That sends a rush of heat through me.
Because I knew it. I felt it. But hearing him say it—It’s different.
“Then why—” My voice wavers slightly. “Why are we pretending this isn’t?—”
“Because it can’t be,” he cuts in, his voice rough now.
The words hit like a splash of cold water.
I blink at him. “Why not?”
He looks away first this time, his grip on my hand loosening just slightly—but not letting go.
“You know why,” he says.
My chest tightens.
“My dad?—”
“Your dad,” he confirms.
The promise. The one he made. The one I never asked for—but understand anyway.
“He told you to stay away from me,” I say quietly.
Garrison nods once.
“I gave him my word.”
I swallow hard. “That doesn’t mean?—”
“It means everything,” he says, sharper now.
I flinch slightly at the intensity in his voice. He exhales immediately after, like he didn’t mean for it to come out that way.
“I can’t break that,” he says, softer now. “I won’t.”
I search his face, my heart twisting painfully in my chest. “Even if you want to?”
His eyes snap back to mine. And there it is. All of it. Unfiltered.
“I want it more than you do,” he says, his voice low, strained. “Don’t get that twisted.”
My breath catches.
“Then—”
“But I won’t do it,” he continues, cutting me off again. “I can’t be that guy. Not to him. Not after everything.”
The weight of that settles over me. Because I know what my dad means to him. I know the history. The loyalty. The bond that existed long before I was even old enough to understand it.
And I know—He’s not lying.
He won’t break that promise. Even for me. My fingers tighten around his one last time before I slowly let go. The loss of contact is immediate.
“Okay,” I say quietly.
I hate how small my voice sounds. I hate how much it hurts. But I get it.
