I opened my mouth to argue, but the words wouldn't come. Because he was right. Today had felt different—not just because the presentation had gone well, but because of how it had felt to work alongside him. The easy banter, the way we'd anticipated each other's moves, the shared looks of triumph when a buyer showed interest.
"It doesn't matter," I said finally, but my voice lacked conviction.
"Doesn't it?" He stepped closer, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. "Lila, I've been thinking about what you said yesterday. About this being just physical, about us going back to our separate lives. And I think you're wrong."
"Griffin, please don't—"
"I'm not asking you to give up your career or your independence," he continued, his thumb tracing the line of my cheekbone. "I'm asking you to consider that maybe you don't have to choose between having a life and having love."
The word hung between us like a challenge. Love. He hadn't said it directly, but it was there in his voice, in the way he looked at me.
My phone buzzed, and I glanced down to see Bowie's name on the screen. "I should take this," I said, grateful for the interruption.
"Hey, sis," Bowie's familiar voice filled the quiet evening air. "How'd the big presentation go?"
"It went really well," I said, moving a few steps away from Griffin. "Better than I could have hoped, actually."
"That's my girl. I knew you'd kill it." There was a pause, then his voice turned more serious. "You sound different, though. Everything okay?"
Trust my brother to pick up on things I wasn't even ready to acknowledge myself. "I'm fine. Just tired."
"Lila." His tone was the same one he'd used when we were kids and he could tell I was hiding something. "What's really going on?"
I glanced back at Griffin, who was leaning against the railing, giving me space but clearly listening. "It's complicated."
"The firefighter guy?"
"How did you—" I started, then shook my head. "Never mind. I don't want to know."
"You like him."
It wasn't a question, and I found myself nodding even though he couldn't see me. "Yeah. I do. But it's—"
"Complicated. You said that already." I could hear the smile in his voice. "You know what I think?"
"That I should focus on my career and not get distracted by a man?"
Bowie laughed. "Actually, I think you should stop trying to control every aspect of your life and let yourself be happy for once."
The words hit me like a physical blow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means," he said gently, "that you've been so focused on building the perfect life that you've forgotten to actually live it. I'm proud of what you've accomplished, Lila. But I want you to be happy too, like I am with Angie. And if this guy makes you happy..."
"It's not that simple."
"Why not? Because it might be messy? Sis, life is messy. When something good presents itself, grab onto it with everything you’ve got."
I closed my eyes, feeling the careful walls I'd built around my heart starting to crack. "I'm scared," I whispered.
"I know you are. But you're also the strongest person I know. You survived foster care, you put yourself through school, you built a career from nothing. You think you can't handle falling in love?"
Falling in love. There it was again, the thing I'd been running from since the moment Griffin's truck had appeared on that desert highway.
"I have to go," I said suddenly.
"Lila—"
"Thank you," I interrupted. "For everything. For believing in me, for pushing me to take risks. I love you."
