Chapter 43: Losing the Battle

Lily had always thought that time would erase him.

That if she distanced herself enough, if she forced herself to forget, then Adrian Blackwood would lose his hold on her.

But after last night—after standing too close, feeling too much, almost giving in—

She realized something terrifying.

Time hadn’t done a damn thing.

Adrian was still there.

Still in her head.

Still under her skin.

And worse?

He was starting to break through the cracks she had spent two years rebuilding.

And she didn’t know how to stop it.

The Weight of Morning

Lily woke up the next morning feeling restless.

On edge.

Like something inside her was unraveling, piece by piece.

She went through the motions—made breakfast, got Ava dressed, focused on anything except the fact that Adrian was still in her house.

Still watching her.

Still waiting.

And the worst part?

She could feel it.

That unspoken thing between them, growing stronger.

Every glance. Every near-touch.

It was suffocating.

And the longer she ignored it, the harder it was becoming to pretend that nothing had changed.

Because it had.

And they both knew it.

The Grocery Store Incident

Lily thought that getting out of the house would clear her head.

That a simple grocery trip with Ava would help her breathe again.

She was wrong.

Because Adrian came with them.

And suddenly, a routine errand felt dangerous.

He was too close.

Too casual as he pushed the cart beside her, as if he belonged there—like he had always belonged there.

And Ava?

Ava was thriving.

Skipping down the aisles, chattering about what cereal she wanted, pulling Adrian into her world like he had always been part of it.

Lily hated how easy it was for them.

How natural it felt.

She gritted her teeth, tossing a box of pasta into the cart.

Adrian arched a brow. “Aggressive.”

She shot him a glare. “Shut up.”

His lips twitched. Smug bastard.

They kept moving through the aisles, but the tension between them only grew.

Then it happened.

A moment that shouldn’t have meant anything.

A moment that felt like too much.

Ava, standing on her tiptoes, trying to reach a jar of peanut butter.

Adrian, immediately stepping in, grabbing the jar for her.

And Lily?

She expected him to just hand it over.

To keep the moment casual, easy, forgettable.

But instead—he crouched down.

Held the jar in his hands, his expression soft.

And then, in a voice so quiet Lily barely heard it—

“This was my favorite when I was your age.”

Ava’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Adrian nodded. “Yeah. I used to eat it straight from the jar.”

Ava giggled. “Mommy says that’s messy.”

Adrian glanced up, locking eyes with Lily. Something unspoken passed between them.

A memory. A moment from another lifetime.

“I used to do a lot of things that were messy,” he murmured.

Lily’s chest tightened.

Because she knew he wasn’t talking about peanut butter.

A Close Call

They were walking to the car when it happened.

Ava, too excited, running ahead.

Lily was distracted—too focused on the groceries, on ignoring the way Adrian’s hand brushed against hers.

And in that split second—

A car came too fast.

Lily’s heart stopped.

She barely had time to react, to scream—

But Adrian did.

He lunged forward, grabbing Ava and pulling her out of harm’s way just in time.

Lily’s breath hitched violently.

She dropped the grocery bags, ran to them.

Ava was fine.

Just startled. Just clinging to Adrian’s shirt, breathing too fast.

Lily dropped to her knees, cupping Ava’s face, checking her.

“Are you hurt? Baby, are you okay?”

Ava nodded, eyes wide. “I’m okay.”

Lily pulled her into a crushing hug, her entire body trembling.

She barely registered the way Adrian’s hands stayed on Ava’s shoulders, steady, reassuring.

The way his gaze never left them.

The way his entire body was still coiled with tension.

Like he had been just as scared as she was.

And that?

That was the moment Lily knew.

Adrian Blackwood wasn’t faking this.

He wasn’t here out of guilt. Or duty.

He cared.

And no matter how much she wanted to fight it—

No matter how much she wanted to keep him at arm’s length—

She couldn’t deny it anymore.

The Ride Home

The car was silent.

Ava had fallen asleep in the backseat, exhaustion finally catching up to her.

But Lily?

Lily was wide awake.

And Adrian?

He was gripping the steering wheel too tight.

She could see it in his knuckles, in the way his jaw was locked, like he was barely holding himself together.

She didn’t know what possessed her to speak.

Maybe it was the leftover adrenaline.

Maybe it was the fact that she had almost lost her daughter.

Or maybe—

Maybe it was because she couldn’t keep lying to herself.

“Thank you.”

Adrian’s grip tightened.

He didn’t speak for a long time.

Then—his voice was low, gravelly.

“You don’t have to thank me for that, Lily.”

She exhaled shakily. “I do.”

He turned his head, just slightly. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second.

And that was all it took.

A shuddering breath.

A silent admission.

This thing between them?

It wasn’t going away.

It was growing.

And Lily?

She didn’t know if she had the strength to stop it anymore.