Val’s P.O.V

As the door closed, he looked down at me, exhaustion warring with the ingrained vigilance Mom had instilled. “Val, I need to…”

“You need,” I interrupted, my voice soft but gentle.

“Stop,” I said softly as I climbed the steps in the stairs. “Let me get some sleep first,” I argued.

Reynolds paused hands on the entrance door knob, his shoulders still knotted with the strain of the tiredness.

“Okay, he accepted without hesitation.

Reynolds had returned to his ...