Chapter 57

Chapter 57
KAT’S POV:
Later that night, after so much talking, Percy and I…we find our rhythm. If you can call it that.
We apologize to each other more times than I can count. We give each other apologies that are real. And somewhere in the effort, something gentle forms between us. Something that makes it possible for me to finally lie beside him without feeling like I have to keep my guard up.
The room is a bit dark. The only light here comes from the bedside lamp. Percy sits against the headboard. He has one arm behind me while I lean into him. Both of us are exhausted in a way that reaches deeper than our bodies.
He tells me about some of the things that scare him. I tell him about the pressure I’ve been carrying in silence. He doesn’t interrupt much; he just listens, and somehow, the fact that he’s listening, makes me want to keep talking.
“I hate that it got this bad,” I murmur into his shoulder. “I hate that I can’t fix anything. I feel like I’m always one step away from some new disaster.”
Percy brushes my hair back. “You’re not the one who created any of this mess.”
“Maybe,” I say quietly. “But people don’t care about truth. They care about spectacle.”
He sighs. “Then let them talk. You’re not alone in it anymore.”
Something inside me loosens at those words. I don’t say anything back, not because I don’t want to, but because the lump in my throat makes it impossible.
He tightens his arm around me, almost like he is telling me it’s okay not to speak.
I feel exhausted. It was such a fun and eventful day. I’m tired. My eyelids grow heavier with each slow breath. The warmth of Percy’s body beside mine pulls at me. It makes me calm in a way I haven’t felt in years.
I roll into him, resting my head on his chest.
“You can sleep, Kat,” he whispers. “I’ve got you.”
I want to answer him, to thank him for being exactly what I need tonight, but the words tangle in my throat. All I feel is his steady heartbeat under my ear, his arm around my waist, the small protective touch of his fingers tracing slow circles on my back. His warmth is the last thing I feel before I fall asleep.
\-
When morning comes, I wake slowly. The sunlight comes in through the curtains.
Percy is still asleep beside me, lying on his side with one arm resting over my waist.
For a long moment, I stay still, just breathing him in. I turn slightly, admiring how gorgeous he is.
I study the curve of his jaw, how his eyes look peaceful, the peaceful rise and fall of his chest. There is something about seeing him like this.
This is the man who holds me through the night like I matter. Like I’m not a burden. Like he chooses to be here.
I smile. It surprises me how natural it feels.
For the first time in a long time, I feel safe enough to just breathe.
Eventually, I reach for my phone on the nightstand. And that is when everything inside me drops.
The screen lights up with notifications. They are so many that they stack endlessly.
News articles. Mentions. Hashtags.
Melissa’s name is at the top of the trending list. There are new videos, new comments, new lies. People twisting pieces of my past into something monstrous. People accusing me of “psychotic revenge behavior.” I see claims that I attacked Melissa before, claims that I’m unstable, claims that the Paula situation is just the beginning.
I scroll. My heart pounds harder with each swipe.
“God… no, no, no…” I whisper as my hands begin to shake.
Someone posts an edited video. Someone else fabricates screenshots. Strangers stitch together old clips of me from completely unrelated moments and call them “evidence.”
Every lie feels like a punch. Every rumor feels like another person attempting to shove me underwater.
My throat tightens painfully. I force myself to breathe, force myself to stay steady enough to dial my PR team. They answer on the second ring. Their voices already sound panicked.
“Miss Kat, we’re okay, we’re on it, we’re working-”
“You said it wouldn’t get this bad,” I snap. My voice cracks with frustration and fear. “You said you were managing it. This is worse. This is insane!”
“We didn’t expect Melissa’s reach to escalate this fast,” one of them says breathlessly. “Her follower count, her engagement, it pushed the story into a different algorithm category before we could intervene.”
“I don’t care about algorithms,” I say “I care about why none of you handled this before I woke up to a nightmare. I told you guys to take care of this yesterday”
“We’re preparing counters, drafting narratives, monitoring trends—”
“That’s not a plan,” I cut in. “That’s you telling me you’re overwhelmed.”
On the other end of the line, all I hear is scrambling, papers shuffling, whispers and the chaotic sound of people trying to look organized when they aren’t even close.
“I need something real,” I say through clenched teeth. “I need something effective. Now.”
“We - we’re trying,” the woman says, but her voice cracks.
Trying isn’t enough. Trying is useless.
I hang up before I say something I can’t take back.
My hands shake so badly that the phone almost slips from my grasp. My breath comes too fast. It feels too shallow. The panic claws at my ribs, and all I can think is: It’s happening again. Everything is spiraling. I can’t catch up. I can’t control any of it.
A soft sound beside me breaks through the noise in my head.
Percy sits up. He’s still half-asleep but he becomes instantly alert when he sees my face.
“Kat?” His voice is rough with sleep. “What’s wrong?”
I don’t answer. I can’t. I’m too busy trying to hold myself together.
He moves closer and gently takes the phone from my hand.
“Hey,” he says softly, placing it on the nightstand. Then he slides behind me, wraps his arms around me, and pulls me back against his chest. “Whatever it is… you’re not facing it alone.”
His voice calms me. I close my eyes and let myself sink into him. His chin rests on my shoulder. For a moment, I forget how to breathe in fear and remember how to breathe in him instead.
I turn slowly toward him, meeting his eyes. Really meeting them. And in that quiet moment, something inside me shifts.
This whole trip… it was amazing.
Every soft word, every moment he stays close, every time he chooses not to walk away - hits me all at once. He isn’t staying out of pity. He isn’t hovering out of obligation. He has been choosing me. In his own quiet way, he's been doing this from the beginning.
My voice comes out small “Take me home.”
Percy doesn’t hesitate. His hand comes up to cup the side of my face and his finger brushes my cheek.
“Okay,” he says softly. “I’ll get you home.”