One sentence, and he was already leaving.
I laughed once, short and sharp. “Seriously?”
His jaw tightened. “Destiny.”
“No, don’t Destiny me.”
Lily looked between us and whispered to Nate, “Should we…?”
Nate whispered back, “Absolutely not. This is better than cable.”
I ignored them.
“You show up after a year,” I said, keeping my voice low because I would not make this a sidewalk scene for strangers. “You call me Beautiful like no time has passed. You scare off one idiot in loafers. And now you’re leaving?”
“I came because you needed help.”
“I called the charter.”
“And I came.”
“I asked for anyone but you.”
“I know.”
That hurt too.
Because he had come anyway.
Because he had left anyway.
“Why?” I asked.
His eyes held mine.
For a second, I thought he might tell me the truth.
Whatever truth men like Dylan buried under ink, loyalty, and silence.
Instead, he said, “Because I was closest.”
Liar.
My throat burned.
“Right.”
His face flickered.
There was a crack in him. I saw it. I had always seen the cracks. That was the problem. Dylan thought his damage made him hard to read, but to me, it made him familiar.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “You need to be careful.”
“I am careful.”
“Not enough.”
“I built a life here.”
