My father moved first. He crossed the room and gently took me by the shoulders, turning me away from the door. He pulled me into his arms, his embrace firm and solid. It was the kind of hug he used to give me when I was a little girl and had scraped my knee.
I let myself collapse against him, and he held on, one hand rubbing my back in a slow, steady circle. Over Dad’s shoulder, my mother’s expression wasn’t triumphant. It was pained, full of a mother’s helpless sorrow at seeing her child in agony.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.
After a long moment, Dad eased me back, keeping his hands on my arms. He stared at me, his gaze searching and serious. "He’s a good man, Tessa. What he did just now was a big-time selfless move. He really has grown."
His words were meant to be comforting, a validation of Braden's character. But they were a splinter under my skin. They saw Braden's action as a noble sacrifice, a man stepping aside for my real future. They couldn't view it for what it was—a tragedy born of fear. I’d never said I was choosing the fellowship. I hadn’t even had a chance to think. He was right about that. I didn’t know which way was up right now.
"Tessa, honey," Mom stepped closer. "Don't you understand? He just set you free to go after your ultimate dream. We need to read that email, talk about the next steps..."
Her voice faded into background noise as the realization washed over me.
I’d just done it again.
Twelve years later, standing in a different room withthe same people, I’d let expectations and a prestigious opportunity erase everything I’d learned about what I actually wanted. I’d let Braden walk away thinking I was choosing Australia over him without even considering that I could choose differently. I’d let him leave thinking he wasn’t enough. Again.
“I have to go.” My words came out hoarse but clear.
“What?” Mom asked. “Honey, we need to discuss your response to Dr. Albright.”
“I have to go to him.” I was already moving, my mind laser-focused on one singular goal. I pocketed my phone from the counter and grabbed my keys from the hook by the door.
“Tessa, what are you doing? This is important!” That was Dad, his voice sharp.
“So is Braden.” I yanked open the door, the fresh, salt-tinged air a shocking contrast to the suffocating atmosphere of the townhouse. “I just let him think I’m choosing a job over him. I let him leave thinking he’s not worth fighting for.”
“But the position—” my mother started, her voice laced with confusion.
“Means nothing if I lose him while I’m thinking about it.”
The clarity was intoxicating. I should have said it the second he walked in. Should have looked at that email, looked at him, and known exactly which one made my heart race for the right reasons.
“Tessa, come on.” My father’s voice took on that measured tone that had guided so many of my decisions. “You can’t throw away an opportunity like this for a relationship that might not even?—”
“I’m not throwing away anything. I’m choosing what I want for once.” I was halfway out the door when I turnedback, my gaze hard and unwavering. “And I’m not asking for your permission.”
I didn’t wait for a response.
My rental car was still in the driveway, keys in hand. I had no plan beyond the desperate need to get to Braden, to undo the damage, to make him see. I pulled onto the street faster than was probably safe. Tidal Hops. That’s where he’d be. His fortress.
I was done letting others decide what my life should look like. I was done being afraid of making the wrong choice. The only question left was whether I’d destroyed my chance to make the right one.
Chapter Twenty
BRADEN
The driveaway from Tessa’s townhouse blurred through my windshield like watercolor. The GBR offer. Dr. Albright’s proof that Tessa Donovan was meant for somewhere bigger than Dove Key. Bigger than me.
My hands locked around the steering wheel. She’d been in shock, and that cut deepest. Not angry. Not even happy. Just shock, like she couldn’t believe this gift had fallen into her lap.
“I haven’t had a chance to even think about it.”
Her parents saw the email and reacted like it was absolute proof they were right. And she hadn’t corrected them. If she wanted to stay—if I were truly enough—she would have said no immediately. Instead, she stood there with that dumbfounded look on her face, and that moment told me everything.
The narrative crystallized as I drove. She wasn’t torn. She was standing on the edge of the decision she’d made twelve years ago and about to jump again. Only this time, Iworried she’d ask me to wait while she figured out what she really wanted. That she’d want me to be her safety net while she pursued her dream.
I’d told her three months ago I couldn’t be enough. She’d sworn she was different now, that she chose me. But the second something shiny appeared, she couldn’t hide her interest. The offer was barely minutes old, and already her parents were triumphant, vindicated.
