Page 127 of Wanted You More

My life has become a domino effect of chaos that needs to change before I’m reunited with my mother sooner than I should be.

Noah closes his eyes. “That was never because of you,” he tells me quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose before smoothing his palm over his jawline. “My coworkers are nosy motherfuckers. I like being private about things, especially people I care for. They know who you are. They know your past. More importantly, they know who you areto me. That’s never been a secret I’ve held back from anybody.”

“Then why did you pull away?”

“My firm likes using people as examples,” he replies with a sigh. “How many times have people tried using your story to make a point? I didn’t want them to try shit with you. I don’t want them thinking they can use our connection to make you do something you don’t want to. I promise, Austen, I didn’t intentionally make you feel like I didn’t want you.”

His eyes go down to our hands, tongue dragging across his bottom lip. “I’ve been working my ass off to be taken seriously there, and that’s put a lot of other things—other people—on the back burner. It hasn’t been fair to you, but I am trying.”

He doesn’t need to tell me that when he’s constantly shown it. Why do I always do this? I ruin things before they’re truly given a chance.

Sniffing back tears, I rub my nose with my free hand and take a deep breath. “I think I need a little help.”

His lip wavers.

“Can you get my dad?” I ask weakly.

Silently, he nods.

As soon as Dad is back in the room, taking over the spot Noah was at, I look up at him and whisper, “I think I want to go back to therapy.”

Dad lets out a shaky breath. “Okay, kiddo. We can make that happen.”

“And I think…” My eyes go nervously to Noah, then back to my father. “I think I want to take some time off school. Until I can figure things out. Until I feel better.”

The grip he has on my hand tightens.

Will he tell me I need to stick to it?

“Okay.” He doesn’t sound like he disapproves of the idea.

Dad loves me.

Wolfe loves me.

Noah loves me.

They don’t want me to give up.

No matter how much I’ve subconsciously wanted to all these years.

WINTER 2024

CHAPTER FIFTY

My former therapistsmiles at me as soon as I sit down, as if she doesn’t see the wreck of the girl I’ve become. Just another human who needs to talk about her problems.

So, that’s what I do.

I talk.

And talk.

And talk.

And then, I cry for the second time in a matter of months.

I cry until my eyes are puffy and sore and my chest aches from the hyperventilation that she helps me breathe through, and snotty tears that pour from my nose.

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