Chapter 82

• "You don’t have to do this, Cole. Not if you’re not ready." Funmi’s voice was soft, but I could hear the steel beneath it. Her hands rested gently on my shoulders, her touch grounding me in a way that nothing else ever had. "You’ve been running from it for so long. But it’s okay. I’m here with you."
• I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat almost suffocating. I couldn’t remember the last time I had let myself be this vulnerable—this raw. But with Funmi, somehow, it felt possible. Like I could face the demons that had haunted me for years.
• "I don’t know if I can face it, Funmi," I said, my voice barely a whisper. My eyes were fixed on the floor, unable to look her in the face. "I don’t know if I can deal with everything I’ve buried deep down."