She nodded once. “They waited until you were gone. They were calm. Polite. That scared me more than if they’d been yelling.”
Heat flared in my chest, sharp and violent. “What did they say to you?”
She let out a breath that sounded like surrender. “They said I was unstable,” she said, her voice steady in a way that terrified me. “That I’m impulsive. That my business is proof I don’t have structure. They brought photos, Noah. They are coming after me.”
My blood roared in my ears.
“Photos ofwhat?” I asked, already knowing I wouldn’t like the answer.
“Of us,” she said. “Of me with you. Of me with Miles. Of me kissing you outside the building. Of me holding his hand.” Her eyes filled again. “They said it showed I was overstepping. That I was confusing him. That I was making things messy.”
I shook my head, rage surging. “That’s bullshit. Booth said it’s nothing.”
“I know,” she said quickly. “Even if that’s true, they filed for a guardianship review. And they’re using me as evidence. I can’t be a problem here, Noah! I refuse!”
The air left my lungs.
“They said that if I stayed, if I kept living here, they’d argue you’re distracted. That you’re prioritizing a relationship over Miles. That I’m a liability.”
I surged forward then, unable to stop myself, dropping down and gripping my hands on her knees. “You arenota liability. You are the best thing that’s happened to him. Tome.”
Her face crumpled at that, tears finally spilling. “That’s why I have to go.”
“I love you,” she whispered, like it hurt to say. “And I love Miles. And I will not be the reason anything happens to Miles. I’m the problem here, Noah, that’s why I have to leave.”
I felt it then, the understanding sliding into place with sickening clarity. She wasn’t leaving because she didn’t want me. She was leaving because shelovedus.
“Em,” I said, my voice breaking for the first time. This couldn’t happen. I needed her. Miles needed her. “They can’t win like this. We fight them together.”
She shook her head, tears tracking down her cheeks. “You don’t understand. You have a team. Lawyers. Resources. I’m the weak point. I’m the easiest thing to remove.”
“You arenot fuckingremovable,” I snapped, standing up so fast the coffee table rattled. I dragged a hand through my hair, pacing. “I refuse to let them scare you out of my life.”
I had a million reasons why this was stupid, but nothing came out of my mouth. My thoughts scrambled.
She stood too, wobbling slightly, and my heart twisted at how tired she looked. “I’m not scared, Noah. I’m choosing the best path for Miles.”
I stopped pacing and looked at her, really looked at her. The woman who had built something from nothing. The woman who loved my nephew like he was her own.
“And what about what I want?” I asked hoarsely. “What about that, Em? Does that matter?”
Her lips trembled. “I want you, Noah, but I want you and Miles together more. Don’t you see? That’s my choice.”
Silence fell between us, heavy and final.
Daniel cleared his throat softly from the kitchen. “I’ll, uh… take the bag down,” he said. “Give you guys a minute.”
Em reached for her bag before he could, lifting it with a small grunt. I wanted to throw up. Punch a wall. Anything to stop this pain.
“Don’t do this,” I said quietly. “Please. Booth said my parents can’t do anything to Miles and me. The will can’t be contested. He said youhelpthe case!”
Why didn’t she get that?
She stepped closer, setting the bag down long enough to cup my face in her hands. Her thumbs brushed under my eyes, tender and familiar, like she was memorizing me. “I can’t risk it. I left the papers they served me on the table. Use them in your case or what not, but I can’t be in the way. I know where I fit in things like this.” Her gaze dropped, then lifted again, steady but already pulling away. “And it’s not here. That kid needs you, Noah.”
“I know,” I said, my voice cracking. I took her hand in mind, my throat aching from pain. “So what does this mean? You’re done with me?”
“This isn’t goodbye,” she said. “This is me stepping back for a little bit.”
