Chapter 89: Eighty Nine

I woke up to a bad dream. I was running and running and running in a field, and there was someone following me. I was trying to pick up the pace but I was getting slower and slower. And in front of me was a lake. I either had to drown, or I had to surrender.

I awoke with a gasp, my heart racing. When my eyes flew open, they saw Declan. His somber face, his closed eyes.

Close. Too close.

His arm rested loosely near my waist, his breathing deep and even. I could feel the faint heat radiating from him, the scent of his shampoo still clinging to the pillow between us. My body had betrayed me sometime during the night, curling toward him as if no years had passed, as if there weren’t a hundred reasons why this was a terrible idea.

I eased away carefully, moving slow so the mattress didn’t creak. Careful. I had to be careful.

I inched away slowly, trying not to disturb him. His arm slackened without resistance, and I slipped out of bed as quietly as I could. My feet touched the cool wooden floor, and I grabbed my phone before heading into the bathroom.

I didn’t let myself glance back. I hoped he hadn’t noticed, the way we had been sleeping.

The bathroom was small, the mirror fogged in seconds as I turned on the shower. I let the water pound over me, willing it to wash away the memories that had crept too close last night. But even under the heat, my mind kept replaying the sound of his laugh at the gas station, the way he’d handed me my favorite snack without needing to ask.

By the time I stepped out, wrapped in one of the motel’s scratchy robes, I’d convinced myself I could face him without slipping into old habits.

I was wrong.

He wasn’t in bed anymore. Instead, a neat stack of clothes sat on the chair by the window.  A bra, underwear, some cotton pants, a plain sweatshirt, socks still in their packaging. All my sizes. And next to them, a set for him.

“You didn’t have to…” I started, but he appeared from outside, hair damp from the rain, holding two steaming paper cups of coffee.

“I figured you didn’t have anything dry,” he said simply, setting one cup on the table for me. “And I remembered you hate stiff collars and anything too fitted. There’s a little general store down the road. They opened early.”

I looked down at the clothes again. Simple, comfortable, exactly the kind of things I would have chosen for myself. My throat tightened unexpectedly.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

His eyes flicked to mine, holding there for a beat longer than they should have. “You’re welcome.”

We checked out just before noon, the soft click of the pen against the register breaking the quiet hum of the lobby. The receptionist glanced up from the computer, her eyes flicking between us with a knowing smile.

“You two make a great looking couple,” she said warmly, as if it were a simple fact.

Neither of us corrected her. Declan only handed back the key card, and I found myself offering a polite smile, pretending I didn’t feel the faint heat creeping up my neck.

Outside, the air was thick and the sun was out, warm enough that the car’s leather seats felt hot against my legs when I slid in.

“I’ll drop you home,” he said, like it wasn’t up for debate.

The road was empty ahead, the sunlight filtering through the trees. It was a bright day, big change from yesterday. It was nice, hopeful even.

And after the newfound peace between Declan and I, things felt safe and sweet. I wondered why I had ever doubted if things would be awkward between him and I. We fit so well together, there was so much in common between us, and we worked so well in tandem…we were bound to fall into a pattern at some point.

At a red light, I pulled out my phone, pressing Jacob’s name.

“Hey,” I said once he picked up, keeping my tone light. “How’s Noah doing?”

Jacob’s voice was steady, he was probably working. “He’s fine. Had his lunch. Playing now.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Okay, I’ll be home soon.”

When I hung up, Declan glanced at me, one hand steady on the wheel.

“You and Noah seem pretty close,” he remarked, his voice unreadable.

I turned my head to look out the window, watching the blur of buildings pass. “We are,” I said quietly, but I didn’t offer more. Not yet. “He’s a sweet boy.”

I think at some point I fell asleep, because when I woke up again, we were just nearing my neighborhood. Declan pulled up in front of my building and shifted the car into park, his hands still loose on the steering wheel. For a moment, neither of us moved. I could feel his eyes on me, though I kept mine fixed on the faded silver gate in front of us. The air inside the car felt… heavier somehow, like some sort of an ending, almost. I guess last night we had both been pretending a little bit, ignoring the reality.

“Thanks for the ride,” I said finally, my voice softer than I intended.

He gave me a small smile, the kind that barely touched his lips but still felt like it could undo me if I stared too long. “Anytime. Get some rest, Willow.”

I pushed the door open before I could say something stupid, stepping out into the humid evening. My legs felt strangely reluctant, like part of me wanted to stay in the car a little longer. I waved once before heading toward the stairwell, and I didn’t look back; at least, not until I was halfway up. He was still there, one hand resting against the wheel, watching.

Inside the apartment, the familiar smell of Jacob’s only chicken recipe and the hum of the ceiling fan wrapped around me. Noah was sitting cross-legged on the floor with his toy cars, making them crash into each other with loud sound effects. He looked up the second he saw me, his face breaking into a wide smile. “Mommy!”

I crouched down, hugging him tightly, feeling the warmth of his little arms around my neck. “Hey, baby. Were you good for Daddy?”

Jacob emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. His gaze flicked toward the window behind me, like he’d just seen a car drive off. “Who was that?” he asked casually, though there was an edge to his voice.

“Who?” I asked nonchalantly, still hugging Noah.

He stared at me. “A man dropped you off.”

I straightened up, standing up and forcing a lightness into my tone. “Oh, that? Priya’s husband. He came to pick us up after the trip. She wasn’t feeling well, so…” I let the sentence trail off like it wasn’t important.

Jacob studied me for a moment longer than was comfortable. Then he just nodded, turning back toward the kitchen without another word.

I swallowed, my pulse still uneven, and bent down to scoop Noah into my arms. He chattered on about his afternoon, but my mind kept flicking back to the car outside, the weight of Declan’s gaze, and the quiet knowledge that I had lied to my fiance so smoothly about something I knew could destroy our relationship if he got to know it.