Her mouth parts, her body shivers.
“But I’m running late already. I have to pick Sienna up from Harold and May’s. I haven’t seen her all day.”
“Go. We can talk more tomorrow.” Her voice is weak. “If you still want to.”
I nod and kiss her forehead. Smeared soot coats her face, and I can’t help but laugh. “You’re probably gonna need another shower.”
She laughs through her tears when she catches her reflection in the kitchen window. “My dad would always come home covered in soot.”
At the doorway I pause, halfway out into the night. Ember reaches for my hand, but hesitates. She’s not ready to give herself fully to me.
I squeeze her fingers. “Think about what you actually want, Em. Not what you think you deserve.”
“Okay,” she whispers, and with a heavy heart, I use all my strength to walk away from her.
Chapter Twenty-Five
EMBER
Fidget wriggles in my arms as I climb Drake’s front steps, my stomach fluttering with nerves and hope in equal measure.
When the door to his modest house on a quiet street swings open, Sienna’s eyes go wide. “Miss Sparks?”
I smile, wrangling the kitten in my arms. “Is your dad around?”
Drake walks down the hall of his home in casual grey sweats and a t-shirt, making my pulse race.
“What’s Fidget doing here, Miss Sparks?” Sienna reaches up on her tiptoes and strokes the kitten’s head where it pokes out of my cardigan.
I clear my throat. “I thought you’d like a kitten to take care of.”
Her hands fly to her mouth. “A kitten? For me?” She leans closer, peering at Fidget. “But… she’s yours. Won’t you miss her?”
Drake stands behind Sienna, a small smile on his lips.
My throat tightens, but I shake my head. “I can still see her when I stay over. If that’s okay.” My gaze flicks up to Drake, his broad shoulders filling the doorway, his eyes unreadable and yet so achingly familiar. “If you want me to stay over, that is.”
For a heartbeat, the world stops spinning. Then Sienna squeals, wrapping her arms around me so tightly the kitten mews in protest.
“Daddy, can we keep her?” Sienna bounces on the spot. “Please, Daddy.”
Drake’s smile widens as he stares at me. “Yeah, let’s keep her.” And I can’t tell if he’s talking about the kitten or me.
Sienna gently takes Fidget from my arms and runs down the hall with her.
Drake opens his door, welcoming me inside. His hand brushes mine, and the simple touch feels like forgiveness. Like home.
The warmth indoors wraps around me, the smell of home-cooked food, and it feels cosy despite the bare walls, clean lines. A few moving boxes stand stacked in the corner of the hall.
Drake clears his throat. “Have you eaten?”
I shake my head, unbuttoning my coat. “Not since this morning.”
“Good,” he says, already moving into the kitchen. “I have pasta.”
We sit at the table, the smell of herbs and tomatoes fills the air, and my chest aches with the normalcy of it. Sienna insists on setting a place for Fidget too, lining up a tiny saucer of milk.
“No cats at the table.” Drake places the saucer on the floor and sits down at the table with us.
