CHAPTER THIRTEEN

AMELIA

I sit on the bed and stare at the phone, the screen dark and silent.

Jules’ words repeat in my head. Nathan is coming .

Panic grips me, my heart racing as if trying to break free from the cage of my ribs. How could Jules betray me like this? After everything I confided in her, how could she send him here—to the one place I thought I was safe?

I pace the small room, my bare feet sinking into the plush carpet. The urge to run, to scoop up Dylan and flee before Nathan can disrupt the fragile peace I’ve found, pulls at me. But I know I can’t do that again. Not this time.

I stop in front of the antique mirror above the dresser, staring at the stranger reflecting back at me. Wide, haunted eyes. Chestnut curls tumbling around my face. But beneath the fear and uncertainty, I see something else—determination.

I can do this. I have to do this. For Dylan and for myself.

With a last look in the glass, I slip out of the bedroom and head downstairs to the kitchen. I pause in the doorway and watch Mom stir something on the stove while Dylan sits at the kitchen table, his little legs swinging as he focuses on his coloring.

“Mom.” She turns, her eyes searching mine with the intuition only a mother possesses.

She sets the spoon down and crosses the room. “What is it, sweetheart?”

I swallow hard. “Nathan’s coming here. Jules told him where to find me.”

She shows surprise before collecting herself. “I see.”

Before I can say more, heavy footsteps echo from the hallway. Dad steps into the kitchen, the weight of his disapproval clear in his posture. “Why is he coming here?”

Dad has always refused to speak Nathan’s name, refused to acknowledge the man who shattered my heart. I’ve skirted around the subject for years to keep the peace.

But now, with him on his way, I can’t avoid the truth any longer.

I force myself to look at Dad, the tightness in my chest making it hard to speak. “He wants to talk to me.”

A thick silence fills the room, stretching painfully between us. Dad’s face hardens, and his jaw clenches as he processes what I’ve said.

“Why would he bother you now? The deed is done.” His voice drips with bitterness, and the words sting, cutting through years of buried shame.

I flinch, seconds away from crying, and the doorbell rings. My heart leaps into my throat, my pulse pounding in my ears.

He’s here.

I turn to Mom, panic-stricken. “Can you watch Dylan while I…”

She doesn’t hesitate. “Of course.”

I give her a thankful look, brush past Dad, and head for the door. When I reach it, I swing it open.

Time seems to freeze as I take him in. His tousled hair and those blue eyes—now shadowed and unreadable—lock onto mine. He’s rolled up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt, revealing muscular, tanned forearms. Seeing him steals my breath, stirring old memories I’d fought so hard to bury.

“Why can’t you leave me alone?” My voice is raw with anger.

He steps forward, hands held up in a gesture of surrender. “Because I still love you, and I’ve missed you.”

His words slam into me, knocking the air from my lungs. I move back, keeping the tidal wave of emotions at bay.

“If you loved me, why did you hurt me? Why did you sleep with someone else?”

He shakes his head, pain flickering across his face. “I didn’t sleep with anyone but you. Do you remember Brad?”

Memories come flooding back—Brad’s leering smiles, the inappropriate comments. He always made me uncomfortable, as if he enjoyed getting under my skin.

I grimace, the anger inside bubbling closer to the surface.

“I gave him a key to my place for emergencies,” he explains. “I know he used it for a hookup once. I told him to stop, but he didn’t listen.”

I sink onto the porch swing, my legs too weak to hold me. “The woman acted like you were in the bathroom, taking a shower after… after…” My voice falters, the memory still too vivid.

Nathan sits beside me. “I wasn’t there. I have never been unfaithful to you. I don’t know why she lied, but she did.” His pleading eyes search mine as his voice lowers. “You have to believe me.”

His sincerity tugs at my heart. But one piece of the puzzle still doesn’t fit.

“What about the text message?” My voice trembles. “That came from your phone.”

He caresses the back of my hand. “I don’t know how that happened, but it wasn’t me. Someone else must have sent it.”

The warmth of his touch spreads through me, igniting something deep inside. I want to pull away, to keep the distance between us, but I can’t.

“Please, Amelia.”

The door flies open, and Dylan races out. “Mommy!”