Page 66 of Unbearable

My career, my responsibilities, and the life I had built for myself couldn’t be sacrificed for a fleeting hope of something more with him.

Every moment we shared was a reminder of what could never be. The fleeting glances, the unspoken words, the lingering touches—they all hinted at a possibility that was too damn risky. I couldn’t afford to let my emotions rule me, to let the desire for what felt so right cloud my judgment.

I had to keep the walls around my heart intact. The logical sidehadto prevail, even if it meant suppressing the feelings that surged whenever I was near him.

The safe, predictable path of logic was my refuge, my shield against the chaos that emotions brought.

And so I steeled myself, determined to keep my heart locked away and my focus on the life I had to return to in Seattle.

As we ate breakfast, I could feel his lingering gaze on me—his eyes followed my every move.

“What?” I asked.

“What do you mean, what?” He chuckled.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” My brows furrowed.

“Like what?” His smile grew, and I knew he was fucking with me.

I groaned as my fingers rubbed my forehead, soothing the ache.

He licked his lips, then looked me up and down before finally meeting my gaze. “You just…” His words trailed off into a laugh. “You are exactly the same now as you were ten years ago, yet completely different. I feel like I know you, but I am also getting to know you all over again, and I like that.”

I tried to hide a smile of my own and glanced down at my hands. “Yeah… I was thinking about all of that yesterday too. There’s a whole piece of your life, of you, that I don’t know. It made me angry, but now I think I am coming around to the idea of getting to know the person you are now, while also understanding the boy I once knew is still in there too.” My words were sincere, because while I knew nothing could ever happen between us, Trent was my friend for almost my entire life before I left for Seattle.

He reached across the table, letting his knuckles skim across my skin.

I let myself get lost in the touch one last time—the gentleness, the feel of his calloused skin, the warmth. I wanted to sink into the touch, but I knew better.

My phone buzzed, and I was grateful for the distraction. I grabbed it and opened the unread text. All the blood drained from my face, and Trent immediately noticed the shift. I stood from my seat, pacing the room.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, walking over to me.

Unable to form any words, I held out my phone for him to see.

Unknown Number

I hope you liked the flowers.

“Fuck.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll text Colt to fill him in. He already knows about last night.”

“Last night?” I blurted out.

“The flowers, Dotty. Not the kiss,” he said, raising his eyebrow at me.

“Oh,” I replied and let out a breath. With a resigned sigh of his own, he opened his arms to me in a silent offer.

I had no fight left in me, so I allowed myself to relax into him. He cocooned his body around me, making me feel safe.

“We will figure this out, Dot. I will figure this out. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I already have been. You know that,” I said.

He kissed the top of my head, still holding me close, as if letting go would make me disappear. “I know. I just can’t stand the thought of something happening to you.”

We stood there for a moment before I finally pulled back.

“Let’s get on the road.” I gave him a shy smile. “I told Gracie I’d come see her if we got back in time so I could braid her hair for school tomorrow.”

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