Page 62 of Wish You Were Mine (Kings of Eden Falls #3)

LUCY

“I should get Charlotte ready for bed.” Theo stood and rubbed a hand down his face, the shadows beneath his eyes deeper than usual after the difficult conversation my family and I had just waded through.

“Good idea.” I nodded, my chest tight as I took a moment to breathe after the intensity of this evening.

I’d told my family everything. Not just about Josh and the night that left me bruised and breathless, but about the months I spent convincing myself it wasn’t that bad. About the ways I shrank inside myself. How I stopped trusting my own instincts.

And to their credit, they set aside their adoration for Josh and the pedestal they’d put him on long enough to listen.

Even my dad, who had been Josh’s biggest cheerleader and longtime friends with Josh’s dad, had sat in humbled silence while I spoke, his expression slowly crumbling the deeper I went into something that looked a lot like heartbreak.

And while I knew pulling back the curtain of my past wouldn’t automatically fix the issues my dad had with me dating an older guy, it was hopefully a start.

I found Owen sitting cross-legged on the floor beside Charlotte when I walked in the living room, patiently listening to her explain the elaborate storyline behind whatever she’d built with the blocks.

He stood the moment he saw me. “How are you doing?” he asked, a look of gentle concern passing over his face.

“I’ve been better.” I gave a small, exhausted sniffle.

“I bet,” he said, opening his arms for me to come to him.

I sank into him, letting my head rest against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heart grounding me.

This.

This right here was what I needed.

Not answers. Not explanations. Just this feeling of safety. Of knowing someone was on my side.

We stood there like that for a long moment, wrapped up in quiet.

Eventually, I pulled back, just enough to look up at him. “Sorry about how that went. I really didn’t think it would be that bad.”

“It’s okay.” His lips twitched with a faint, wry smile. “Definitely not the best family dinner I’ve ever been to, but…I get it. Your dad’s just trying to protect you from the big bad wolf.”

“I know.” I sighed. “And I hope he’ll come around once he’s had more time to process, but…in hindsight, I probably should’ve talked to him one-on-one. Eased him into the idea of us more since I’m sure this felt like an ambush.”

“We did our best,” he said, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead.

I nodded, the ache behind my eyes creeping back in. “I’m going to keep talking with them, and since I don’t know how long it’ll take, you should probably head on home.”

“You sure? ”

“Yeah.” I managed a weak smile. “And…sorry again for all the things my dad said.”

“It’s okay. I know he loves you and is just trying to keep you safe.” He cupped my face for a second, his thumb brushing lightly along my cheekbone. “And if I still get to be with you in the end, it will all be worth it.”

“That’s what I’m telling myself, too.” I hugged him again, tighter this time, wishing I could disappear into his arms and stay there. Just for a little while longer. Long enough to forget everything else.

He nuzzled his cheek against mine. “Text me later, okay?”

“I will.”

When the door clicked shut behind him, I didn’t move. I just stood there, letting the weight of everything settle deep in my bones.

Finally, after drawing in another breath to steady myself, I walked back into the kitchen to where my dad was pacing.

“I sent Owen home,” I said, looking between my mom and dad.

My dad’s expression flickered, something subtle shifting behind his eyes. And I knew it was time to start bargaining.

“I know you’re still upset about all of this,” I began carefully.

“About me dating my professor. So…if it helps, I’ll switch out of his class.

And if that’s not enough—if you’re worried his feelings might’ve affected my grades—I’ll delay graduation and retake chemistry next fall.

” I swallowed hard, the reality of what I was offering hitting me like a brick.

“Graduation’s only a month and a half away.

But I’ll do it if it means he can keep his job. ”

My dad’s steps slowed, but he didn’t speak.

“Owen loves this job. He’s worked so hard to get there.

He’s an incredible teacher.” I kept going.

“Just ask any of his students. You said it yourself. He’s passionate.

Kind. He actually cares about doing things right.

” My voice cracked, but I pushed through it.

“He doesn’t deserve to lose everything because of me.

I should’ve tried harder to get out of his classes.

Should’ve made something else work. But I didn’t.

I—” I paused, my voice thick. “I didn’t really want to.

I liked the idea of seeing him every week. ”

My dad didn’t speak right away. He just looked at me like he was searching for some trace of the little girl he used to understand.

Finally, he let out a long, steady breath and dragged a hand down his face.

“You can stay in his class,” he said gruffly. “You’ve come this far, and it’s too late in the semester to shift everything around. But Lucy—” His gaze met mine, hard and unwavering. “You need to cut off all personal contact. Completely.”

I flinched, like the words had shot me straight in the chest.

“You’ve got championships coming up. You’re on the edge of something big. This is your last year, your last shot. I won’t stand by and watch some…forbidden fling blow it all up.”

“It’s not just a fling,” I whispered.

But he didn’t seem to hear me. Or maybe he just didn’t want to.

“You’ll have your whole life to figure out relationships. But this—your future, your gymnastics career—it needs your full attention right now. So, no more secret meetups. No more texts. Whatever’s been happening outside of class ends now.”

“But he’s not a distraction,” I said, my voice breaking. “If anything, he’s helped me. Just knowing he’s cheering me on has kept me going on the hard days.”

Dad’s expression didn’t soften. “This is how it has to be.

I turned to my mom, grasping for a sliver of support. “Do you agree with him?”

She met my eyes, her expression sad and conflicted. After a moment, she gave a helpless shrug. “I don’t know what the right answer is, honey. But…he is so much older than you. That makes me nervous.”

“He’s a good guy,” I said, my throat burning. “He’s not some predator.”

Helplessness swept over me like a wave.

But when I looked into both their faces, I knew they wouldn’t budge. They’d read too many horror stories about gymnasts being taken advantage of over the years, and to them, me falling for a man in a perceived position of power was one of their worst nightmares coming true.

But Owen wasn’t like the guys from those news stories. He would never do those kinds of things to me. He’d never hurt me like that.

If my dad didn’t hold power over Owen’s future, I’d tell them to get over it. That I was an adult now and not a teenage girl anymore. I could make my own choices.

But he did have power.

And unlike Owen, he wasn’t above using it to get the outcome he wanted.

I swallowed hard. “If I do what you’re asking…if I break things off with him…will you promise not to fire him? Will you let Owen keep his job? And still get his grant?”

My dad didn’t answer right away. His jaw flexed. And then, with a heavy exhale, he said, “If you agree to end all personal contact, outside of what’s absolutely necessary for class, I won’t interfere. I won’t bring it up to Dean Harris, and I won’t touch his position.”

It wasn’t what I wanted. But it was probably the best offer I’d get.

So instead of thinking of myself, I thought of everything Owen had worked for. Of how much this job meant to him. How hard he’d fought to build something stable out of a life that had been anything but.

“Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll break things off with him tonight.”

Even if it shattered me.

Even if it meant walking away from the man I loved.

I’d do it.

For him.