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I ignore her shit. “If you’re planning something that changes Luna’s life, I deserve to know. And not through Instagram stories. You want to move, you bring it to me first.”
She laughs, but there’s no light in it. “Let me guess, you’ve already talked to your lawyer.”
“Don’t test me on this, Shayla,” I snap, my patience fraying.
“Wow. There he is. You really haven’t changed, have you? Tell me, how’s your new girlfriend coping? Let her know if she needs any tips, I’m her girl.”
I rub the back of my neck, fighting like fuck to keep my voice level. “You want to uproot our daughter for your boyfriend? Fine. Just know if you try to take her out of the city permanently, Iwillfight it. Every step of the way.”
I end the call, my thumb hitting the screen harder than necessary. For a second, I just stand there. Breathing hard. Jaw tight. Shoulders like stone.
That wasn’t how I wanted to handle it. Pushing her like that wasn’t in my plan.
I meant every word, but the delivery was off. My tone too sharp.
Fuck.
I roll my shoulders, trying to shake it off. But this isn’t going to shake off easily. There’s too much at stake here and I just threw gasoline on the fire.
I turn to walk back into the bedroom and immediately stop, every muscle in my body tensing when I see Amelia standingthere looking at me like she’s just seen or heard something that she needs to tread carefully with.
“Was that Shayla?” she asks quietly, her eyes cautious.
“Yeah.” I feel that sick pull low in my gut that tells me I just fucked something up that matters. Because I know what her fears were coming into this relationship. I know she’s worried I’ll hurt her, and I sure as hell know the kind of man she never wants to be with again. Andfuck. What she just heard had to sound bad.
She’s slow to speak again.
“Are you okay?”
“I think she’s planning to move to LA, but she won’t talk to me about it.”
She swallows. “You sounded intense.”
I nod, my regret crashing into me again. “I didn’t handle it well. Blair told me not to speak to Shayla, to let her do her job. I fucked up.” I breathe out hard, but it doesn’t help. Not with the pressure of everything I’m carrying. “I know the custody order would hold. If it came down to it, I could stop her from taking Luna. But Jesus, Amelia...what kind of father drags his daughter through a war just to say he won? I don’t want to fight Shayla in court. I don’t want Luna stuck in the middle. But I also can’t let her go. I can’t lose her.”
Amelia doesn’t speak straight away. She just watches me—really watches me—like she’s stripping me bare with those sharp eyes of hers. Assessing the damage. Reading all the parts I try to keep hidden.
Trying to understand me.
And then, like a tide turning, I see her caution dissolving. Her jaw softens and her shoulders drop with a slow exhale.
She crosses the room to me.
Not tentative.
Not afraid.
Certain.
Her hand finds mine, fingers lacing tight. “You didn’t fuck anything up, Gage. You did what you always do. You carried the weight alone so no one else would bleed.”
Then she reaches for my face—one palm framing my jaw—and leans in pressing a kiss to my lips. Not passionate. Justsure. A tether and a promise and a fucking reckoning.
When she pulls back, she doesn’t let go. “You’re not alone in this. Not even a little bit.”
And goddamn, I feel it in my bones.
She’s still here.