Brian didn't let go. Not once. He felt every tremor that ripped through her body, every desperate fistful of fabric she clung to as though he were the only thing keeping her from breaking apart completely. Maybe he was, for the moment. And if that was the case, then he'd stand there as long as she needed.
"It's okay," he murmured over and over, the words quiet and steady against her hair. "I got you, Liv... I got you."
He didn't care about the tears soaking through his shirt or the way his shoulder was growing damp. He couldn't have cared less. If this was what she needed to finally let all that fear and pain out, then she'd have every second of it.
When her legs threatened to give out, he adjusted his stance without thinking, taking more of her weight until she was leaning entirely against him. His hand rubbed slow circles over the middle of her back, the other cradling the back of her head as he rested his cheek against her hair.
His heart broke. Not because she was crying. Because she'd been trying so damn hard not to. When the sobs finally quieted into uneven breaths, he stayed exactly where he was, listening to each shaky inhale as if reassuring himself she was still there.
Then came her quiet plea. "Lay with me, please. I need to lay down." Brian didn't hesitate. "Yeah," he answered immediately, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yeah, sweetheart."
Keeping one arm securely around her waist, he guided her carefully toward the bed, moving slowly enough that she never had to support herself more than necessary. Once she was sitting, he eased her down onto the mattress, pulling the blankets over her before slipping in beside her without another word.
He gathered her against his chest again, one arm around her shoulders, the other resting protectively across her back.
"You don't have to be strong right now," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "Not for me. Not for anybody."
His fingers combed gently through her hair. "You survived something no one should ever have to survive." His voice caught for the briefest moment before he continued. "You're here. That's enough. You don't have to prove anything." He held her a little tighter.
"I'm not going anywhere, Liv. You fall apart as many times as you need to..." His chin rested lightly against her hair. "I'll be right here every single time to help you put the pieces back together."