“I didn’t want him to find out like that,” she says miserably.
“Me neither.” I wrap my arms around her, running a hand over her soft hair. “It will be okay, princess. He’ll come around.”
“I’m not so sure.” She sags against me. “I hope so, though. I really, really hope so.”
Holden may have been my closest friend once, but I won’t let him keep me and Isabelle apart. Any guilt I feel about deceiving him is completely overshadowed by how much I care for his daughter, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her with me. For her sake, I hope Holden can accept that. Isabelle shouldn’t have to feel like she’s choosing between us. She shouldn’t have to suffer because of the mistakes I made in the past.
“Whatever happens, I’ll take care of you,” I tell her. “I promise I’ll make everything okay.”
She tilts her head back to look at me, her amber eyes still glistening with tears. But she smiles at me. A single teardrop slides along her freckled nose, and I wipe it away with my thumb, looking into the face of the girl who has turned my world upside down.
She has no idea how much she means to me…
How much I love her.
The thought makes my heart jolt. It should feel premature, too soon, but fuck, I think I loved her the minute I saw her. I don’t believe in fate, but the world shifted when I met Isabelle, the course of my whole life changing forever. We belong together. I feel it with a bone-deep certainty. Isabelle is mine. And I’d rather die than let her go.
11
ISABELLE
Dad has been gonefor hours. I keep looking out the window, waiting for him to walk out of the woods. Wyatt makes me some lunch, but I struggle to eat anything, my stomach churning with anxiety. Eventually, Wyatt scoops me up and carries me to the couch, holding me close, comforting me. It feels good to be in his arms. I feel my breathing slow every time he promises me it will be okay. But I can’t stop myself from listening out for a knock on the door.
Poor Dad.
Thinking of the shock on his face when I walked out of Wyatt’s bedroom makes me want to cry all over again. I hate myself for betraying him after everything he’s done for me…but I still can’t bring myself to regret it. Wyatt makes me happier than I’ve ever been before, and I can’t walk away, no matter how upset my dad is. But that doesn’t stop me from feeling guilty.
I just wish I could make him understand…
Make him see that what Wyatt and I have is real.
I glance out the window once more, my stomach jolting when I see my dad standing by the edge of the forest, staring into the distance like he’s deep in thought. I spring up from the couch and turn to Wyatt.
“He’s back. I think I better go talk to him by myself. Maybe he’ll listen if it’s just me and him.”
Wyatt frowns but he doesn’t argue. Instead, he takes my hand and brings it to his lips. “Whatever you think is best. I’m here if you need me, Pixie.”
I feel a rush of affection for him, and I kiss him quickly on the lips, his beard brushing my chin before I turn around and head out the front door. Dad spots me immediately as I leave the cabin and walk toward him. He waits for me, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.
“Hi Dad,” I say softly. “Can we talk?”
“Think we’d better.”
I nod, looping my arm through his. “Let’s walk.”
We follow the path around the lake, the sunlight turning the water a pale blue color that reminds me of Wyatt’s eyes. I sigh deeply, trying to figure out where to start, but it’s my dad who breaks the silence first.
“He’s too old for you, Izz.”
I shake my head. “I don’t care about that. We’re both adults, so?—”
“He can’t be trusted.”
I stop walking, frowning at him. “What do you mean?”
Dad stops too, frowning right back. “Izz, he was my best friend since third grade. Like a brother to me. And then he just left. Shut himself away and refused to talk to me. It…well, to be honest, it fucking hurt. Messed with my head. I don’t want him to do the same to you one day.”
My heart squeezes like a clenched fist at the pain in my dad’s voice. When Wyatt told me the whole story last night, I never really stopped to think about how his absence affected my dad.
