I pause.
“And if you’re alone tomorrow? You’re still part of this. You’re still seen. You’re still worthy. The internet can make you feel invisible, but trust me—you’re not.”
I turn off the recording before I can overthink it. Post it to all my socials with a bunch of tags and turn off the light.
The room is warm.
The fire downstairs crackles.
Cape wind rattles the window.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.
And for the first time in a very long time…
I feel thankful.
Chapter 16
LEO
Thanksgiving morning tastes like ash.
Not because the fire is burning too hot in my father’s study.
Not because Newport is gray and miserable in November.
I sit in the leather armchair across from the fireplace, elbows on my knees, staring into the flames like they're going to tell me how the hell to fix this.
Nothing.
The flames crackle.
The logs split.
And my heart is still a tight, painful knot.
On my phone—which I shouldn’t even check—I see her Cape Cod video again. The one where she's glowing. Gorgeous. Raw. Honest. Strong as hell.
My stomach twists.
She’s healing without me. She’s thriving without me. She’s becoming someone impossible to reach.
And for the first time in my life, I feel insecure.
Really insecure.
Like… I’m not good enough for her.
Not anymore.
Not after what I did.
My knee won’t stop bouncing. My hands won’t stop shaking. I punch the heel of my palm against my forehead.
“Leo?”
My dad’s voice cuts through the storm in my head.
