(MASON'S POV)
The moment we arrived at Blue's house and he closed the front door behind us, everything I had just walked away from came crashing down on me all at once. My body still ached from head to toe, every bruise pulsing in time with my heartbeat, but the pain felt far away compared to the storm of emotions swirling inside my chest.
I stood frozen in the middle of his fancy, modern living room, clutching my backpack tightly against me like it could somehow protect me from all my problems. When I finally looked up at Blue, he was watching me with those intense blue eyes. They were soft now, steady, like he was ready to catch me if I started to fall.
"Thank you," I whispered, my voice cracking a little. "For… giving me the courage to leave that house. I don't think I could have thought of it, let alone done it without you today."
