Fangs, Fate & Other Bad Decisions novel Chapter 89

Chapter 89

I stand at the front door, my hand still gripping the knob like it’s the only thing holding me upright right now. The seconds stretch out before me, each one heavy and impossibly long. The air around me feels thick, like it’s pressing in on me from all sides, suffocating me with the weight of the reality I’ve just been thrust into,

Mike passes me first. He doesn’t say anything at first, but his eyes are sharp with understanding, and there’s an almost imperceptible shift in his posture as he walks by. His presence has, in a short period of time, become a constant in my life, but tonight, there’s something different about him–something protective.

“Harley,” he says quietly when he gets to the threshold, “Take your time. You don’t have to have all the answers right now.”

I don’t respond at first, just nodding slowly. His words are steady and solid, and they land in my chest like a calming balm. And for a brief moment, I don’t feel like I’m drowning in the chaos of my own thoughts. It’s like Mike is anchoring me with those words, reminding me that don’t have to fix this–not yet. I’m not sure if I can, but for now, that’s enough.

He pats my shoulder briefly as he turns to walk out. It’s a small gesture, but it means the world to me. He doesn’t need to say anything more because he just knows.

Next, it’s Griffin. I can already feel the familiar presence of his humor approaching me where I’m standing in my entryway. He walks past me, taking a moment to look me over with a little smirk on his lips. Even in moments like these, he somehow knows exactly how to crack through the

tension

“This whole thing’s turning into a full–on ‘vampire drama, huh?” he says with that characteristic sarcasm in his voice, his eyes twinkling despite the gravity of the situation. “And you, my dear, are the lead actress. Quite the role you’ve been handed.”

I blink, and before I know it, a laugh bursts out of me, unbidden. It’s small and almost sad, but it’s real. Griffin always knows how to make me laugh when I don’t think I can anymore. He’s a master at turning the heaviest moments into something I can breathe through, even if it’s just for a second.

He winks at me before his grin softens into something more serious. “You’ll figure it out,” he says quietly, as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world. And somehow, with him, it feels like it might be. “But just remember–you’re not alone in this.” And then he’s gone, strolling towards the SUV in my driveway.

As I watch him walk away, my throat tightens. But 1 instinctively know it’s true. With Mike and Griffin in my corner, I’m not alone. I never have been, and I’m still not. But this…this is something different. This pull I feel toward Thane? I can’t explain it, I can’t make sense of it, but it’s there, pressing in on me harder than the silence in the room. I know it’s real, but the weight of it all? It’s too much.

And then there’s Thane.

I feel him before I even see him. He’s standing in the doorway between the entryway and the living room, just a few feet away. The tension around us thickens, every inch of the space between us charged with something too powerful to ignore. I can feel his gaze on me, heavy and full of questions, and even desperation. I know what he wants. I can feel it in every inch of his body as he stands there, his eyes dark with that hunger that isn’t just for blood.

He takes a step forward, and I stop him with my words before he can beg me to give him a chance. The uneasiness in his eyes mirrors what I’m feeling–this gnawing uncertainty, this need to understand why. But I can’t. Not yet

“I need time, Thane,” I say again, my voice unsteady but firm. “And I’m not sure how long that will take.“

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