I swallow hard, hands shoved deep into my pockets to stop myself from fidgeting. I force a breath.
This is what I was worried about. Not just me falling for someone, but Isla, too. She looks at Lucy as if she trusts her. It’s happening too fast, and I’m fucking terrified that this could be real. That I could want it enough to forget all the ways things fall apart or that Isla could start to depend on her. If Lucy ever decides to walk away, what then?
What happens when Isla turns to show her another sparkly stone and Lucy’s not there to see it?
Isla continues to chatter about the rock. It’s sweet. So damn innocent, but she’s too young to know what it means to let people in. She hasn’t learned that people can leave you even when they swear they won’t. They don’t mean to hurt you, but they do, anyway.
And sometimes, they just stop showing up.
I step forward, trying to shove the wariness and fear somewhere deep and unreachable. Lucy is anything but a threat, and I won’t let my own damage shape the way Isla loves people.
Christ, this is hard. I’m losing control, but I’m the one who invited someone into our world. I opened a door and didn’t think about how I’d close it if I had to.
Because that’s the thing. Ididopen it.Ilet her in.
I did it because some reckless, aching part of me wondered if maybe, this time, it could be different. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t expect it to hurt like hell, either.
In the end, I’m the one who’s going to keep opening the door. I’m the one who’ll let her come back until her laugh becomes part of our story.
All I can do now is hope that she’s not just passing through.
nineteen
LUCY
The walk back to the car is quieter. Isla skips ahead, humming to herself and blissfully unaware while I trail behind, stealing glances at Aidan.
He’s not looking at me.
His jaw is clenched so tight, grinding back whatever’s on his mind. It could be nothing. Maybe it’s just end-of-day fatigue. Or maybe…it’s me.
I thought we’d been having a good time. There were smiles. Laughter. That moment by the water, where it felt like something had shifted. I thought I could sense that he wanted more by the way he looked at me, except now he’s miles away, and I don’t know how to bridge the gap without making it worse.
Did I misread the whole day? Was I too much? Too present, too eager, too in it?
I want to grab his hand, force the words out, ask him what’s wrong, but I also don’t want to push him further into whatever shell he’s retreating into. So, I just keep walking, heart sinking with every step, wishing he’d look at me the way he did earlier.
This was probably a bad idea. I never meant to cross a line.I just didn’t realize it was there until I was already on the other side of it.
“Aidan,” I start softly, not wanting Isla to overhear. “I hope I didn’t overstep. I know this is your time with Isla, and I?—”
He cuts me off with a terse shake of his head. “It’s fine.”
Judging by the way his gaze slides away instead of meeting mine, it doesn’t seem fine. His tone is controlled in that way people get when they’re trying to put distance between you without saying it outright.
“You didn’t do anything,” he adds, his voice still clipped.
I flinch. It’s subtle, just a small shift in my posture, but he notices. His storm cloud eyes finally come back to mine, the muscle in his jaw ticking.
Still, he doesn’t try to explain or soften the edges. Just leaves the words hanging there between us.
I swallow hard, pressing the burn in my chest into something smaller, something more manageable.This isn’t about me.It’s what I tell myself as I look away. This is his daughter, his world. I’m just orbiting it, and I have to respect that. Even if it hurts a bit. Or a lot.
“Okay.” I force a small smile that feels like it might crack. “If you’re sure.”
We continue walking in silence. Isla hums ahead of us, hopping over roots and stones like this is still just a perfect day. Then, just before we reach the car, Aidan stops short.
“Lucy,” he says, finally turning to me. “I’m not… I’m not good at this.”
