"It's what, Iz!?" I speak the words louder, my voice rising again.
"It's just a lot." Her words come out low, and a look of defeat fills her face and posture. Immediately, my head cools—I fucking did that.
One more step, and I pull her into a hug. Her body responds, melting into me. "If you need space, then take it. If you need time to think, go for it. Figure out whatever the fuck it is that you're struggling with. But when you come back to me, I need the woman I fell in love with."
With that, I release her, turn around, pull on the rest of my clothes, and walk out to my truck without another word. A few minutes later, she joins me, and we spend the drive to take her home in complete silence.
I love this woman to the ends of the earth, but it's time I love myself, too.
She’s hiding her heart. I’ve known this for a while now. It’s thewhyI can’t seem to figure out.
Chapter forty-eight
Izzy
November 2025
"Izzy!" Via calls out, running towards me as I step out of my car and onto the field next to her and Ander’s home on the island.
"Hey, V!" I shout.
She makes it to me, and I pull her into a hug. I'm so excited to see her.I need to see her. I may not want to talk about what's going on, but she's my person, and just being in her presence seems to make everything I'm struggling with fade, even if just for a little while.
"What are you doing here?" she asks, the excitement oozing from her tone as her nose crinkles with surprise.
"I just… needed to see you," I say, attempting the brave face I've come to wear so well over this past year.
Her expression goes blank as she looks at me with concern. "What's wrong?"
"Don't go getting all worked up; nothing is wrong. Does something need to be wrong to want to see my best friend?" She raises a suspecting eyebrow, reading right through my bullshit."Ah,fuck it. I think Mav and I broke up last night. I asked for space. He gave it. I don't know what the fuck that means. This is why I don't do this shit. So, yeah, I just—"
She cuts me off, her voice barely above a whisper, although no one is around to hear us. "Is this about the stuff with Jett?"
I nod.
"Have you told Maverick how you feel?"
"About Jett? How the hell do I tell him? 'Hey Mav, I love you, but I also may still be in love with Jett. You know, the guy I told you not to worry about?’ Gosh, I'm a real fucking winner."
"Yes, yes, you are." She wraps her arm around me with a chuckle and leads me toward her home along the beach coast.
"Seriously, V, he knows something isn't right with me—"
"We all know something isn't right with you, Iz. It isn't hard to see." There's no judgment in her expression, strictly genuine concern.
“You do?”
“Of course. We just know not to push, and you’ll eventually come to us. Case in point,” she tightens her hold on me, “you’re here now, telling me about all your shit.”
That causes me to chuckle. "I know I need to tell Mav, too. I just don't know how. The most fucked up part is, I don't know what it is that I want. Orwho.I'm so goddamn conflicted."
She stops walking, turning to face me head-on. "Wait. You're considering being with Jett?"
"Honestly?" I sigh with a huff. "I don't know. I may just let both of them go to save them both the heartache of my chaos."
"Mav is good for you, Iz. Jett is, too. They're polar opposites, but somehow I can see you with either of them and being happy. You just need to free yourself from these confines and tell Mav. He deserves an explanation as to why you've been off. I mean, come on, it's Mav. He's the easiest person there is to talk to." She giggles as the last of her words come out.
"There's more that you don't know. Something that Mav may not be able to see past." I look away, not able to meet her eyes. "With Jett, it runs deeper than anyone can realize. It isn't just an attraction. It's a pull. I gravitate to him. Since seeing him at Thanksgiving, I haven't been able to get that out of my mind."
