Page 128 of Only Be Mine

The words landed heavier than they should have.

“Oh,” I said. “I wasn’t ready for that yet.”

Trevor tilted his head, surprised. “Why not?”

“I just wanted a little more time.”

“With what?” he asked, still calm.

I didn’t have an answer that wouldn’t crack something open.

He reached for my hand, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles in that grounding way I’d come to recognize. “You’re exhausted. Emotional. That’s normal.”

The way he said it made it sound temporary. Manageable.

“We don’t have to do it today,” he went on. “But it’s taken care of. One less thing for you to worry about.”

I stared at our joined hands.

Something about the moment didn’t sit right, but it was slippery, hard to name. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t wrong. He was being helpful.

So why did it feel like something had been taken from me?

“Okay,” I said finally.

Relief flickered across his face, quick and almost imperceptible. “Good.”

He squeezed my hand and smiled. “See? Teamwork.”

He leaned in and kissed my forehead, already reaching for his keys. “Come on. Let’s get some food.”

I nodded, grabbing my purse from the counter.

My phone sat beside the sink, dark and silent.

I hesitated, then turned away from it and followed Trevor out the door, locking it behind us. The quiet stayed inside, holding everything I wasn’t ready to face yet.

As we walked to the car, I told myself I was just tired. That everything felt off because I was still adjusting. That this - this careful, coordinated forward motion - was what moving on looked like.

I didn’t look back.

Chapter 46

Cate

Present

Breakfast felt like an extension of the honeymoon, just thinner around the edges.

Trevor talked easily as he drove, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on my thigh. I let myself lean into the warmth of it, the familiarity. The streets passed by in a blur of sunlight and memory, and for a little while, I pretended that was all it was - jet lag and the strange disorientation of coming home.

The restaurant was busy, bright, alive.

Normal.

I ordered what I always ordered. Eggs. Toast. Coffee this time, even though my stomach fluttered when the mug was set in front of me.

“You okay?” Trevor asked, studying me over the rim of his cup.