We step out onto the back deck. The night air’s cool, the porch light above us.
For a while, neither of us says anything.
Finally, he exhales. “You and Declan. It’s serious, isn’t it?”
I fold my arms, eyes on the railing. “Yeah. It is.”
He nods slowly, eyes still on the yard. “Then you’ve got to be smart about it, Charlotte. You know how this looks. Captain and medical staff. If this gets out before he’s cleared—”
“I know,” I murmur. “I’ve run through every version of what could go wrong.”
David leans on the porch railing, studying me. “You’re my sister. He’s my captain. I get that you’re adults, but this is messy as hell, Char.”
I sigh, nodding. “But it doesn’t change how I feel about him. Or how careful we’re being.”
He pauses, quieter now. “You really think he’s worth all this?”
“Yeah,” I say simply. “I do.”
His mouth twitches—half frown, half reluctant smile. “Then I hope you’re right.”
I hesitate. “Thank you,” I say quietly. “For keeping this between us. I know it puts you in a weird spot.”
His jaw flexes, and he exhales through his nose. “Yeah. It does. He’s my captain. My best friend. And you’re my sister.” He shakes his head, half-disbelieving. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around how the hell that even happened.”
“Me too,” I admit, a small smile tugging at my mouth.
His expression softens slightly. “But… he’s a good guy. Been through a lot. It’s nice seeing him a little less miserable for once.”
That draws a quiet laugh out of me. “I’ll take that as approval?”
“Don’t push it,” he says, but there’s no heat behind it. “Just be careful, both of you.”
“We will.”
He pushes off the railing, nodding toward the door. “Alright then. Ready to head back in?”
I hesitate for a second, then step forward and hug him. He goes still, surprised, before his hand comes up to rest briefly on my back.
When we head back inside, the ease from the kitchen hits me—Erin laughing with Maya, dishes clattering, life moving forward like nothing’s shifted.
But something has.
It’s not perfect yet.
Still, it’s enough. For now.
Chapter Thirty
DECLAN
My blade bites into the ice, steady this time. The brace on my left knee keeps me in check.
“Better,” Charlotte says beside me, matching my slow glide. “Keep that knee steady.”
She keeps pace beside me, close enough to steady me if I drift.
She’s focused but calm, the same way she’s been all week.
