I glanced back at Lily, who was now playing with her toys on the floor, her innocent laughter filling the room. My chest tightened a little, an ache I couldn’t quite explain. I wanted this. A family. A place where I belonged.
But right now, that felt so far away.
“I hope you’re right,” I said quietly, half to myself.
Noah clapped a hand on my shoulder, firm and reassuring. “I am.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed him, but something in his tone made me want to. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance I’d find what I was looking for here. Even if I didn’t see how yet.
But that didn’t stop the thoughts of Holden from creeping back in, making my heart race in ways I wasn’t ready to admit.
CHAPTER EIGHT
HOLDEN
I leanedback against the wall of the family room, my arms crossed as I braced myself for what was coming. I could hear Hope’s voice carrying from the kitchen, followed by Sarah’s. And to make things worse, they’d dragged Mom into it. I rubbed a hand over my face, letting out a deep breath, but it wasn’t going to help.
“Are you seriously going to keep avoiding him?” Hope’s voice cut through the space like a knife, and when she appeared in the doorway, hands on her hips, I knew I was in trouble.
I sighed, standing up straighter, but didn’t even get a chance to open my mouth before Sarah appeared right behind her, arms crossed like a mirror image of Hope.
“Holden, this is ridiculous,” Sarah added, her tone just as sharp. “You’re going to push him away if you keep acting like a damn robot around him.”
“It’s not like that,” I muttered, knowing full well they weren’t going to listen. “I’m protecting him.”
Hope threw her hands in the air, exasperated. “Protecting him? From what, exactly? You keep saying that, but none of us know what the hell you mean.”
Before I could answer, my mom, Addison, stepped into the room. Her expression was softer, but the disappointment in her eyes hit harder than anything Hope or Sarah could throw at me. “Holden, sweetheart, we understand you’re cautious, but you’re going too far. The Adalbern wouldn’t have brought Mylo to you if this wasn’t meant to be. You know that.”
I looked away, trying to avoid the weight of her words. Yeah, I knew what Adalbern was supposed to do—bring mates together. But I wasn’t most people, and my past still haunted me every damn day.
“You don’t get it,” I said, my voice low. “I’m not like you guys. I can’t just?—”
“Can’t just what?” Hope interrupted, stepping closer. “Can’t just trust your mate? Can’t just tell him what’s really going on? You’re not doing either of you any favors by keeping him in the dark.”
I clenched my jaw, the frustration building. “It’s not that simple.”
“It kind of is,” Sarah said, crossing her arms tighter. “You’re the one making it complicated.”
They weren’t going to let up. And deep down, I knew they were right. But I wasn’t ready. Not yet.
“I’ll apologize,” I said, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. “I’ll talk to him. Happy?”
Hope and Sarah exchanged a look, but before they could say anything, Mom stepped forward and placed a hand on my arm, her voice softer now. “Holden, honey, we just want you to be happy. We want you to let yourself feel something. For once.”
I didn’t say anything. Just nodded.
The truth was, Ifelteverything… and they didn’t get how hard it was to stay away. But it couldn’t be about me.
I found Mylo in the kitchen later that afternoon, stirring something on the stove. He was humming softly to himself, completely oblivious to my presence until I cleared my throat.
He jumped, turning to look at me, his eyes widening for a second before he composed himself. “Oh, hey,” he said, his voice casual, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. “What’s up?”
I took a deep breath and stepped closer but kept my distance. “I wanted to apologize,” I said, my tone gruff. “For the other day. I overreacted.”
He blinked, clearly not expecting that. “Oh, um... okay. Thanks, I guess.” He paused, stirring the pot in front of him before glancing at me again. “But why didn’t you just tell me I was riding into Montague territory? Noah explained it after, but you kinda... freaked out instead.”
I blinked, confused for a moment. “Montague territory?”
