Page 49 of Held-

But then something changes. Her spine lengthens, her shoulders lift with purpose, and a new steadiness sharpens her words.

“No, Dad.” she says firmly. “I'm with Brayden.”

I freeze in the middle of zipping up my jeans. Did she just...?

“Yes, I stayed with him last night.”

Holy shit. I wasn't expecting that.

“No, Dad, I’m a grown woman.” Her tone rises, edged with frustration. “I’m thirty-two years old. Who I spend my time with is my business.”

I can hear the tinny murmur of her father on the other end, though not the words. Whatever he’s saying makes Cece’s jaw tighten.

“That's not fair and you know it.” She paces a few steps, her free hand gesturing emphatically.

I lean against the wall, arms crossed, watching this unfold. I should probably give her privacy, but I can't make myself walk away. Not when she's defending me to her father.

“No, I will not pray for redemption. If you think I need prayers for spending the night with a man who has made me feel more in the last few days than in the last few years I spent married to Ethan, then maybe we need to have a different conversation about faith.”

The fire in her is something to witness. She stands there with nothing but determination, gripping her phone as if it’s a shield while she defends what happened between us. I should feel smug watching her take her holier-than-thou father down the few pegs he’s earned, but part of me knows this surge of courage might be fleeting—a moment of boldness she may second-guess later.

“No, I won't be coming home right now.” Her voice drops, hardening into something I haven't heard from her before. “I'll come by later today to talk. But right now, I'm hanging up.”

She pulls the phone from her ear, her thumb hitting the end call button with more force than necessary. For a moment, she just stands there, staring at the dark screen, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Well,” she says finally, not looking at me, “that went about as well as expected.”

“You could have just lied to him, Cece.”

She turns to face me, chin tilted up in defiance. “I could have,” she shrugs. “But I was taught lying is a sin. I'm done hiding. Done letting other people decide who I should be.” She runs a hand through her tangled hair, a gesture I'm starting to recognize as her gathering her thoughts. “I spent my entire marriage pretending to be someone I’m not. I won't do it again.”

My throat feels tight. “Even if it costs you?”

“Fuck the costs.”

My eyebrows shoot up at the curse coming from her perfect lips. I can't help the laugh that erupts from my chest, breaking the tension between us.

“Well, goddamn, princess. That's quite the dirty little mouth you suddenly got there.”

Her eyes narrow, but there’s a spark of playfulness dancing there that sends a pulse of heat through me.

“Maybe you've been a bad influence on me,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest. The movement pushes her breasts together, and I force my gaze back to her face.

“Oh, I've definitely been a bad influence,” I agree, stepping closer to her. “And I plan on being an even worse one before I'm done with you.”

She doesn't back away when I crowd her space. Instead, she tilts her chin up, defiant and beautiful in her nakedness.

“Is that a promise?”

“Baby, that's a guarantee.” I reach out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger on her cheek. “You sure about this, though? About your dad?”

The playfulness dims slightly, replaced by something more serious. “Yeah,” She leans into my touch. “I’m done living my life to someone else’s standards.”

“Even if it's me you're not hiding?”

She steps closer, completely unashamed of her nakedness. “The entire town already knows I rode off with you last night. It's not exactly a secret anymore, so there’s no reason to start hiding now.”

“Fuck,” I breathe out, something expanding in my chest. Something volatile. Something that feels too much like hope. “You’re something else, you know that?”