Unbind me

chapter 14

Juliette doesn't notice—or if she does, she's too preoccupied to care.

Adam finally exhales sharply, pushing off the couch and pacing toward the door. "He should've been back by now."

Kenji leans back further into his chair, stretching his arms above his head with a wince. "Maybe he's just taking his time. Can't blame the kid—outside sucks."

Adam doesn't respond.

Kenji's eyes flick back to Juliette, his expression unreadable.

Something about the way he's looking at her—it unsettles me.

I shift in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest. "You keep staring at her."

Kenji turns to me, eyebrows lifting like he forgot I was even there. Then he shrugs, leaning forward to prop his elbows on his knees. "She's just... different than I thought she'd be."

Juliette finally glances up, meeting his gaze for the first time. "What does that mean?"

Kenji tilts his head, studying her again. "It means you're kind of terrifying."

A beat of silence.

Then—Juliette blinks. "Oh."

Kenji smirks. "Don't worry, it's a compliment."

Adam exhales, running a hand down his face. "Can we focus?"

Kenji leans back again, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I'm focused. Super focused."

I roll my eyes, shifting my gaze back to the door, waiting.

After a long stretch of silence, Kenji speaks again.

"So," he says casually, "how come you can touch Adam?"

Juliette shifts uncomfortably. "I don't know."

Kenji raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, okay."

She doesn't elaborate, just shrugs.

"But seriously," he presses, tilting his head, "how did you even figure that out? What kind of sick experiment did you run?"

Juliette's jaw tightens. "Where is this place you're taking us?"

Kenji smirks. "Oh, we're changing the subject now?" He watches her closely, eyes glinting with amusement. Juliette keeps her gaze fixed on the floor, her fingers curling into the fabric of her pants.

Kenji leans forward. "You ever think maybe you can touch me too? There's only one way to find out."

Her eyes snap to his. "You don't want me to touch you."

Kenji's smirk deepens. "Maybe I do."

Adam moves before Juliette can respond, his voice sharp as steel. "Maybe you should shut the hell up before I put that bullet back in your arm."

Kenji exhales a short laugh, undeterred. "I'm just saying—maybe a deprived man is allowed to ask questions, Kent. Maybe I'm actually interested." His grin lingers as he glances back at Juliette. "And maybe you should back off and let her speak for herself."

I let their voices fade into the background, the words losing meaning as they blur into nothing but distant noise. My mind drifts, slipping away from the room, from the tension crackling between them, from the sharp edges of reality pressing in on all sides.

A safe place.

Kenji's words keep circling in my head, wrapping around my thoughts like a vice. I don't know what that means anymore. I don't know if I ever did. Safety is a lie, a fragile illusion easily shattered. I was promised it once before, and I believed them. I trusted them. And then they locked me away.