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I sigh, rubbing my forehead. “It’s Beck,” I murmur, feeling my heart squeeze just saying his name.

Quinn’s silence is deafening for a beat. Then, “I figured.”

“You did?” I blink, surprised.

“Abby.” Quinn’s voice is softer now, more understanding. “You’ve been quieter lately. And I see the way you look at him at the games when Jake is talking his ear off. You’re not as good at hiding your feelings as you think you are.”

I press my lips together, my throat tightening.

“So…” Quinn coaxes gently. “What’s going on?”

I draw in a shaky breath. “Jake’s crazy about him,” I whisper, my voice barely above a whisper. “And Beck… he’s amazing with Jake. So patient, so kind. He treats him like…”

“Like he’s his own,” Quinn finishes softly.

I nod, even though she can’t see me. “Yeah.”

“And that’s a good thing, right?”

“It should be,” I murmur. “But what if…” My voice catches, and I swallow hard.

“What if he leaves?” Quinn says softly.

The ache in my chest deepens, and my eyes burn with unshed tears. “Jake’s already attached,” I whisper. “If this doesn’t work out…”

“He’ll be heartbroken,” Quinn finishes gently.

“And so will I,” I admit softly, the words finally tumbling out of me. “But it’s Jake I’m most worried about. I can’t let him go through that.”

Quinn’s voice is quiet but firm. “Abby, you can’t live your life preparing for heartbreak. That’s not living. That’s… surviving.”

I bite my bottom lip, blinking rapidly. “I don’t know how to do anything else.”

“Yes, you do.” Quinn’s voice is full of quiet conviction. “You did it before. When you fell in love with Ethan.”

I flinch at the mention of my dead husband’s name, but I don’t pull away.

“He wouldn’t want you to close yourself off forever, Abby,” she says softly. “And I don’t think Beck would hurt Jake. Or you.”

Her words hit me square in the chest.

Could she be right?

“Maybe,” I murmur, my throat tight.

“Just… don’t let fear make the decision for you,” Quinn adds gently. “You owe it to yourself—and to Jake—to give happiness a chance.”

***

The house is quiet. Jake’s asleep, and Spotty is curled up at the foot of his bed, his snores so loud I can hear him in my room down the hall.

With sleep evading me, I sit up in bed hugging my knees to my chest as my mind spins with thoughts of Beck.

What am I so afraid of?

Beck isn’t Ethan. He’s not steady and predictable—he’s unexpected, intense, and… real.

And that’s what terrifies me. Because falling for Beck means stepping into the unknown, and I’ve lived in fear of the unknown since the day I lost Ethan.