The whole ride back is cold and silent. The snow has stopped falling, but the roads are super icy. I barely look at her, but I don't need to. I feel her and our regret the entire time.
We pull through the gates at the Cartwright Ranch. The holiday lights twinkle across the front porch, their brightness muted by the ice.
I turn off the engine. "Willow?—"
"Don't start," she warns as she gets out of the truck.
I follow her into the cold, up the porch, and inside.
The aroma of bacon and cinnamon floats around the house. The same happy chaos that's always present in the Cartwright residence hits my ears.
She trudges into the family room, and everyone's there. Jacob and Ruby, Jagger, Ava, and the rest of the crew.
"We're home," Willow announces in a flat tone.
Ruby looks up from the table where she's working on a puzzle with the grandkids, and smiles. "How was Dallas?" she asks.
Willow stiffens, and woodenly answers, "Fine."
"How was the meeting?" Jacob asks.
Willow glances at me with guilt, then shrugs. "We'll know more in a few weeks."
"They made you ruin your New Year's Eve and can't even tell you if they want you or not?" Jagger spouts.
Willow's face flushes pink. "That's how it works, Jagger."
"Really?" He cocks his eyebrows.
Fuck this.
No more hiding.
She turns to leave, but I reach out and grab her arm, spinning her toward me. I confess, "We didn't go to Dallas."
Her eyes widen. "Wyatt! Don't."
"It's about time you all know the truth," I continue, not tearing my eyes off hers.
No one speaks. My pulse rattles between my ears.
Panic fills Willow's expression.
I take a breath and then look at the only two people who matter at this moment besides Willow. I stand taller and tell Jacob and Ruby, "I'm in love with your daughter. Have been since my eighteenth birthday."
Gasps fill the room. Jacob's eyes turn to slits. Ruby's mouth drops open in shock.
Jagger blurts out, "Ha, ha. Funny."
"And she loves me too," I continue, gaze back on Willow. "Even if she won't admit it."
Jagger stands up so quickly that his chair tips backward. It crashes with a bang against the wood floor. His voice is sharp with anger. "You aren't kidding, are you?"
I lock eyes with him. "No. I love her. Always have. Always will."
Willow pulls her hand from mine and takes a step back. "Wyatt?—"
"Tell me you're joking," Jagger booms.
