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Then she headed for the bathrooaze followed her ass Diht at the top of that curve

He took a step to follow her

The lady kicked the door closed

Okay

The shower blasted on, the roar of the water easily penetrating through the thin door

Simon hesitated, his eyes on that door She’d shut hi and joining her for so in her eyes since Grim’s death Not fear Yeah, worry, but—

Pain More than just the physical wounds

He locked the motel rooainst the door “Dee?”

No answer

His hand dropped to the doorknob If she told him to fk off, he’d leave her in peace But if she was in there, hurting, he wasn’t going to walk away

He turned the knob and stepped inside Steaun to rise and to drift lazily in the air, but Dee hadn’t entered the shower yet She stood near the tub, head bowed, shoulders hunched

“Dee?” He said her naht of tears on her face was a punch right in his gut “It didn’t rabbed her arainst his chest “Babe, what’s—”

“I thought killing hiive me some peace” A hard s “But when I close my eyes, I still see them”

Thehter “I know” He did Because there was still a hole in his heart for his faeance hadn’t healed

“My fault” A whisper Stark

The water fell in a hard strea that happened was your fault Not then Not now”

She tilted her face up to look at him “They died because of what I am”

“No” Absolutely certain “They died because soe the future”

She paled a bit at that “You really think the future’s set? That the prophets out there aren’t bullshitting?”

Careful now, because he’d heard Catalina’s last words to her Not that he’d let that coo”

Her hand pressed against his chest “And what about your parents? Did killing Gri you peace?”

“Not peace” Never that “But justice”

She gave a slow nod “Justice It still feels eh Dee, who could face down a Born and send hirin “I’d rather have just had…theainst his chest and held her as the water poured “I know”

He let her cry The tears she’d kept inside over the years The tears she’d stopped shedding once she began fighting

When the tears finally stopped, he lifted her and carried her to the shower It was time to wash away the pain and the past

Maybe, just ain

They didn’t talk in the shower Simon stripped and joined her The water beat on them and washed away the blood and the battle