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TK was at the counter, half listening to Marjan while grabbing a glass from the cabinet.
“and I swear he really thought that was going to work on me,” she was saying.
The glass slipped.
It hit the floor and shattered.
The sound was sharp. Way too sharp.
TK froze.
For a second he just stared at it.
Then his breathing hitched.
“No…” he whispered, already stepping back. “no, no, no—”
Everything in the room went quiet.
“TK?” Judd said, confused.
“I didn’t mean to,” TK rushed out, hands coming up like he was bracing for something. “I’m sorry, I’ll clean it up, I swear, just please—”
Judd frowned, something already feeling off.
“hey, nobody’s mad—”
But TK wasn’t hearing him.
“I’ll fix it,” he said again, voice shaking, already dropping to his knees. “I’ll fix it, I’m sorry—”
“TK, don’t,” Paul said, but TK was already grabbing at the glass.
He hissed when it cut him but didn’t stop.
“I said I’m sorry—”
“hey, hey, stop,” Owen said quickly, moving in and grabbing his wrists.
TK flinched so hard it looked like it hurt.
“I said I’m sorry!” he choked, trying to pull away. “please don’t hit me, I’ll be good, I’ll be good, I swear—”
Everything in Owen just broke.
He let go immediately, hands coming up. “hey, hey, no one’s touching you. no one’s gonna hurt you, kid.”
Judd went completely still.
“TK, look at me,” he said, crouching in front of him, voice lower now. “hey. look at me.”
TK’s eyes were unfocused, darting everywhere.
“I didn’t mean to—”
“I know,” Judd said. “I know you didn’t. it’s just glass. that’s it. nothing else.”
Behind them, Marjan was already grabbing the first aid kit.
“Paul,” she said quietly.
“I got it,” he said, stepping away and pulling out his phone.
TK couldn’t catch his breath.
Too fast. Too uneven.
“I can’t…” he choked. “I can’t breathe—”
“You can,” Owen said softly. “you can. just slow it down for me, alright? breathe in… and out…”
TK shook his head, tears falling now. “he’s gonna be mad—”
“No one’s mad at you,” Judd said, a little firmer. “not here.”
“please don’t let him hurt me…”
Judd’s expression changed.
He looked up at Owen, confused and concerned.
Owen didn’t answer that look.
“You’re okay,” Owen said instead, softer now. “you’re here with us. you’re safe.”
That seemed to reach him a little.
Not fully. But enough.
A few minutes later, TK was sitting on the bench, still shaking while Marjan cleaned the cuts on his hands.
“These aren’t deep,” she said gently. “they look worse than they are, I promise.”
TK flinched anyway.
“sorry—”
“don’t,” she said softly. “you don’t need to apologize.
The door opened fast.
“TK?”
Carlos.
TK looked up and everything cracked all over again.
“Carlos—”
His voice broke completely.
Carlos crossed the room in seconds, dropping in front of him and pulling him in close. “hey, hey, I’m here. I’ve got you.”
TK collapsed into him, gripping his shirt tight.
“I’m sorry,” he kept saying. “I didn’t mean to, I broke it, I thought—”
“shh,” Carlos murmured, one hand in his hair, the other holding him steady. “it was an accident. that’s all. you’re okay.”
TK shook his head against him, still breathing uneven.
“he used to—”
Carlos didn’t push.
He just held him.
“you’re safe,” he said quietly. “you’re with me.”
It took a while.
TK’s breathing slowly evened out. His grip loosened just a little.
Carlos stayed right there, talking to him softly, letting him come down at his own pace.
No one else interrupted.
Owen stayed back, giving him space even though it was clearly killing him.
Judd watched the whole thing, something tight building in his chest.
Eventually, TK pulled back just enough to breathe properly.
Carlos brushed his thumb under his eye. “you with me?”
TK nodded a little.
“okay,” Carlos said softly.
There was a pause.
Then TK looked over at the others.
“You guys remember me mentioning Alex” he said quietly.
Judd frowned, but nodded along with the others.
Owen glanced at TK, giving him the choice.
TK swallowed.
“He used to get really mad,” he said, staring down at his hands. “if I broke something… or messed up… it wasn’t just yelling.”
Judd went still.
“What do you mean it wasn’t just yelling?” he asked, slower now.
TK hesitated.
Carlos’s arm tightened around him just slightly. Not pressure. Just there.
“He’d… hurt me,” TK said quietly.
The room went dead silent.
Judd’s face changed completely.
“You’re telling me that guy put his hands on you?” he said, voice low and dangerous.
TK flinched at the tone.
Carlos noticed immediately. “hey,” he said gently, pulling TK a little closer. “not at you.”
“I know,” TK said, but his voice was small.
Judd ran a hand over his face, pacing once like he needed to burn something off. “that son of a—”
“Judd,” Owen said, a quiet warning.
Not because he disagreed.
Because TK was right there.
Judd stopped, jaw tight. “yeah. yeah, okay.”
Owen stepped a little closer now, careful. “he’s not here,” he said softly. “and he’s not going to hurt you again.”
TK nodded, even if it wasn’t fully convincing yet.
Judd shook his head, still pissed. “man’s lucky he ain’t standing here right now…”
Carlos didn’t say anything to that.
He just held TK a little tighter.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured into his hair.
TK leaned into him, exhausted now, but calmer.
This time, when he nodded, it felt a little more real.