31. Lila
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Lila
The moment the red and blue lights disappeared down the street, taking Jaxon, Colt, and Ryan with them, I broke.
The tears I’d been holding back spilled over, hot and unrelenting.
I sank onto the porch steps, my hands trembling as I pressed them to my face. Biscuit whined and nuzzled against my leg, his small body warm and grounding, but it wasn’t enough to stop the ache in my chest.
I had ruined everything.
Rick’s cruelty, his lies, his obsession… it was all because of me. He’d come back to hurt me, but instead, the people I cared about most were the ones paying the price.
I could still see Jaxon’s face as they cuffed him, the way his jaw clenched in frustration, his eyes dark with worry.
For me.
What the hell had happened to Nate?
I wasn’t even sure. He’d gone missing in the chaos, and might not come back now that he truly hated me…
“Lila?”
I startled at the sound of my dad’s voice. Turning, I saw him standing in the doorway, his face etched with concern.
“What was that about?” he asked, stepping outside.
I shook my head, unable to find the words.
“It’s… it’s a mess,” I choked out. “That man… he’s the one who conned me, and that’s the first time I’ve actually seen him in person, and…”
My words trailed off.
I realized just how stupid I sounded.
Dad hesitated, then sat down beside me on the porch steps, his heavy frame settling with a creak of wood. He didn’t push me to speak right away, just sat there, his presence steady and comforting like it always had been.
After a long moment, he said softly, “You don’t have to carry this alone, kiddo. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
His words broke something loose in me. I let out a shaky breath, tears streaming down my face as I stared at the ground.
“It’s not just one thing,” I whispered. “It’s everything. Rick… Jaxon, Colt, Ryan… everything.”
“Start from the beginning,” he said, his voice calm but firm.
So I did.
I told him about Rick. The man I’d thought I loved, who had turned my life upside down with his lies and manipulation.
I finally confessed all that had happened with him. Then, I talked about Jaxon, Colt, and Ryan too. He had to know. He’d probably seen the photos.
When I finally stopped, the silence felt deafening. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, too afraid of what I might see.
Disappointment?
Judgment?
But then Dad let out a long breath. “You know, your mom used to say life isn’t supposed to fit into a neat little box.”
My head snapped up, surprise cutting through my shame. “What?”
He smiled faintly, his eyes distant, as if he were looking at something I couldn’t see.
“Your mom… she was the love of my life. There wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t thank my lucky stars for her. But when we first got together, people didn’t understand. She was this fiery artist who didn’t care about convention, and I was just a quiet kid from a farming family. We didn’t make sense to anyone but ourselves.”
I swallowed hard, tears blurring my vision again.
“She used to say,” he continued, “that love isn’t about what makes sense to other people. It’s about what makes your heart feel full. And Lila…” His voice grew heavier, more serious. “If those three men make your heart feel full, then to hell with what anyone else thinks.”
“But this is different,” I said quickly, my voice cracking. “It’s not just unconventional, Dad. It’s… it’s going to be all anyone talks about. You know how this town is. The gossip, the judgment…”
“Let them talk,” he said firmly. “Let them judge. At the end of the day, they don’t have to live your life. You do. And I know it’s not easy—I know you’re worried about Nate, about what people might think—but Lila, you’ve been through hell. You’ve earned the right to chase your happiness, no matter what form it takes.”
I stared at him, stunned.
My dad had always been steady and reliable, but he wasn’t exactly the type to talk about feelings. Hearing him say this—hearing him defend me—felt like stepping into a world I didn’t recognize.
“You really mean that?” I asked quietly.
He looked me straight in the eye. “I mean it. I don’t care if it’s one man or three or none at all. All I care about is that you’re happy and safe. That’s all your mom would’ve cared about, too.”
I bit my lip, fresh tears spilling over as I nodded. “Thanks, Dad.”
Dad reached over, squeezing my shoulder with a steadiness I didn’t know I needed until that moment.
“Anytime, kiddo,” he said, his voice a mix of warmth and resolve.
We sat on the porch in silence, the night air cool and crisp. Biscuit was curled up against my leg, his quiet snores breaking the stillness. For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t suffocating under the weight of my secrets.
But even with my dad’s words echoing in my heart, the uncertainty lingered. The town’s whispers and Nate’s inevitable disapproval hung over me like storm clouds. And the guilt—oh, the guilt—still sat heavy in my chest.
Jaxon, Colt, and Ryan were paying for my mistakes, and I wasn’t sure how to fix it.
The sharp ring of Dad’s cell phone broke the quiet, jolting us both. He fished it out of his pocket, squinting at the screen before answering.
“Yeah? Nate?” His tone shifted, a mix of curiosity and concern.
I stiffened at the sound of my brother’s name, my stomach twisting into knots.
Dad stood and stepped a few feet away, speaking in low tones I couldn’t fully make out. My fingers gripped the edge of the porch step, tension winding tighter with each passing second.
Finally, he hung up and turned back to me.
“What is it?” I asked.
“They’ve released the guys.”
Relief hit me like a wave, but it was short-lived as he continued.
“Rick’s still in custody. Once the police got the full story—about the blackmail, the threats, the con—they let the others go. Nate was there when it happened.”
My stomach clenched. “And?”
Dad hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. “And he’s pissed, Lila. He’s going home tonight, but… he didn’t have much to say beyond that. I think it’ll take some time.”
Of course he was angry.
Of course he thought I’d ruined everything.
My throat tightened, and I shook my head.
“I can’t deal with this right now,” I whispered.
“Lila…”
“I just… I can’t.” My voice cracked, and I stood abruptly, brushing off Biscuit’s protests as he scrambled to follow.
Dad didn’t stop me as I made my way inside. He didn’t say a word, but I felt his gaze on me, steady and concerned, as I climbed the stairs to my room.
Once inside, I closed the door and leaned against it, pressing my palms to my face.
The events of the night replayed in my mind like a broken record, each moment more overwhelming than the last.
I didn’t know how to face Nate. I didn’t know how to handle the town’s judgment or what came next with Jaxon, Colt, and Ryan.
Sliding into bed, I pulled the covers over my head, wishing for the oblivion of sleep. Biscuit jumped up beside me, his small body curling into mine as if he could shield me from the weight of it all.
For now, I needed to rest.
To breathe.
Tomorrow, I’d figure out what to do.
Tomorrow, I’d face the mess I’d made.
But tonight, I let the exhaustion take over, closing my eyes as Biscuit’s warmth and the faint echo of my dad’s words settled over me like a fragile shield.
I wasn’t alone.
That was enough.
For now.