Because that name detonates like a bomb inside my chest.
She clings to me. But I can’t move. Can’t breathe. Can’t hold her.
“What?” I rasp, the words gutted and raw. “No. Jenna. That’s—” I stumble back. “That’s impossible. You’d never—”
She tries to reach for me again, but I pull away, the shock still ripping through my insides.
“I did,” she mutters, wiping her cheek. “And Jacob… he found me afterward. Covered it up to protect me. Told everyone it was an overdose.” Her voice trembles. “His uncle worked for the Spring Hill Police. No one questioned the story.”
I stare at her, though something in her eyes flicker, something she’s not saying. I feel it. Like this isn’t the whole story.
“You killed Ryan…” I breathe, my body shaking. “My brother?”
Her head jerks up. “No?” She gasps. And her face goes white. “No… your brother?” She clutches her chest as the realization tears through her. “Oh my God, Ryan…”
I nod slowly, tears welling in my eyes. “All this time,” I choke out. “I thought I lost him to drugs. I thought I was too late. But it was you—”
Her knees hit the ground, crashing to the floor as the truth crushes her. Crushes me.
“I didn’t know,” she sobs. “I didn’t know it was him. Not until you said his name.” Her body trembles furiously. “Oh my God. What… what have we done?”
I stagger back, breathless. “All those times he hurt you, Jenna? The bruises, the names—it was him. My brother?” My voice is raw. I want to hate her. To scream. But I can’t. Ryan hurt her. He hurt everyone. And all I feel is grief consuming me. “And I couldn’t save you either.”
She looks up, tormented. “I’m so sorry.”
I drop down beside her. “I spent years thinking it was my fault, that I failed him.” My voice falters, the pain in my chest too much to bear. “And now? How do we come back from this?”
Her face crumbles as she clings to me for comfort. “Fuck. I don’t know how to do this,” I mutter under my breath. “It was almost impossible the first time. I don’t know if I’ll survive letting you go again.”
She flinches. “You’re ending things? After everything we’ve been through?”
Her words cut deep. For a fleeting moment, I want to take it all back. Every time I’ve made a choice, I’ve lost someone I loved. My brother. My dog. Jenna, the first time because I couldn’t commit. What if this is just one more mistake? What if letting her go now is the moment I regret for the rest of my life?
“Yes,” I murmur, though my heart wants to say no. “I can’t stay. Not now. Not like this. Maybe not ever.”
Her lips tremble, but I press on, even though it’s killing me. “You need time to heal, Jenna. From Jacob. From your past. From whatever you’re still carrying.” I pause, forcing the words out. “And I… I need time to process the fact that the woman I love… killed my brother.”
And whatever she may not be telling me.
Tears roll down her cheeks. Tears I can’t stop from falling. “I thought we’d finally have a chance. I thought…”
“So did I,” I say, wiping her cheek. “But there’s so much damage. So much that can't be undone.”
I step back, the distance between us growing like the stabbing pain in my chest. “Maybe you were right to end it the first time. Maybe we were never meant to last.”
She can’t stop crying, and it guts me. Every part of me screams to pull her into my arms. To pretend none of this happened. But if I touch her now, I know damn well I won’t be able to let go.
“I never said this before,” she whispers, stepping closer. “But I love you, Dylan. Deeper than I knew possible. And I know this is the worst time to tell you, but I need you to hear it.” Her voice is steadier now. “I don’t regret a thing. You showed me that a man could be gentle and vulnerable yet still strong, protective, and sexy as hell. And I’ll always be grateful I met you.”
My breath catches as I brush another tear from her cheek, memorizing the feel of her one last time. “I think I started falling the moment you teased my laugh.”
She lets out a choked laugh.
“But that day in my truck? With that dumb picnic,” I mutter, shaking my head. “It was the first time I didn’t want to run. Not from you. Not from this. I just wanted to stay in that goddamn truck forever. You, me, and nothing else. And when I saw youwith your girls… you made me want things I never thought I deserved. A home. A family. A future without fear or guilt. And I’m so fucking grateful I met you too.”
She reaches for my hand like one last plea. “If we’re meant to be…” She lets out a deep breath, eyes on mine. “Maybe we’ll find our way back.”
Then she lets go, and her warmth disappears. But the emptiness she leaves behind stays. And as she walks away, the only sound left is my heart breaking. Quiet. Brutal. And irreversible.
