I wasn’t afraid he wouldn’t keep choosing me. I was afraid of what he would dismantle if pushed. And I wasn’t ready to let someone else decide the cost of that.
Outside my window, the neighborhood lights flickered on one by one. Everything felt calm. For now. But calm never lasted long in this town.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
LUKE
Yesterday was for Mila. I didn’t tell her what I overheard my parents discussing Friday night. Not because I was hiding it—she needed one day that wasn’t about fallout or pressure. One day that was just us.
But that window was closed. I wouldn’t keep her in the dark. We were having that conversation today.
I pulled into her driveway just after ten. I didn’t text. Didn’t honk. I just sat there a second longer than necessary.
The house looked the same as it always did. Quiet. Curtains still drawn in the front window. A normal Sunday.
She stepped out before I could overthink it in a fitted gray sweater and jeans. Her long, dark hair hung in loose waves around her shoulders.
She didn’t rush. She opened the passenger door and got in, bringing the brisk morning air with her.
“Hi.” She leaned over to press a kiss to my cheek.
I turned before I thought about it. Her mouth brushed mine instead, softer and addictive. I lingered a second too long before I pulled back.
“Hi.” It took effort to put space between us before I pulled away from the curb.
She rested her hand on my thigh as we drove, her fingers warm through the denim. She didn’t ask questions, just stayed there, steady, like she understood I’d speak when I was ready.
I didn’t turn on the radio. The road along the ocean stretched empty in front of us, wind pushing small waves against the rocks below. The world felt suspended.
I turned toward the rink and pulled into the empty lot. Privacy.
I grabbed the blanket from the back seat when we climbed out. She didn’t ask where we were going. She fell into step beside me, like she trusted the destination.
Inside, the arena was dark and still. Our footsteps echoed faintly as we crossed the hallway and pushed through the stairwell door. The climb to the roof wasn’t short, but she never complained. Just stayed beside me, her shoulder brushing mine when the space narrowed.
At the top, I pushed open the final door. A rush of briny air greeted us. The ocean stretched wide and endless on the horizon, gray-blue under the late morning sky.
I spread the blanket near the edge where we always sat. She lowered herself first, tucking her legs beneath her before looking up at me. I sat beside her, close enough that our shoulders touched. For a minute, neither of us spoke.
Her hand found mine between us, her fingers threading through like they belonged there. She leaned into my shoulder, resting her head against me. “You wanted to talk yesterday, but I needed a break from everything. Time’s up, isn’t it?”
I exhaled, staring out at the water.
Her thumb moved slowly over the back of my hand. She didn’t push. I turned my head slightly, pressing my mouth to her hair. I loved her so fucking much.
“I overheard something Friday night,” I said.
Her posture shifted slightly, her shoulders tensing.
“My parents. Drew. They were talking about King Enterprise’s board of directors. Money moving. Investors getting restless.”
She didn’t interrupt.
“Funds shifted quickly,” I continued. “Faster than they should have. My dad thinks it’s perception. Drew thinks it’s pressure.”
“And you?” she asked quietly. “Do you think Dunn’s behind whatever’s going on?”
“Possibly. I think it’s connected to something bigger.”
