as if they're on the edge, cautious because some part of them worries I'm going to flip out.

Everything feels different as I leave the room.

I feel lighter somehow, as if the words we just spoke have lifted a weight off my shoulders, a weight I have been carrying my entire life.

"Is that...?" Kincaid asks when he spots me coming down the hallway. "A smile?"

Another difference is that my first instinct isn't to drop the smile and shift to my everyday sneer.

"Could be," I tell him.

His smile is quick, and something is shining in his eyes as if he had a hand in what Juliet and I are building.

"A good woman can do a lot to heal a soul," he says, and I can't even argue with him.

"Yes, sir," I agree.

"Welcome to Cerberus," he says with a clap on my back as I walk past him.

I could question his words, argue that I've been a member of Cerberus for months, but in a way, I understand exactly what he's saying. A rush of cold chills run up my arms when I step into the conference room, and any doubt I had about my place with this team fades.

Family.

Brotherhood.

Love.

Dedication.

It's all there, coming from Juliet, coming from the men and women already sitting around the table.

Actions always speak louder than words, and they've shown it for weeks. It was me who needed to open my eyes and see what this amazing group of people had to offer.

"How's Juliet?" Slick asks when I take a seat beside her.

I open my mouth to tell her that she's fine, but close it again.

We may be in a good place between the two of us right now, but both of us still have loads of shit we'll need to work through to heal from our own traumas.

"I don't know," I tell her honestly.

"I can talk with her," she offers.

"I think that's a good idea."

"And you?"

I nod my head as if acceptance is a good step for me, something I've fought with every breath for as long as I can remember.

I want to be the best man I can be for her, and I don't care what it takes.

"I think I'm overdue for a session... or twenty," I confess quietly.

She gives me a soft smile. "I'm ready when you are."

I pull my attention from Slick when the conference room doors close, and all the other chatter in the room fades away as Kincaid walks toward the front of the room.