Izzy is awake now, propped up on one elbow, watching me. Her expression is already closing in on itself.
“You’re leaving,” she says.
Not a question.
“I have business.”
She pulls the sheet higher around herself, like armor. “So, that’s it?” she asks. “One night and you’re done?”
“That’s not what this is.”
“Then, what is it?”
I step closer to the bed.
“Danger,” I say quietly. “That’s what it is.”
Her jaw tightens.
“Right. Of course.”
“Izzy—”
“You don’t have to explain.” Her voice is light, but her eyes are not. “I get it. You’ve got a life. You’ve got responsibilities. Noah and I were just… nostalgia.”
The words hit harder than I expect. “That’s not what I said.”
“You didn’t have to.”
I exhale slowly. “You shouldn’t be near me,” I say. “Not right now.”
Her laugh is sharp. “How convenient.”
Before I can answer, the bedroom door creaks open.
A small head peeks through.
Noah.
His hair sticks up in every direction like he just rolled out of bed.
He blinks at me. “You’re leaving?”
I crouch slightly so we’re closer to eye level.
“Yes.”
He steps into the room. “Aren’t you staying for breakfast?”
That simple question nearly cracks my fucking heart.
“I can’t.”
He studies me for a moment. “Are you my dad?”
The room goes still.
I glance at Izzy. She is staring at me. Waiting.
