Page 22 of Snowed-in With The Mountain Man
Hurt flashes across his face. "Is that what you think I'm doing? Controlling you like he did?"
The question hits too close to home, exposing fears I haven't fully acknowledged. "I think you're charging ahead without considering the consequences. Without listening to me."
"I'm listening now." His voice softens, but the tension remains in his shoulders. "Tell me what you want to do."
"I want to meet him tomorrow at Darlene's Diner. Public place. Witnesses." I take a steadying breath. "Alone."
"Absolutely not."
"This is exactly what I mean." Frustration bubbles over. "You don't get to decide this for me."
"I'm not letting you face him alone." His tone brooks no argument. "That's non-negotiable."
"Non-negotiable." I laugh, the sound hollow and bitter. "Just like that. My choice doesn't matter."
"Your safety matters." He steps closer, eyes pleading now. "Let me be there. Even if I just sit at another table. Please."
The genuine concern in his voice almost breaks through my defenses. Almost. But the text from Rick has awakened old fears, old patterns that whisper I can't trust anyone completely. Not even Ridge.
"I need to handle this my way." I move toward the guest room where Chellie sleeps. "And I need some space tonight. To think."
He doesn't try to stop me, though the pain in his eyes nearly changes my mind. "Stella, please. Don't shut me out."
"I'm not shutting you out. I'm setting a boundary." The words feel rehearsed, therapy language that doesn't capture the turmoil inside me. "Goodnight, Ridge."
I close the door softly behind me, sliding down against it until I'm sitting on the floor. On the other side, I hear Ridge moving around the great room, footsteps heavy with frustration. Eventually, his bedroom door closes too.
Beside me, Chellie sleeps peacefully, unaware of the fracture forming in our fragile new world. I crawl into bed beside her, gathering her warm little body against mine. She sighs in her sleep, snuggling closer.
"We'll figure this out," I whisper against her curls. "I promise."
But as I stare at the ceiling, sleep elusive despite my exhaustion, I wonder if I've just made a terrible mistake. If pushing away the one person who's truly on my side is the right move. Or if old patterns are sabotaging my chance at happiness.
The sunshine that seemed so promising this morning now feels like a cruel joke. The storm may have broken outside, but inside, clouds are gathering once more.
CHAPTER NINE
RIDGE
Morning light filters through the curtains as I open my eyes, immediately aware of the empty space beside me. The blankets are cold, no lingering warmth from Stella's body. Last night comes rushing back, the argument, the hurt in her eyes, the soft click of the guest room door closing between us.
Fuck.This isn't how it was supposed to go.
I drag myself out of bed, muscles stiff from a night of restless sleep. The cabin feels different this morning, tension hanging in the air like the remnants of the storm. Through the window, I see the snow beginning to melt, revealing patches of earth beneath. The world thawing while things between Stella and me have frozen over.
In the kitchen, I find her already awake, coffee mug clutched in both hands as she stares out at the melting landscape. Her hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail, dark circles under her eyes suggesting she slept as poorly as I did.
"Morning," I offer, voice rough with sleep and regret.
She turns, eyes guarded. "Morning."
"Where's Chellie?"
"Still sleeping." She takes a sip of coffee, gaze drifting back to the window. "She was up a few times last night. Bad dreams."
The knowledge that Chellie had nightmares, and I wasn't there to help settles like a stone in my gut. "I'm sorry about last night."
Stella's shoulders tighten. "Which part? The part where you tried to dictate how I handle my ex? Or the part where you assumed I needed saving like a damsel?"
