I CAME BACK TO MAKE YOU PAY

Grace’s POV

“Taking over situations. Defending someone without being asked.”

Chase smiled a little. "Not always.”

“Why now?”

He didn’t answer right away. His eyes got something I rarely saw. "Because I don’t like seeing someone on my side being treated unfairly.”

On my side.

Those two words made my heart beat faster.

“I don’t need a savior," I said. My voice wasn’t as strong as I wanted.

“I know," he said. "I’m just offering to be on your side.”

Being on my side sounded safer than being a protector. More equal.

We sat in silence for a bit. You could only hear people breathing and chairs scraping. Outside the world was probably moving on like usual.. In this room everything felt more intense.

“Riley," I said suddenly. "Aren’t you having breakfast with us?”

He paused. Didn’t turn around.

“No. I don’t feel like eating," he said shortly. "I have some things to do.”

Without waiting for a response he left.

The room was silent.

I took a breath and looked at the table in front of me. It felt strange. Yesterday my life fell apart. Now I was sitting in a fancy café lounge having breakfast with a man I just met.

Chase sat across from me lifting his coffee cup easily.

“Don’t think about him," he said lightly, like he could read my mind. "Riley is like that.”

“I’m not thinking about him,” I said quickly. Maybe too quickly.

Chase raised an eyebrow. Didn’t say anything.

He pushed a plate of toast toward me. "Eat. You haven’t eaten since night.”

I wanted to say no. My stomach growled softly.

My face got hot.

Chase smiled a little. Not mocking. More like happy that he was right.

I took the toast. Bit into it slowly. It was warm and soft. For the time since last night I realized how hungry I was.

We ate in silence for a minute.

The silence didn’t feel weird.

“Why are you doing all this?" I asked, looking at him. "Defending me. Saying you’re my boyfriend.”

Chase put down his cup calmly.

“Because I don’t like seeing people get trampled on," he said. "Especially someone who should be stronger.”

My heart beat faster.

“I’m not that weak," I muttered.

“I know," he said quickly. ". Even strong people need time to stand up again.”

His words made me silent.

Night I almost jumped off a bridge.

The man sitting in front of me was the reason I was still alive.

I looked at him longer than I should have. There was sadness in his eyes. Something dark. He wasn’t a rich man who liked helping others.

He had wounds too.

I turned my face away before he noticed how scattered my thoughts were.

“Do you always save strangers in the middle of the night?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

Chase leaned back in his chair. "No.”

“So I’m the exception?”

He looked at me directly. "You didn’t look like someone who wanted to die.”

That answer caught my breath.

“Funny, l" I murmured softly. "Because at night I almost did.”

He didn’t respond. His eyes weren’t judgmental.. Were they shocked? Like he already knew.

“I know," he said finally.

I frowned. "How?”

“You were standing close to the railing " he said calmly. "Someone who just wants to enjoy the view doesn’t stand like that. Your shoulders were tense. Your breathing was unstable.. Your eyes," He paused. "Your eyes were empty.”

I didn’t like how he read me.

I looked down at the remaining piece of toast in my hand. "You observed me that closely?”

“I’m used to noticing things," he said.

“Why?”

He was silent enough that I thought he wouldn’t answer. Eventually he said quietly, "Because once I didn’t pay enough attention.”

His tone changed. It got heavier.

I slowly looked up. "What do you mean?”

Chase rotated his coffee cup without drinking from it. "Someone once stood on an edge like that too. I didn’t see the signs until it was too late.”

His words fell softly. They felt like stones hitting my chest.

“Someone important?" I asked carefully.

He gave a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Very.”

I didn’t know what to say. For the time since I met him the strong impression that always clung to him cracked a little. He wasn’t a confident man, with a dominant aura. He was someone who had lost someone.

“I’m sorry," I said instinctively.

“It wasn’t your fault.”