My stomach tightens, but I don’t respond. Just like the last one. And the one before that. He’s been messaging me every week since I left, like some part of him still thinks I’ll go back. That I’ll answer. Something that I have no interest to do now or in the future. He has been using fake profiles and now a new number to text. When will he stop?
The door opens gently as Esteban steps in, already dressed in a clean t-shirt and jeans, hair still damp, looking like he walked straight out of a daydream. In his hands is aplate filled with scrambled eggs and bacon, and a steaming cup of coffee.
“Buenos días,” he says, voice warm and low. “I brought you breakfast.”
My heart does something ridiculous.
He sets the plate down on the nightstand beside me, then leans in and presses a soft kiss to my lips—sweet, tender, nothing like last night, but somehow just as powerful.
“Did you sleep okay?” he asks, brushing a knuckle down my cheek.
I nod, smiling up at him. “Yeah. More than okay.”
I pick up the fork and start eating, humming in appreciation after the first bite. “Mmm. This is so good. What about the others?”
“They’re downstairs, already having breakfast.” He sits on the edge of the bed, watching me with those green eyes that still make me feel a little weak. “I figured I’d let you rest a bit. We’re leaving for the airport soon.”
I pause, the fork halfway to my mouth. “Right. Back to reality.”
He smiles, soft and unreadable, and for a moment I wonder what he’s thinking. But he doesn’t say anything else.
So I eat and try not to fall harder for the man who just brought me breakfast in bed like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Esteban
The suitcase handle digs into my palm, but I barely feel it. Not when Eva is walking beside me, her shoulder brushing mine every few steps. We’re both ready, dressed, and packed, heading toward the living room for goodbyes before our Uber to the airport arrives.
I glance at her from the corner of my eye, sun-kissed skin, hair pulled back in a loose braid, that little smile that I learned she gets when she’s both excited and a little tired. Yeah. I’m done for.
When we step into the living room, everyone’s already there, scattered across the couches and armchairs, cups of coffee in hand, still riding the high of yesterday’s beach day. The energy in the room is light, but full of that subtle buzz that always hits right before goodbyes.
Eva walks straight toward Josy, who’s holding Everly in her arms. Josy smiles and hands the baby over without hesitation. And just like that, there she is, with a baby in her arms, cooing softly, that same sweet smile lighting up her entire face.
My goodness.
It hits me hard and fast, right in the chest.
I can see it.
All of it.
Her pregnant with our baby. Her chasing a toddler through the kitchen while I try to cook breakfast. Her laughing as we grow old, gray hairs and crow’s feet and still calling me names when I leave my socks on the floor.
In the blink of an eye, everything sharpens. There’s no turning back now. I love her. Not a crush, not just attraction, not our fun-flirty-dynamic. I’m in love with Eva Ross.
After last night, after holding her, touching her, hearing the way she said my name, I need to talk to Noah. He deserves to hear it from me. We started this as a cover. But this is real now.
I walk straight toward Hunter, who’s standing near the big windows with Noah and Austin. They’re talking shop, but casually, like the kind of conversation you have when you already know the answer.
Hunter looks up when I approach and offers his hand.
“I’ll contact you this week,” he says, voice steady. “We’ll set up a time to meet and sign the contract. We need to get started on construction soon, and I want you guys to work with me.”
That makes my pulse quicken.
“I know I didn’t want to talk business the past couple of days,” he adds with a slight smirk. “I wanted to get to know you all first. But I believe this could be the start of something big. The first of many projects.”
