I told myself again that it had been about Lily.
But knowing that didn’t erase the fact that I’d hit him at his lowest point.
I glanced up at the rearview mirror without meaning to.
His eyes were open, fixed on Lily’s face. Storm-gray, alert despite the exhaustion etched into his features.
As if he felt my gaze, his eyes lifted.
For a second, we just looked at each other.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. The words felt inadequate the moment they left my mouth.
He didn’t look up from Lily when he answered.
“You were right,” he said. His voice was low, steady, but it wasn’t defensive. “I needed that.”
That surprised me more than anything else he could have said.
His hand tightened slightly around Lily’s back, not enough to wake her, just enough to reassure himself.
“I didn’t understand what I was doing,” he continued. “What my words could do.” He swallowed. “I do now.”
He finally looked up again, meeting my eyes in the mirror.
“I’ll earn her trust,” he said. “And her love. I won’t take it for granted. I’ll earn it.”
I nodded, my throat tight.
As I drove us home, I watched him in the mirror from time to time. He didn’t once loosen his hold on her.
And for the first time since all of this began, I believed that Lily wasn’t just safe for the night.
She was safe with him.
Chapter 22
Ethan
The grocery store was too bright.
I stood just inside the entrance for a second longer than necessary, the automatic doors sliding shut behind me, the hum of lights and chatter pressing in. For a moment, I felt completely lost, like I’d forgotten how to do something as simple as shop for food.
I grabbed a basket and forced myself forward.
Milk, bread.
The cereal Lily liked.
Fruit she would probably refuse but needed anyway.
I moved slowly, double-checking labels, retracing my steps when I second-guessed myself. Lily stayed close to my side, quiet, her fingers hooked into the belt loop of my jeans. She hadn’t let go once since we’d left the house.
I was rounding the corner toward the produce aisle when I heard a voice I hadn’t heard in years.
“Lily?”
My head snapped up.
