Page 17 of This Is Our Forever

Her voice softens. “You didn’t send that text either?”

I lift my head. “No. I didn’t. And I never cheated on her.”

She lets out a slow whistle, eyes widening as realization dawns. “Damn. Whoever did this hates you.”

I nod. That’s apparent. “Will you tell me where she is?”

She stares at me and then sighs. “Okay. But be gentle with her. She’s been through a lot. You broke her heart, and she was scared.”

I nod, the growing urgency to see her rising inside me. “Okay.”

She rattles off an address—a place I recognize. I stand, thank her, and move toward the door.

“Hey!”

I look over my shoulder.

“Remember, don’t be too hard on her.”

“I won’t be.”

“Good luck.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

AMELIA

I sit on the bed and stare at the phone, the screen dark and silent.

Jules’ words repeat in my head.Nathan is coming.

Panic grips me, my heart racing as if trying to break free from the cage of my ribs. How could Jules betray me like this? After everything I confided in her, how could she send him here—to the one place I thought I was safe?

I pace the small room, my bare feet sinking into the plush carpet. The urge to run, to scoop up Dylan and flee before Nathan can disrupt the fragile peace I’ve found, pulls at me. But I know I can’t do that again. Not this time.

I stop in front of the antique mirror above the dresser, staring at the stranger reflecting back at me. Wide, haunted eyes. Chestnut curls tumbling around my face. But beneath the fear and uncertainty, I see something else—determination.

I can do this. Ihaveto do this. For Dylan and for myself.

With a last look in the glass, I slip out of the bedroom and head downstairs to the kitchen. I pause in the doorway and watch Mom stir something on the stove while Dylan sits at the kitchen table, his little legs swinging as he focuses on his coloring.

“Mom.” She turns, her eyes searching mine with the intuition only a mother possesses.

She sets the spoon down and crosses the room. “What is it, sweetheart?”

I swallow hard. “Nathan’s coming here. Jules told him where to find me.”

She shows surprise before collecting herself. “I see.”

Before I can say more, heavy footsteps echo from the hallway. Dad steps into the kitchen, the weight of his disapproval clear in his posture. “Why ishecoming here?”

Dad has always refused to speak Nathan’s name, refused to acknowledge the man who shattered my heart. I’ve skirted around the subject for years to keep the peace.

But now, with him on his way, I can’t avoid the truth any longer.

I force myself to look at Dad, the tightness in my chest making it hard to speak. “He wants to talk to me.”

A thick silence fills the room, stretching painfully between us. Dad’s face hardens, and his jaw clenches as he processes what I’ve said.

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