The cabin itself was old, weathered by time and neglect. There was no electricity, no modern comforts. Just a single bed, a small sink, a dusty table, and a fireplace that looked like it hadn't been used in years. An outhouse sat a few yards from the front door, and the only light came from the pale sliver of moonlight filtering through the trees.

Luke dropped the duffel bag on the floor and immediately went to the fireplace. Without a word, he began stacking logs and kindling, working methodically to get a fire started. Riley stood in the middle of the room, her arms wrapped around herself, watching as the first sparks of fire flickered to life, casting a warm glow across the cabin.

It was quiet. Too quiet. The weight of everything pressed down on her, and she suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe.

"They know," she whispered, breaking the silence for the first time in hours. Her voice trembled, the words barely audible over the crackling fire.

Luke glanced over his shoulder at her, his face shadowed in the firelight. "I know," he said quietly, his voice rough, as if speaking was painful for him. He finished with the fire and stood up, wiping his hands on his jeans. "We'll figure it out."

Riley sank down onto the floor, sitting near the fire, knees pulled into her chest as the warmth slowly began seeping into her bones. She stared into the flames, her mind still spinning. "I don't even know if Mike or Kyle are alive," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Luke hesitated for a moment, then sat down next to her, bracing an elbow on his knee. "We'll find out soon. But right now, you need to focus on yourself. You're safe, Riley."

"I betrayed them," she said, her voice cracking. She buried her face in her hands. "I was feeding Jackson information. I was playing both sides, and now... now they might be dead because of me."

Luke's jaw tightened, and he was quiet for a long moment. "You didn't have a choice. You were doing your job."

Riley shook her head, her shoulders trembling as tears burned at the edges of her eyes. "It doesn't feel that way. I thought I could handle it, but now... I don't know anymore."

Luke reached out, his hand gently resting on her shoulder. "Riley, you're stronger than you think. I've seen it."

She let out a bitter laugh, wiping at her eyes. "You don't understand what it was like, working with them, lying to them every single day. I was—God, Luke, I was helping Sinclair move guns, drugs. I was right there, doing the same things they were doing. I don't even know where the line is anymore."

He was silent for a long moment. "Letting you walk in there... alone... that was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do."

Riley was quiet, her throat tightening as the weight of his words settled over her. She had been so wrapped up in her own guilt and fear that she hadn't even considered how hard this had been for Luke. How much it must've hurt him to stay on the sidelines, powerless to stop what was happening to her.

"I hated it," he continued, his voice softening. "Every time you came in with a new bruise, or I heard about some deal you were a part of, I hated it. But I couldn't do anything. I had to trust that you knew what you were doing, that you could handle it. Because you can handle it."

Riley looked down at her hands, feeling a fresh wave of guilt wash over her. "I don't know if I handled it," she whispered. "I don't know if I'm strong enough for this."

Luke reached out again, his hand brushing against hers. "You are."

She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his in the flickering firelight. There was something in his gaze—something raw and real, a connection that felt like it was holding her together even as everything else crumbled around her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "For everything."

He stared at her, gaze settling on her lips. After a moment, he cleared his throat and rose to his feet.

"I'm going to go get more firewood," he murmured, crossing the room and heading back outside.

An hour later, the fire was low, casting soft shadows across the cabin's worn wooden walls as Luke tossed an extra blanket over the bed. Riley watched him from the corner of her eye, her arms folded over her chest as she leaned against the bedpost. He seemed...tense, more than usual. Considering the night they'd had, it was hard to blame him.

"I'll sleep on the floor," Luke said, his voice gruff. He kicked a pillow onto the ground near the fireplace, stretching his arms over his head like it was no big deal.

Riley frowned and rolled her eyes. "Luke, don't be fucking ridiculous," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "The bed's big enough for both of us. I'm not letting you sleep on the floor."

His brow furrowed, but she could tell he was too tired to argue. He glanced at her for a moment, his jaw tight, before he sighed and tossed the pillow back onto the bed. "Fine," he grumbled, kicking off his shoes and stripping down to his jeans. He hesitated briefly before pulling off his shirt.

Riley couldn't help but notice. He was all muscle and hard lines, his skin catching the firelight in a way that made her swallow hard. She looked away quickly, mentally kicking herself for even noticing in the first place.

