Down To The Wire – Zoe Everly

That we will be enough, to face whatever comes next. But the red letters dance behind my closed eyelids, a warning I can’t ignore. This is only the beginning. OceanofPDF.com Chapter 6 Theo he police report sits on the kitchen island, the sterile language of law enforcement doing nothing to capture the violation of what happened. “Vandalism to personal property.” “Derogatory language.” “No suspects identified at this time.” I stare at it, rage a living thing inside me, clawing at my ribcage like a beast desperate to break free.

Someone touched what was hers. Someone hurt her, maybe not physically, but in ways that left wounds deeper than skin. And I wasn’t there to stop it. Lila sleeps upstairs, finally surrendering to exhaustion after hours of giving statements, dealing with insurance, and reassuring me—reassuring me, when she was the one targeted—that she was okay. That we would be okay. I hadn’t believed her. Not completely. Had seen the shadows in her eyes, the fine tremors in her hands that she tried to hide.

Had recognized the look of someone folding inward, retreating to some interior fortress where pain couldn’t reach. I know that look. Wore it myself in the dark days after Rayna’s death, when the world became a hostile terrain I could no longer navigate. When every day felt like moving through quicksand, dragging the leaden weight of grief with each step. I won’t let Lila go to that place. Won’t let her disappear into that darkness, not when I have the power to keep her anchored to the light.

To me. To us. But first, I need to make her safe. Need to eliminate the threat circling our fragile happiness like a shark scenting blood in the water. I pick up my phone, dialing the number I’ve avoided using until now.

orning breaks through the curtains, painting golden streaks across Lila’s bare shoulder as she sleeps beside me. The gentle rise and fall of her chest, the soft parting of her lips—every detail feels like a gift I never deserved but somehow received anyway. I trace the curve of her spine with my fingertips, barely touching, afraid that pressing too hard might shatter this perfect moment. Might reveal it as the dream I still half-believe it to be. But she’s real. Warm and solid and mine in a way that still steals my breath.

Yesterday’s confrontation with Coach Johnson feels like it happened in another lifetime. The ultimatum he delivered, the choice he forced— football or Lila—seemed so impossible in the moment. A cruel joke played by a universe that’s never cut me any slack. But in the end, it wasn’t even a choice. Nothing is worth losing her. Not fame, not fortune, not the roar of eighty thousand fans chanting my name.

My phone buzzes on the nightstand, the third time in the past hour. I ignore it again, knowing it’s either Coach, my agent, or some vulture from the media wanting a statement about my “situation.” Let them wait. Let the whole damn world wait. For once in my life, I’m putting myself first. Putting love first. Lila stirs, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks before she opens those incredible honey-brown eyes.

A slow smile spreads across her face when she sees me watching her, and something cracks open in my chest— something raw and vulnerable and terrifying in its intensity. “Good morning,” she murmurs, voice still rough with sleep. She reaches up to touch my face, her palm warm against my stubbled cheek. “You’re thinking awfully loud for this early in the day.” I turn my head to press a kiss to her palm. “Just thinking about how lucky I am.” “Mmm.” She stretches, catlike and languid, before curling into me.

“We’re both lucky. Against all odds, we found each other.” I want to freeze this moment. Bottle it up and keep it safe forever. This peaceful bubble where nothing exists but us, where the complications of the outside world can’t touch what we’ve built.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: ce0a7eb57d72d575
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 1,248,036 bytes (1.19 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 75
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 100.69 minutes
• Total Words: 20,138
• Total Characters: 115,658
• Average Words per Page: 268.51
• Average Characters per Page: 1542.11

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