"Hurt. Be yourself. Go through it and stop trying to please us. We don't care about us as much as we care about you, dumbass. Scream if you want to, fight with Marco. Burn as dark as you want and trust us to take care of you."

He kept Ace's eyes as he spoke.

"It's not going to be easy. Maybe we'll get mad or get hurt and fight and bitch, but that's part of life, too. That's part of healing. People have to be who they are. They have to hurt how they hurt and rage how they rage and still weather the storm together.

So go through it, Freckles." He reached out and tweaked a strand of hair. "Run yourself raw if you have to. We'll be here for you, and on the other side."