Page 64 of Somewhere You Belong

Michael Sheppard is Dallas’s dad?

His father is the mystery man who left me the Bayshore house, his dream house?

What the actual fuck?

All the noise and chatter around me fade away as the only thing I am aware of is the sound of my pulse in my ears. I feel my legs wobble beneath me as I stand in place, feigning a smile and compassion while I’m panicking on the inside.

Astrid looks over at me with tears in her eyes until she notices the change in my demeanor. “Hey. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I manage to croak out. “It just got really hot in here” I fan my face frantically. “I think—I think I’m going to go outside for some fresh air.”

Perplexed but with no reason to question me, she just nods. “Okay. Let me know if I can get you anything.”

I put on my best smile. “I’ll be fine.”

And then I walk away as fast as my feet will carry me without drawing attention to myself. Overwhelmed by thoughts that stir up unresolved feelings and a million questions, I find the nearest exit and barrel through it, grateful for the railing that I find in front of me as I reach for the cold metal and take a deep breath, fighting for oxygen.

Moonlight glows out against black water beneath me, the small lake off the back of the property providing a pristine backdrop for the evening, an endless abyss that looks oddly comforting right now, given the developments in the last few minutes.

I have no idea how long I’ve been out here until a voice behind me pulls me from my thoughts.

“Didn’t realize I’d have company out here.”

I spin around to see Dallas shutting the same door I just walked through behind him before joining me at the railing.

All I can think about is the name he shares with the man who was somehow connected to my parents.

Not the concern in his eyes as he approaches me.

Not the way he overwhelms me and makes my body heat up.

No.

It’s the fact that this man has no idea how connected we are and how much more fucked up this entire situation between us just became.

“Are you okay?” he asks, checking me out from head to toe as if there may be something physically wrong with me. And then he reaches up and cups the side of my face with one of his hands, the singe from the contact of his skin against mine making my heart lunge forward and my body almost do the same.

I’ve been dying for this man to touch me again, and the sincerity of his caress is borderline overwhelming. Dallas’s eyes stare down into mine, searching for answers that I can’t give him, and some that I just don’t want to.

Luckily, he can’t see my inner turmoil or the invisible scars I carry.

The longer his hand remains on my face, the longer the world seems to be frozen around us.

“I’m fine. Just needed some air.” The smile I give him is one I’ve practiced before so I know it’s convincing enough, and with as much strength as I can, I remove myself from his grasp, turning away from him slightly and fighting to control the shaking of my hands.

“It can get pretty warm in there with all of those people.” He reaches up and pulls on the collar of his shirt while avoiding my gaze. “And I forgot how hot this uniform can get.”

Focus on the conversation, not what you just found out, Willow. Don’t blurt out something stupid and make this situation even worse.

“What areyoudoing out here?”

“I guess I just needed some air too.” He walks forward now, grabbing onto the railing and looking out over the water, blowing out a harsh breath. I look over at him briefly, but long enough to capture the shadows in the lines of his face, the way he looks so powerful and commanding in the darkness with his suit of armor on, but the light is catching the pain etched into the lines around his eyes.

“I’m sorry about your dad.” Inside I slap myself in the forehead, berating myself for bringing him up, even though I know the sentiment is appropriate given the evening.

“Thank you. It was a rough year watching him whittle away. At least he’s not in pain anymore.”

“Yeah,” I say, feeling my pulse increase with each passing second.

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