He hesitated, and then held the shirt out to her. "We can go into town tomorrow to get some better clothes, but... you can wear this if you want to be more comfortable."

Riley didn't say anything as she gave a small smile and took the shirt gratefully. She chuckled slightly as Luke turned around to give her some privacy in the single room of the cabin.

She quickly stripped down to her panties and then pulled on his shirt, the scent of him washing over her. It was massive, almost brushing her knees.

"I'm... decent," she said awkwardly. Luke turned back around and his eyes darkened as he glanced at her. He only allowed his eyes to linger on her bare thighs for a moment before he cleared his throat and climbed into bed.

Riley followed suit, the air thick with the awkward tension of being forced into this strange situation together. Luke lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, his chest rising and falling steadily, while Riley turned onto her side, facing away from him. The bed creaked under their combined weight, but neither of them said a word. She closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep, but her mind refused to quiet.

Hours later, a scream shattered the silence.

Riley's eyes snapped open, her body covered in cold sweat as her nightmare clung to her. She gasped for breath, heart racing, her pulse pounding in her ears. Her hands shook as she tried to shake off the images, but they wouldn't leave her.

"Riley, hey!" Luke's voice cut through the panic, and she turned to find him leaning over her, his face etched with concern, only inches away from her own. She could feel his hot breath on her face. His hand rested lightly atop her shoulder, his thumb gently tracing lines along the column of her throat. "Riley, I've got you. You're okay."

She blinked up at him, disoriented for a moment, but then the reality of where she was came crashing back. "I'm fine," she lied quickly, pushing his hand away. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine." Luke's tone was firm, his eyes soft but insistent. "You were having a nightmare."

"I said I'm fine, Luke." She sat up, her back against the headboard, running a hand through her tangled hair as she tried and failed to ignore how close he was to her.

Luke sighed, sitting up straighter on the bed beside her. He was quiet for a moment, watching her with that same look—like he could see right through her. "You don't have to act like this didn't affect you, Riley."

Her throat tightened, and she clenched her jaw. She didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to admit how much everything had been eating her alive. But the way he was looking at her—it made it harder to keep pretending.

"It's just a bad dream," she muttered, though even she could hear how unconvincing it sounded.

"Riley," Luke said quietly, reaching for her hand. His touch was gentle, grounding her as his thumb brushed over her knuckles. "I'm not asking you to be okay. I'm just asking you to talk to me."

She swallowed hard, her throat tight. The weight of everything—her brothers, the bust, Sinclair, her own guilt—it all pressed down on her, and for a second, she thought she might break under it.

"It's too much, Luke," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I spent so much time pretending to be different versions of myself... I don't remember which one is real."

He was silent for a few moments, then he sat forward and turned to look at her, his expression softening. "I'll tell you which one is real." His throat worked in the firelight, shadows dancing across his face that made his stubble appear darker than usual. He was devastatingly handsome, and Riley fought to stop herself from reaching out to touch him.

His eyes bore into hers. "You are Riley Torres. You used to eat stolen cereal on the roof with your younger brother. You overcame a hell of a lot of adversity to get yourself to a better place - to make the world a better place in his honour. You help old ladies carry their groceries and you never hesitate to throw yourself into the line of fire if it means saving someone else."

Riley stared at him, eyes wide. He reached out and cupped her jaw, brushing away a tear with his thumb as he continued. "You refuse to fail. You are reckless. You are beautiful. You are compassionate, and you are so. damn. stubborn."

She looked at him, his words sinking in, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she let herself lean on someone else. Luke shifted closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him as he pressed a slow kiss to her temple. His warmth, his steady heartbeat, the weight of his arm—it all made her feel just a little bit more anchored.

She rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes as he held her. Slowly, her breathing evened out, and the tension in her body began to melt away. Luke didn't say anything more, just held her, tracing circles on her upper thigh where her shirt had ridden up.

For the first time in months, she felt peace.

********************

Author Note:

*Screams* 

This is my absolute FAV chapter so far.........

But not for long ;) stay tuned

P.S. CALL ME CLICHE FOR THE 'ONLY ONE BED' TROPE. DO IT. I STAND BY IT. I WILL DO IT AGAIN.

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