Shit. I wasn’t expecting him until tomorrow.
He’s hammering relentlessly on my door, and for a disorienting second, I get a weird sense of déjà vu. Suddenly, it’s twenty years ago, and Holden is banging on my door, begging me to come outside and talk to him. I didn’t answer him then. But running away isn’t an option anymore.
“Wyatt!”
Holden has seen me through the window, and he raps his fist against the glass. I’ll have to face him. His daughter is currently asleep in my bed, and there’s no point trying to hide it. I’m not letting Isabelle go, so coming clean to Holden is the only option, and I can’t help feeling a tug of guilt in my chest. I already fucked him over once, pushing him away when he wanted to help. Any hope of us rekindling our friendship is about to be destroyed forever. But Isabelle is worth it. I’d do anything for her. Burn every bridge. Set the whole damn world alight if she asked.
I head for the front door and open it. Holden immediately barrels over the threshold, glaring at me.
“Where’s Isabelle? She’s not at Ralph’s cabin.”
“She’s here. Asleep.”
But Holden has already stopped listening. His eyes are fixed on the floor, where Isabelle’s yellow dress is strewn beside myjeans and boxers. I vividly remember tossing the bundle of clothes there last night so we’d have room to fuck on the couch.
“What the hell is going on?” Holden roars, rounding on me. “Why are my daughter’s clothes on your floor, Wyatt?”
Before I can answer, my bedroom door creaks open, and we both look toward it. Isabelle steps into the living room wearing one of my t-shirts, the material falling past her knees. She’s hugging herself, eyes wide as she looks at her dad.
“What are you doing here, Izz?” he asks, his voice softening now that he’s not directing his questions to me. “Why aren’t you at Ralph’s?”
She swallows hard, eyes darting between me and her dad. “I…uh…why aren’t you in Denver?”
“Iwasin Denver,” Holden says impatiently. “Cops already found the guy who stole my stuff. Local thief, known for this kind of shit. I wasn’t needed anymore, so I figured I’d drive back out here first thing this morning.” He crosses his arms, giving me a dirty look. “But when I got to Ralph’s cabin, you weren’t there. Either of you.”
Isabelle sucks in a breath. “Dad, please don’t be mad.”
She looks so anxious that I instinctively take a step toward her, but Holden’s hand shoots out against my chest, pushing me back. “Hey! Don’t fucking touch her.” His eyes blaze with rage as he looks at me. He knows what’s going on here. I’m sure of it. Hell, he probably knew the minute he realized we weren’t at Ralph’s place.
“Fuck, I knew I shouldn’t have left you alone,” he snaps. “Goddammit! I told myself I was being paranoid about the way you kept looking at each other.” His right fist clenches. “You fucking bastard, Wyatt!” His arm draws backward like he’s about to smash his fist into my face, but before he can swing, Isabelle races toward us, grabbing Holden’s hand.
“Dad!” she cries, wincing. “Stop! I know you’re mad, but please don’t do this.”
“He deserves it, Izz. Taking advantage of you…fuck, you’re half his age!”
My temper flares. “I would never take advantage of Isabelle. It’s not like that.”
“Oh yeah, asshole? Then what is it like?” Before I can answer, he moves like he’s about to lunge at me again, and Isabelle wastes no time planting herself in front of me, her back to my chest, arms outstretched. She’s tiny compared to me and Holden, and the gesture makes my heart melt.
“I care about her,” I say firmly. “We didn’t plan it. Hell, you know me! You know I’m not the kind of guy who goes around using women. We can’t help who we fall for, Holden, and this is the real thing.”
He glares at me. “I thought I knew you, once. Not anymore.” He pauses for a moment, looking from me to Isabelle, before making a noise deep in his throat. “Come with me, Izz. We’re going home.”
Isabelle doesn’t move. I can’t see her face, but I hear her let out a sob as she says, “No, Dad. I don’t want to leave.”
“Tough.” He storms toward the door, yanking it open and waiting for Isabelle to follow. When she stays put, he snaps, “Isabelle Mitchell, we are leaving this cabin right now!”
She shakes her head. “I love you, Dad, but I’m not a kid. You can’t force me to go anywhere. I want to stay with Wyatt.”
Holden shoots me a look of pure venom. He clearly blames me for Isabelle’s defiance, but this is all her, and I’m proud she’s standing up for herself. My instinct is to wrap my arms around her, pull her back against me, but that would be like flashing a red rag to a bull. Instead, I discreetly touch her back, resting a hand where Holden can’t see.
“Fuck, I’m not listening to any more of this,” he mutters, before turning away from us and stepping through the door.
“Where are you going?” Isabelle calls after him, her voice thick with tears.
“For a walk.” The words are sharp, and I’m expecting him to storm off. But when he hears Isabelle sob, he stops just outside the door, his back to us. “I’m going to clear my head, Izz,” he says. “I need to try and make sense of this…figure out what the fuck is going on.”
Then he strides away from my cabin and into the trees without a backward glance. As soon as he’s gone, Isabelle collapses against me with a pained groan.
