broken like me

Chapter 4

And then she's there—older, skin a few shades too light (like she hasn't seen the sun in years), but so clearly her, smiling and already crying at the sight of him.

Rhys can't speak—just reaches for her, breathes heavily at the familiar shape of Mia in his arms.

"Hi, bubba. I'm so glad you're okay."

He barks out a laugh, squeezes her a little tighter. "Me? I can't believe you're here, jesus."

Her smile is bittersweet—the ghosts in her eyes are familiar in a way that breaks his heart. "Yeah. I—sorry. I wanted to come with them to find you today, but—I couldn't be back there." She shudders at the thought. "I just—I'm not ready for that yet. Maybe ever."

It's then that Rhys really processes what her being rescued means.

(they'd found her in the lair of a sex trafficking ring—where she'd been held captive for years.)

(he doesn't know whether to break something or throw up.)

All the years of suffering Amarantha's abuse—and the same had been done to his baby sister, for so much longer.

(he'd sworn to protect her—but he knows the darkness her soul has seen, now.)

"Hey, don't—don't go there," she demands, bringing his attention back to her face. "It's—not okay, but it's over. I'm free, and you're home, and we're together, and—we can get through anything, that way."

He nods, tries to breathe and stop thinking of the horrors she's been through since he last saw her.

(she's here. Alive.)

Mia pulls away eventually, but he's still staring at her—can't really believe the sight before his eyes.

"Where's Feyre and Cass?" she asks, and Rhys winces.

"She's—mad at me, for not telling her I knew we were soulmates. Needs some time alone—Cass is taking her somewhere to cool off, now that she knows I'm safe. I think it was just...a lot, emotionally."

And he knows Feyre's never really had a family before—never had anyone, before Tamlin. He nearly broke her, so it makes sense that for Rhys to keep something so big to himself...well, he can understand why she's so hurt.

(he knows her well enough to know this is her way of processing.)

"Speaking of soulmates—now that I know yours is Lucien, I have some threats to make."

"Go easy on him," Mia orders, tugging at his arm gently as they head through the garage door. "I respect your need to play the protective big brother, but also...he's given a lot, over the years, to try to protect me. To love me."

"Yeah, yeah. Well, he's a good guy and my soulmate's best friend, so—I don't have much of a choice, I suppose."

They make their way further inside, and his heart pangs at the sight of the art that covers every inch of his chambers. Feyre.

(as mad at him as she is, she missed him too. Loves him too. They can make it through the rest.)

At this point the day's events and mental trauma catch up with Rhys.

(he promptly passes out.)

/

/

A week, she's been holed up in the safe house Cassian assured her Rhys wouldn't think to check.

By now, she's sure he's gotten it out of Cassian, but she's made it perfectly clear to her soulmate via messages on her skin that she doesn't want to see him until she's ready.