Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
I stood in the lawn for a long time afterward, tears slipping silently down my face, wondering if I had just lost my father for good.
I had planned to go straight to Bastian, to let the world fade away and feel his arms around me, hear him say everything was going to be okay. But after that conversation with my dad, I couldn’t do it. My feet felt too heavy, and the guilt sat like a stone in my stomach. Instead, I changed course and walked down to the dock alone and sat with my knees pulled tight to my chest, staring out at the water.
A while later, I heard footsteps behind me. I knew who it was before I heard his voice or saw his face.
Bastian.
He didn’t say anything at first, just sat down behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and pulled my back against his chest. His chin rested on the top of my head, warm and solid, and we stayed like that for a long time, breathing together while the lake lapped quietly against the wood.
“I’m sorry.” His words brushed against my ear. “I never wanted to come between you and your family.”
“They’re your family, too.” I turned in his arms so I could see his face. God, he looked tired, but his eyes were still so full of love it made my chest ache. “And you didn’t come between us,” I said softly. “I made my choice, and it was the right one. I’m not going back on it.”
His eyes searched mine for a long moment, like he was still waiting for me to change my mind. When I didn’t, he leaned in and kissed me, slow, deep, and full of everything we couldn’t say out loud yet because everything was so fragile.
I knew it would be a long time before we figured out how to exist in this new, broken version of our world. I also knew some relationships might never be the same because of our decisions and that some people might never forgive us. But sitting on the dock wrapped in his arms, I wasn’t scared of what came next.
Because we had chosen each other no matter what.
12
JULIET
With each passing day, it felt like the whole world had slowed down and become heavier at the same time.
The days blurred together in a strange kind of way. I kept expecting the worst to pass, but instead, it just settled in deeper. Every time I walked through the main house, I could feel the shift, the way conversations would die when I entered a room and the way eyes would slide away from mine. It wasn’t loud anger anymore. It was quieter and colder, like the family was trying to figure out how to exist around us without falling apart completely.
I couldn't lie… I thought about heading back to the city to give my parents space to process this. But I couldn’t. I couldn't leave Bastian, and I couldn't leave my parents without fixing things. Or at least trying to.
My dad still carried that hurt in his eyes whenever we were in the same space, but he didn’t yell. He just looked tired in a way that made my chest ache, and every once in a while, I saw him watching me with that same fatherly love that I’d always seen before all of this tainted it.
Mom tried to keep things civil, and I saw her accepting the situation quicker than my father. But I could still see the strain on her face, too. They were both trying in their own limited ways, but the wound was still fresh and raw and would be for a while.
Bastian kept to himself next door, giving everyone space like we’d agreed. But I couldn’t stay away from him. He never turned me away. He’d just pull me inside and hold me like he was afraid the world might take me from him.
Today, I found him sitting on his patio with a beer, staring out at the water. But as soon as he saw me, his focus shifted to me, and his smile tipped up his lips. I sat down beside him and leaned my head on his shoulder. Both of us sat and watched the sunset paint the lake in soft oranges and pinks.
Bastian exhaled slowly and said, “I keep thinking about what happens after all this.” His voice was low, but it was soft… hopeful. “When summer ends and when we’re not just hiding out here anymore. What kind of life we could actually have together.”
I lifted my head so I could look at him. His eyes were tired, but there was something else there, too. It was a quiet determination I hadn’t seen in days, like he’d been thinking about our future even though we were living in hell right now.