Jayden exhaled sharply, tilting his head back as if the ceiling could offer him some sort of reprieve. He knew this moment was inevitable—the weight of his past pressing down on him like an iron chain. No more running. No more excuses.

“I was awful,” he admitted, his voice raw. “There’s no justification for the way I treated people. I was cruel—I know that. But no matter how much of a jerk I was… I would never want you dead. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. And I’m ...