Page 50 of Call It Love (Sterling Mill #5)

Chase

I stood in the kitchen staring after Anna, wondering what the hell had just happened.

She walked out fast. No yelling, no slammed doors. Just that look in her eyes, one like Jack gave when you took away his favorite toy and told him it was time to stop.

I’d told her it was her choice. That I supported her. That I didn’t want to be like Mason—controlling, possessive, manipulating her into smallness. And I meant it.

But God, it had felt like I’d pushed her away.

I ran a hand over my face and dropped into one of the kitchen chairs. I didn’t want to cage her. But the truth was—I wanted her to choose me. Not because she felt like she had to. Because she wanted to build something here. With me. That I was all she needed and worth staying for.

The floor creaked behind me. I didn’t need to look up to know it was Jordan. His footsteps were lighter now, more confident than the dragging shuffle he used to do.

The fridge and cabinet doors opened and shut. The microwave hummed, and a few minutes later, he sat down across from me with a tall stack of leftover pancakes drowning in butter and syrup.

I stared at the plate, wondering where he put all of that food away on his lean frame. “Didn’t you just eat cereal?”

“Yep. That was like a pre-game snack. Energy to get ready. Now that I’m awake, I need the real deal.”

I smiled and shook my head. This kid. Anna always tried to make extra, so there were leftovers, like she was trying to make up for the times Jordan went without.

It worked. Between the fresh air from working outside and the meals Anna stuffed him with, Jordan was filling out, leaner and tanner, as well.

I suspected the girls were noticing as well, given how much time he spent on his new phone.

He looked around between bites. “Where’s Anna?”

“She left earlier.”

He paused his chewing, studying me like I held a missing clue. “She doesn’t usually leave this early. You two have a fight?”

“No. Maybe. I don’t know.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Which is it?”

“It’s complicated.”

He rolled his eyes. “Grown-ups are weird.”

“Yeah? More than teenagers?” I reached over and tousled his hair before he could duck.

He took another bite, chewing like he was considering the question. After washing it down with milk, he said, “You know, you don’t always gotta be so careful with her.”

That got my attention. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you treat her like she’s glass. Like if you say the wrong thing, she’s gonna break.” He took another drink. “I get it. You both did that with me.”

My chest tightened. “And that was wrong?”

“No,” he answered quickly. “I mean, that was good. It made me feel safe.” He set his fork down. “But after a while, when everyone treats you like you’ll break, you think maybe you really will. Like, we can’t handle it.”

I recoiled slightly, stunned by his admission and the simplicity of what he was saying.

“Sometimes, you just need something…I dunno… more . Someone who fights for you. Like you guys did for me after…well, you know.”

“We should have done that sooner,” I said quietly.

He looked at me with alarmed eyes. “No! That’s not what I meant.

I’m not saying this right.” He drew a deep breath.

“I just mean, I don’t think you’ve said or done anything wrong.

But maybe you didn’t say everything right either.

Sometimes when you try so hard not to mess up, you do anyway.

” He shrugged and went back to eating like he hadn’t just hit the nail on the head.

I stared at him. He might be on to something. “You’re pretty smart, you know that?”

He shoveled in his last bite. “Yeah. Well, don’t expect the same in math class,” he deadpanned, making me laugh.

The back screen door creaked. Jack bolted in, running right to me as a greeting, then running to his bowl to see if I might have dropped a treat in there for him to find. His tail wagged harder when he discovered one.

Anna followed behind him more slowly. Her hair was wind-tousled, and her eyes were tired. But her shoulders appeared a little less tense than when she’d left.

“You’re spoiling him, you know.”

I didn’t give Jack a second glance, just held her eyes.

“I don’t want you to leave.” The words came out before I could second-guess them.

Before I could weigh them like I had everything else I’d said to her lately.

This wasn’t calculated. It was just true.

“But I also want to support you and any opportunities that find you.”

Anna looked at me for a long moment. Then she stepped closer and hugged me.

My arms automatically went around her, holding her tight.

This woman wasn’t glass. And while I’d break before I hurt her, I knew she could handle the truth.

My truth. She wasn’t looking for shelter; she wanted a home.

A place she belonged, something even her parents had failed to give her. But I wouldn’t.

“I needed you to say that.” Her voice was steady, but there was something raw just underneath it. “I didn’t even realize how much.”

She pulled back just enough to look at me, but still within the security of my arms. I didn’t speak, just waited. Let her gather her thoughts and words.

“The second Mallory told me about the offer, I felt it. The old panic. Like I had to ask someone if it was okay to try something new. I thought I’d grown out of that, but there it was.”

My jaw clenched. Not at her, but at the echo of Mason still trying to live in her skin. “Anna?—”

“Let me finish?” she asked softly.

I nodded.

“I know you love me. I never doubted that. And I know you were trying to give me freedom to support my dreams,” she said, eyes searching mine.

“But I just needed to know that wanting this wouldn’t mean losing us.

That I could still want something bigger and have something real.

” She swallowed hard. “And when you said it was my choice, I didn’t hear you being with me. I heard…distance. ”

Her voice cracked on the last word, and I stepped forward before I even knew I was moving.

“You don’t need my permission to dream. To grow,” I said, my voice rough. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t care. It doesn’t mean I’ll stand here and watch you walk away. We just have to figure out what different looks like for both of us.”

She nodded, eyes glinting with tears. “I know that now. I just had to get out of my head.”

I nodded slowly. “You don’t owe this place your silence, Anna. I want to be in your life, not holding it back.”

She exhaled, like she’d been holding her breath for years. “I want you to come with me. To hear what Emma has to say so we can decide together what works best.”

She wasn’t asking. She wasn’t tiptoeing around what she wanted or waiting for me to find a solution.

“I’ll talk to Bodie and pack a bag. Just let me know when we leave.”

Her eyes widened slightly, like some part of her still hadn’t expected me to agree so easily. But that hesitation passed quickly. “I’ll call Emma and tell her we’re both coming.”