He listens to that and nods, but he doesn't think it's all as simple as she's making it seem. Letting in someone you love, wanting to let them in — literally or figuratively — is a natural thing, he thinks. If he could pull Adam into him and keep him safe and close, where he can always feel him and know him? Fuck, he thinks he'd do that in a heartbeat. And Alex loved — loves — Hellie so much, he doesn't blame her for doing it, either.

The fact that Hellie took advantage of that... Even if Alex wanted her to kill Len and Betcha, Hellie shouldn't have used Alex's body to do it. She shouldn't have done that to Alex.

Caleb is suddenly, viscerally, glad that Hellie isn't here. He doesn't think he'd like her very much.

He pulls Alex closer and presses a kiss to the side of her head. He doesn't know how to articulate any of this to Alex, not yet, so he doesn't.