Nora's POV
The harsh scraping of metal against metal tears me from sleep. My body jolts upright, but James's strong arms immediately pull me against his chest, steadying my racing heart.
"I wondered if that sound would wake you again," he murmurs, his voice rumbling against my ear. "What is it about those automatic blinds that affects you so deeply?"
I draw in a shaky breath as the glass door slides open somewhere in the distance, its echo bouncing off the walls.
"It stems from my childhood," I admit, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. "Something tied to memories I'd rather forget."
His fingers thread through my hair with gentle strokes. "Burying these memories isn't helping you heal, Nora."
He's absolutely right, but damn it, I've spent years shoving these thoughts into the darkest corners of my mind where they can't hurt me anymore.
"Your father and brother tormented you because you were different, but there's something deeper, isn't there?"
"Much deeper."
