I gripped the wheel tighter, knuckles white.
A year ago, my marriage had ended because I couldn’t be what my ex needed. I’d been too guarded, too scared from deployments, too… me. And now here I was, driving away from a woman who carried more weight than anyone I’d ever met—and asking myself if I could actually help carry it, or if I’d just add to it.
But the thing was… I couldn’t walk away without trying.
Because Camille wasn’t just another woman I’d met on a dating app. She wasit.
The way she fought for her kids, the way she kept moving even when life knocked her down, the way she looked at me tonight, was equal parts terrified and hopeful.
And I did. I wasn’t sure I deserved her. Hell, I wasn’t sure I deserved the chance to be in her kids’ lives either. But tonight, walking them to the door, holding her in my arms, I’d felt like an urge to fight for it, for them. For her. Even if it terrified me more than the silence waiting upstairs.
Chapter Thirty Six
Camille
Irode the high of our trip to the Aquarium for over a week. Recalling candid moments. Looking back at the pictures I took. Catching Hunter in sweet moments between him and the kids. That day played on repeat…until today.
The numbers on the screen blurred together until they may as well have been written in another language. The negative wasn’t blinking at me yet, but it was close. Too close. Rent is due in a week. Groceries are half gone. Gas tank sitting at a quarter. And no child support in sight.
I refreshed my bank account again as if that would make money magically reappear. Nothing. The pit in my stomach deepened.
I pressed the heel of my hand to my forehead, the pressure doing nothing to ease the pounding behind my eyes. My ex hadn’t sent support this month…again. I thought of the phone call earlier from his mother, her voice tight with practiced sympathy.He’s back in rehab, Camille.He got arrested for DUI last week. I’m sorry.
Sorry. The word was useless. Sorry, I didn’t put food in the fridge or keep the lights on. Sorry, I didn’t explain to the twins why mommy had to work overtime again. It was situations like this that led me to block his number and not believe the times he’d tried to pop back in before.
I rubbed my face hard, trying to push back the sting of exhaustion. My textbooks sat open on the table, untouched. Assignments were due, the laundry basket overflowed, and I didn’t have the energy to care. I was so tired that the exhaustion seeped into my bones. It whispered that I wasn’t enough, and asked how many more spinning plates I could keep in the air before one came crashing down.
The twins shrieked from the other room, one stealing the other’s toy, the sound jagged and piercing. I dropped my head into my hands. I couldn’t even muster the energy to get up and intervene. Silent, heavy tears I hadn’t meant to let fall, the kind that soaked into my hands before I could wipe them away.
That’s when my phone lit up.Hunter.
I hesitated, swiping quickly at my cheeks before answering. “Hey.”
“Hey, beautiful.” His voice was warm, rich with the energy I couldn’t seem to find for myself. I could hear movement in the background, probably him walking to his truck after work. “Just got off work. Been thinking about you all day. How’s my girl?” My throat closed.
“Fine.” I lied.
“I was thinking maybe we could take the kids to the park this weekend. I found this place that has a playground and a trail by the water. They’d love it.”
His excitement bled through the line, a picture I could almost see. Him pushing the twins on the swings, Zeke racing down the slide, laughter threading through the air belonging only to us.
But right now, with the weight of bills pressing in, with the ghosts of men who had left my kids and me behind still whispering, I couldn’t step into that dream. I couldn’t risk letting him hear how broken I felt.
“That sounds nice,” I whispered, my throat tight.
“You okay? You sound tired.”
I turned away from the table, from the stack of unopened envelopes, from the bank account still glowing on my laptop screen. “Just a long day.” My voice cracked just enough to betray me, exposing an unspoken yearning for refuge.
“You hungry? Nate told me about this place just off base that sounds amazing. I’m just getting off, I can bring it by for dinner or occupy the kids while you study.” The safety Hunter offered was everything I craved, yet the fear of becoming a burden loomed large, making hope feel fragile.
“No.” The word came out too sharp, so I softened it quickly. “I just… I’ve got schoolwork to finish. And the kids. ” My voice cracked again. Damn it. I bit my lip hard, fighting it back.
Silence stretched. He didn’t push, but I could feel him listening, the way he always did. Patient. Steady. The opposite of everything I’d ever known from a man.
“I’ll let you go,” I rushed out, panic bubbling with the tears I couldn’t stop. “I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Camille…” His voice caught, wanting to stop me, but I ended the call before I broke down completely.
