Nicole looked at me strangely, her brow furrowed in that mix of confusion and lingering anger only teenagers can pull off so perfectly.
"Then why didn't you… tell Officer Megan that you were protecting her?" she asked, voice small but pointed. "She's probably cursing you by now… thinking you're just some cruel monster who enjoys hurting people."
I chuckled inside my head—quiet, dark amusement. Nicole is really too young for this world. She still believed people could be won with kindness, explanations, and moral lectures.
She didn't understand yet how to truly win a woman's heart—especially one like Megan: proud, broken, guilty, and already half-cracked open by shame and gratitude. When I bring Megan back here… Nicole might even help me win her heart without realizing it.
Out loud, I kept my voice casual, almost lazy.
"It's nothing," I said, shrugging one shoulder. "I don't like being a good guy. I'm just a bad guy."
