CHAPTER 19
“Even the hardest heart holds hidden feelings, buried deep down inside…”
ISABELLE CAMPBELL
Colin drove me home without saying a single word after we got in the car. Which was ironic, considering he’d just told Henry we had “a lot to talk about.”
I’d given up trying to understand what went on in that man’s head. He was impossible—bipolar, irrational. What kind of person does something like that in the middle of the street? The guy practically did a full U-turn and blocked the car I was in.
“Aren’t you gonna say anything?” I asked.
“I think you should pick your company more carefully.”
“Oh, so now you’re saying he was bad company?” I crossed my arms, staring at him.
I locked my gaze on Colin’s profile as the car stopped at a red light.
“And…?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Wait a second—was that whole little performance because you’re jealous of me?”
Why the hell did I say that…
His face changed instantly. For a moment, I thought he might actually lose it.
“It’s not fucking jealousy! I was just trying to protect you!”
“He was nice, Colin. Gentle. We talked for a while—he told me he has a son and a bunch of other things I don’t even need to repeat. He smiled at me, made me feel special, and out of nowhere you show up claiming you were trying to protect me?”
“Isabelle…”
“Oh no, now it’s my turn to talk.”
I wasn’t anyone’s property, and Colin had no right to interfere in my life like that.
“I’m not letting you sleep with him!”
We’d just pulled up in front of my house.
“That’s not your decision to make! Ever heard the phrase ‘my body, my rules’? I can go out with whoever I want, whenever I want!”
He went silent for a moment, gripping the steering wheel. Then he slammed both hands against it.
“I can’t stop thinking about that night! You won’t get out of my head! I’m losing my damn mind because I can’t think about anything but you! I hate feeling this tied to someone! That’s my problem—and you’re not helping! Happy now?!”
He was harsh and vulnerable at the same time. Was Colin actually confessing to me?
“Is that really true?” I asked quietly.
“Of course it’s true! You really think I’d care about seeing you with someone else if I wasn’t completely into you?”
Colin stepped out of the car, running a hand through his hair as he looked up at the night sky. I got out too, watching him from behind.
I didn’t understand him—or how to deal with this version of him. Sometimes he was kind, gentle, attentive. Other times, the complete opposite. Colin wasn’t a man who handled emotions well, and I could see it in his eyes, in the cracks in his voice—it consumed him more than he’d ever admit.
“Forget what I said,” he muttered, turning toward me. “I had no right to do what I did. You’re free. Whatever I feel doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter,” I said softly. “And deep down, I care more about what you say than you think.”
I stepped closer, meeting his eyes. There was no anger there now—just something raw, human. I wanted to see him, really see him. And for once, he seemed to let me.
“I know you’ve been through hell, Colin. But it’s never too late to start over. I know I talk too much, but when you’re ready to open up, I’ll be here.”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Maybe not. But I want to. What I can’t take anymore is being your emotional punching bag.”
He knew I hated the way he treated me, yet something deep inside kept whispering that I could change him—that there was something worth saving there. And despite everything, I kept listening to that voice.
I was trying my hardest not to let him break me every time we were close, but it was getting harder and harder.
“I’m a terrible man,” he said quietly. “And because of that, a terrible father. I know it, Isabelle.”
“No, you’re not.” I took one of his hands, and I could see how surprised he was.
“The way you treat Hanna might not mean much to you, but to me, it says more than you realize. Your problem is that you’ve shut yourself off from the world, convinced it’s easier to push people away.
But we all have a vulnerable side, and yours is showing more every day. You’re not a bad person, Colin Adams.”
His eyes shimmered when I finished speaking, and I couldn’t tell what he was trying to find in mine—he wasn’t even blinking.
“That’s wrong.” He gave a faint, disbelieving smile, shaking his head slightly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hearing that.” He stepped closer, placing both hands gently around my neck. “No one sees anything good in me. Why do you have so much faith in a lost cause like me?”
“You’re wrong,” I said softly. “There are people who know there’s still something good left in you. Me, Henry, Helen—we all see it. And I’d bet Hanna does too, even if she’s still little. You just have to let it happen. If you do, I’m sure your life will change. I’ll help you—if you let me.”
Colin hesitated when I finished. For a moment, I thought he was going to pull away. His gaze faltered, his head tilted slightly, like he was trying to escape—from me, from us.
But then he took a deep breath, met my eyes again, and said, his voice rough and steady, each word slicing through the air between us:
“I want your help. I want you, Isabelle. I need you.”
My heart skipped a beat, and before I could think, the words just slipped out:
“Then start by kissing me like you did a few minutes ago.”
A slow, dangerous half smile tugged at his lips.
“You don’t even have to ask for that.”
Before I could react, he was already closer.
His breath mingled with mine, and the silence that wrapped around us was so thick it felt like any movement would shatter it. His eyes dropped to my mouth, and in that instant, the world stopped spinning. The touch came suddenly—soft, deliberate, but intense enough to steal my breath.
There’s no way to explain what happens when our mouths meet.
It’s like time bends, the air thins, and nothing else exists. Colin’s kiss carries the weight of everything we’ve tried to deny—and the heat of everything we’ve been too afraid to admit.
His hands framed my face, the grip firm and certain, making me tremble. I felt his fingers slide down to the base of my neck, pulling me closer, carefully, as if he was afraid I might pull away. But I didn’t. I leaned in.
