Simple and beautiful.
Just like the way Colt looked at me once.
My eyes sting as I turn away.
I don’t look back.
I lock the door behind me.
And I run to the car before I lose the courage to keep going.
***
The drive to London takes just over an hour and a half with the snow. By the time I pull into Joseph’s driveway, the sky is a dull gray, and my hands are stiff from gripping the wheel too tightly.
His car’s in the drive.Good, he’s home.
Princess hops out of the passenger side before I’ve even shut off the engine, trotting straight to the front door like she remembers it. I smile faintly. At least someone’s happy.
I open the trunk and pull out my suitcase, dragging it behind me before I step onto the porch. I know exactly how this is going to go. Joseph’s going to try to talk me out of this and tell me to go back to Colt. But I don’t care what he says as long as I have a place to stay while I figure out my next move.
The door swings open, and Princess barrels inside, tail wagging.
“Well, nice to see you too, Princess.” Joseph chuckles, then looks up, freezing when he sees me. “Jesus, Dee.” His tone shifts immediately. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”
I manage a slight nod before he steps out and pulls me into a hug.
His eyes flick down to the suitcase. “What did he do?” he asks, low and serious.
“Nothing. This was my choice. He doesn’t even know I’m gone yet.”
Joseph pulls back, brows drawn. “This about the kid? It’s too much?”
“Maybe a little,” I admit. “But it’s not about jealousy. It’s about Colt needing space to be with his family. I’ve just… been in the way.”
He shakes his head and exhales, grabbing my suitcase. “That’s a load of noble-sounding bullshit if I have ever heard it, Dee.”
“It’s not bullshit.” I step inside. “It’s clarity.”
“Is it easier for you to leave him?” he asks quietly, following me into the kitchen.
“N-no.” My voice cracks. “It’s the hardest fucking thing I’ve ever done. But I can’t hold onto him because I’m scared to be without him. That’s not love, that’s selfishness. And I’ve been selfish enough in my life.” I sink into a chair at the dining table and bury my face in my hands.
Joseph shuts the door gently behind him. “Look, Dee, I get that this hurts. I can’t pretend to understand what it’s like, especially after what you’ve already been through. But just because he has a kid doesn’t mean you’re no longer part of the picture.”
I sniff, blinking back fresh tears. “I don’t belong inhisworld, Joseph. I’m just… me. A nobody. Colt’s rock royalty. He deserves someone who’s always been there. Someone who knows him inside and out.”
He crosses his arms. “Someone like Macy?”
I nod.
“Well, let’s break that sentence down, shall we?” Joseph walks around and leans on the back of the chair next to me. “You saidknew, notknows.Past tense.He loved her. But he marriedyou. Not Macy. You think that means nothing?”
“It means I ruined a perfectly good family.”
“No,” Joseph snaps. “It means you became his family. And you’re running away from that.”
“All fires burn out eventually.”
