Page 26 of “Not” Engaged to the Grumpy Billionaire

Liz glances at me then, her brow furrowing slightly.

“Come on, Nate, live a little. Max and I can’t carry this performance alone,” she teases, waving her hands in the air like she’s trying to coax me into joining them.

I force a half-hearted smile, but it doesn’t reach my eyes.

“I’m good. You two keep it up.”

Liz’s smile falters a bit.

“Alright,” she says softly, turning back to Max. “I bet your dad’s a little tired tonight.”

Max, oblivious to the tension, grins up at her.

“That was fun! Let’s do it again tomorrow!”

Liz ruffles his hair, still smiling, but I notice her energy from earlier has dimmed.

“We’ll see, champ,” she says, glancing at me once more.

Becky’s return has been gnawing at me ever since she showed up on my doorstep. I can’t shake the image of her standing there, acting like she belongs here again ... like she hadn’t disappeared for four years without a backward glance. Worse, I can’t stop worrying about what this means for Max.

Liz sets the plates on the table, offering me a smile, but I barely respond. She raises an eyebrow, clearly catching on that something’s bothering me. I'm thankful that she doesn’t push.

As I glance down at the dinner she’s made, I can’t help but feel the weight of it all. This scene—Liz here, cooking dinner for Max and me—feels too natural. Too easy. Like a family. And it scares me.

I glance at Max, who’s shoveling food into his mouth with his usual enthusiasm. He suddenly looks up, his eyes wide with excitement.

“Dad, do you think Liz can stay with us forever?”

The fork in my hand stills. My throat tightens, and for a moment, I can’t find the words. Liz, mid-chew, looks at Max, then at me, her eyes wide with surprise.

Max’s innocent question feels like a gut punch. I force a laugh, trying to brush it off.

“Max,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel,

“Liz has her own life. She can’t stay forever.”

Max’s face falls, his brow furrowing as he pokes at his food.

“But... but I like having her here. She makes everything fun. And Boomer likes her too. Right, Boomer?”

Boomer, lying at Max’s feet, doesn’t even lift his head.

Liz offers Max a soft smile, but I catch something flicker in her eyes—something that tells me she wasn’t expecting that either.

I shrug off the heaviness in the air and try to focus on my food, but Max’s question lingers. It shouldn’t. But it does.

Forever?The word echoes in my mind, like an anchor weighing me down. Max is already so attached to her. It’s not surprising, she’s great with him but it’s dangerous. For him. And for me.

I clear my throat, trying to get back to the meal, but the tension in my chest won’t ease. Liz, sensing it, shifts the conversation, asking Max about his day at school. She knows.She knows I’m unraveling, and she’s giving me space to pull myself together.

But the truth is, I don’t know if I can.

The more time Liz spends with Max, the harder this is getting. And that terrifies me. I’ve been here before letting someone in, trusting them only to have it all fall apart. Becky did that to me, and I swore I’d never let anyone get that close again.

I glance at Liz as she laughs at something Max says, the sound light and easy. She has become such an integral part of our lives now. More than I thought she would. More than I expected. And that’s exactly why I need to pull back before this goes too far.

It’s not just about Becky being back. It’s about me. About what happens when I let myself care too much, let someone too close. Sue’s words from earlier replay in my head—her gentle push for me to see what’s right in front of me. But I can’t let that happen. I won’t.

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