Chapter 225
Summer's POV
"Summer, oh god, Summer, when I got the call—" She was running her hands over me, checking for injuries, her fingers trembling as they found the small cuts on my hands from gripping the pipe, the bruise forming on my shoulder where I'd stumbled against the warehouse wall. "You're hurt, you're—we need to get you to a hospital, we need to—"
"Mom, I'm okay," I said, even though my voice was shaking. "I'm okay, really. It's just scratches."
But Victoria wasn't listening, was already turning to Kieran with an expression I'd never seen on her face before—raw, unfiltered fury mixed with something that looked almost like respect. "You," she said, and her voice was sharp enough to cut glass. "You let my daughter walk into a burning warehouse? You let her put herself in danger like that?"
"Mom, stop it," I said, stepping between them. "He didn't let me do anything. I made my own choice. If I hadn't gone, he would have—" I couldn't finish the sentence, couldn't say out loud what would have happened if I'd arrived even a few minutes later.
Kieran was looking at my mother with that carefully blank expression he wore when he was preparing himself for rejection, for judgment, for all the ways the world had taught him he wasn't good enough. "Mrs. Hayes," he said, his voice formal and distant. "I'm sorry. I never meant for Summer to be in danger. If I'd known my father would—" He swallowed hard, his jaw tight. "I understand if you don't want her to see me anymore. I wouldn't blame you."
Victoria stared at him for a long moment, and I could see her taking in the bandages, the bruises, the way he was holding himself carefully upright even though every movement clearly hurt. Then her expression softened, just slightly, and she let out a long breath.
"No," she said quietly. "No, I don't want that." She turned to look at me, and her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I've spent so much time trying to protect you from everything, trying to control every aspect of your life so you'd never get hurt. But tonight you showed me that you're not a little girl anymore. You made your own choice, and you saved someone's life." Her voice wavered. "I'm terrified, Summer. I'm absolutely terrified. But I'm also... proud."
I felt tears spill down my cheeks, and when my mother pulled me close again, I let myself collapse into her embrace, let myself be her daughter for just a moment instead of trying to be strong. Over her shoulder, I could see Catherine watching us with a bittersweet expression, and I realized she was mourning too—not just for Drake, but for all the years she'd spent trying to protect her children from a monster who'd lived in their own home.
"Mrs. Cross," Victoria said, gently extracting herself from my grip and turning to face Kieran's mother. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Victoria Hayes."
Catherine looked startled, as if she hadn't expected my mother to acknowledge her existence, let alone speak to her directly. "Catherine Cross," she said, her voice soft. "I'm sorry about all of this, about your daughter being involved in—"
"Don't apologize," Victoria said firmly. "None of this is your fault." She glanced at Kieran, then back at Catherine. "Your son loves my daughter. I've known that for a while now, even if I didn't want to admit it. And tonight he almost died protecting her from his father, and she risked her life to save him." She paused, and when she spoke again, her voice was gentler. "That's not something I can ignore, or dismiss, or try to control away. They've chosen each other, and I... I need to accept that."
Catherine's eyes filled with tears again, but this time there was gratitude mixed with the grief. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for understanding."
"It's going to be okay," I said, and I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince him or myself. "We're going to be okay."