The kiss deepened. His breath tangled with mine in an uneven rhythm, and the touch of his lips grew more urgent. The world around us vanished—no sound, no reason, just the feel of his body against mine and the undeniable certainty that this shouldn’t be happening… yet there was no stopping it.
Colin kissed me like someone remembering. Like he wanted to carve it into memory all over again.
The touch was intense but full of tenderness. The taste—familiar. The heat—devastating.
When he finally pulled back, just enough to look at me, his thumb lingered against my lower lip, as if to make sure this was real.
“Is this what you meant?” he murmured, his voice gravelly.
“Exactly that,” I whispered back.
He gave a faint smile, his gaze locked on mine.
“Then get ready, because I don’t plan on stopping here.”
Before I could breathe, he kissed me again—deeper, longer—until every rational thought melted between us.
We walked to the bedroom in silence, though the quiet between us was anything but peaceful. Every step he took seemed to echo inside me. Colin closed the door, and the soft click made me shiver.
The air in that room was thick, warm, charged with something I couldn’t contain anymore.
He moved toward me slowly, as if afraid to touch me—and just as afraid not to. When our breaths mingled, I felt the heat of his skin and that scent of his that always undid me.
The first kiss was soft, hesitant. The second, firmer. By the third, there was no room left for doubt.
His hands slid up my back, guiding every movement, his touch hot enough to make my skin tingle. I felt his fingers at the nape of my neck, the brush of his nose against mine, the quiet sound of our breathing blending into one.
When we fell onto the bed, there was no rush—just a quiet urgency that made the air hum around us. The cool sheets clashed with the warmth of his body. Every motion was unhurried, as if he wanted to memorize the path between my skin and his breath.
The minutes that followed were deep, intense, unforgettable. The world seemed to dissolve with every touch, every whisper, every pause where his gaze met mine and said everything words never could.
It felt like fire and calm at once, as if time itself had split in two—the before him, and the after that moment.
My heart raced, my body gave in, and for a second, everything went silent—only the sound of our breathing, the heat, and the certainty that nothing would ever be the same.
The air between us still seemed to vibrate. Every movement he made was slow, careful, as if any sudden motion could break what we’d just created. He ran a hand through my hair, tucking a loose strand behind my ear, and that simple touch was enough to ignite everything again.
We stayed there, breathing the same air, trying to understand what the silence meant. His chest rose and fell quickly, and I could feel the rhythm syncing with mine. When I looked at him, he was already watching me—dark eyes, intense, full of everything words could never contain.
“Isabelle…” he whispered, as if my name was the only thing he could say.
I didn’t answer.
I just touched his face, and he closed his eyes for a moment, resting his forehead against mine. The gesture was simple, but it carried a tenderness that unraveled me completely.
He drew in a long breath, trying to steady himself, but his hand was still on my waist, his skin burning against mine. The space between us was far too small to pretend indifference.
Then he pulled me close again.
The kiss came slow, deep—like recognition. No rush, no fear, just time stretching between one touch and the next. With each second, it felt like the whole world existed right there, in the small space between our mouths.
When he finally pulled away, his eyes stayed on mine.
“This shouldn’t have happened,” he murmured.
“But it did,” I said.
He gave a faint smile, his gaze tired but warm.
“So what now?”
“Now… I don’t know,” I confessed, my voice hoarse. “I just know I don’t want it to end.”
Colin took a slow breath, and silence returned—softer this time. The room, still heavy with heat and dim light, felt suspended in time.
He pulled me against his chest, and I let him. There were no more questions, no space for regret—only the weight of what we had just begun.
Colin had already gotten dressed and was desperate to get out of my room.
“We didn’t think about the consequences. Your daughter…! I don’t even know what to think. Just the idea that she might’ve heard something—”
“She didn’t.”
We went to the living room, and I grabbed him a glass of water.
“Are you sure, Isabelle?”
“No, actually, I’m not,” I admitted—and that made him even more restless.
“Isabelle…”
“I’m not done with you.”
I practically threw myself into his arms and kissed him right after.
“Insatiable appetite,” he muttered in that low, gravelly voice, pulling me down onto the couch.
The kiss turned hot again, and just when I thought I was about to get another taste of what Colin was capable of, a tiny voice echoed from down the hall.
“Mommy? You there?”
“What did I tell you, huh, Isabelle?” he whispered, instantly jumping off me and trying to fix himself. His panic was almost funny, but judging by Hanna’s voice, she wasn’t in the kitchen—she was near my room.
About ten seconds later, Hanna appeared in the living room, her eyes lighting up the moment she saw him.
My daughter really likes him. It’s honestly amazing.
“Uncle Colin!”
“Hey, Hanna,” he said, looking completely flustered.
I can always tell how they are together—he genuinely likes her. At first, I thought Colin just tolerated her, but now I know better. They really do like each other.
“What were you doing here?” she asked.
“I came to bring your mom home.”
Not exactly a lie. She just didn’t need to know the details of how he ended up being so kind.
“Oh, okay.”
“Say goodbye, sweetheart. Colin’s leaving now,” I said.
“Bye, Uncle Colin.” She ran up and hugged him. He still gets a little awkward with affection, and I have to admit—I love seeing him vulnerable like that.
“Take care, little one.”
“Uh-huh. And I’ll take care of my mommy, just like you said sooo many days ago.”
I couldn’t help but smile. I’m so lucky to have such a special daughter.