Chapter 19
The Morning After Almost
Kate
Iwake up to sunlight and the memory of last night on repeat.
The almost-kiss. Grayson leaning in, his breath mixing with mine, his eyes dark with want.
The way he stopped. Again.
What is wrong with me, that I keep letting him get close enough to hurt me?
I lie there a few more minutes, replaying all of it. His hand in mine during the toast. The way we danced. The walk home under the stars. All of it felt real. All of it felt like he wanted me as much as I want him.
So why does he keep pulling away?
Eventually I drag myself up. Leggings, an oversized sweater, hair in a messy bun. I’m not trying to impress anyone today.
Especially not Grayson.
—
I find him in the kitchen, making coffee.
Already dressed. Hair damp from a shower. He doesn’t look at me when I walk in.
"Morning," I say. Carefully neutral.
"Morning." He pours coffee into two mugs. Sets one on the counter for me without asking—cream, no sugar. He knows how I take it by now.
I wrap my hands around the mug, grateful for something to hold.
The silence stretches. Not like the easy quiet from last night. This is loaded. Full of everything we’re not saying.
"About last night—" I start.
"I should chop wood." He’s already moving toward the door. "We’re running low."
"Grayson—"
"I’ll be outside if you need anything."
The door closes.
I stand alone in the kitchen, staring at it. Deciding whether to follow him. To demand answers. To make him explain why he keeps doing this.
I don’t.
I drink my coffee in silence, feeling the cabin shrink around me.
—
I need air.
I grab my jacket and slip out the back while Grayson’s still out front. I don’t want another loaded silence. Don’t want to see that conflicted look that makes me want to both shake him and kiss him.
I head for the lake.
The walk takes twenty minutes. The morning is crisp and brilliant, birds cutting through the trees, the world waking up around me. It’s exactly what I need.
I find the bench at the water’s edge and sit, pulling my jacket tight.
What am I doing?
I came here to prove I’m responsible. To organize files, meet with clients, show Maxwell I’m more than the girl who fried the office’s electrical system.
Instead I’ve gotten tangled up in a fake relationship that feels more real every day. I’ve let myself fall for a man who won’t tell me the truth about who he is.
And I have no idea how to fix any of it.
I’m so lost in thought that I don’t hear the footsteps until someone speaks.
"Excuse me."
I spin around.
A man stands a few feet away. Forties. Slacks and a tailored coat that looks wildly out of place in Maple Glen. Dark hair streaked with gray, wire-rimmed glasses. His eyes move slowly between my face and the trail leading back toward the cabins.
"Sorry," he says with a polished smile. "I didn’t mean to startle you."
"It’s fine." I stand. "Can I help you?"
"I hope so. I’m trying to find a cabin near the lake. Belongs to a man named Grayson Hart. Do you know where it is?"
My stomach drops.
"I’m afraid I’m just passing through," I say. "I don’t know anyone by that name."
He studies me. Patient. Unhurried. The way people study things they’re already sure about.
"Are you sure? I was told he lives near the lake. Fairly isolated."
"There are a lot of cabins out here. Most of them are seasonal. Hard to keep track." I keep my voice light. "Who’s asking?"
He reaches into his coat pocket and holds out a business card.
I take it.
Andrew Chen — Board Member, Evervolt Technologies
My heart stops.
Evervolt. My company. The company Maxwell runs.
Board members don’t come into the office often. When they do, they use private meeting rooms far from my desk. I handle schedules and clients’ emails. I rarely see them in person.
And he wouldn’t recognize me either. I’m just the executive assistant.
Same company. Different worlds.
I keep my face still. I don’t know how, but I do.
"I don’t think I can help you," I say.
"Keep it." He presses the card back into my palm. "If you happen to see Mr. Hart—please tell him the board needs to speak with him. Urgently. It’s about the company. About his future with Evervolt."
His future with Evervolt.
"I’ll keep an eye out," I say.
He studies me for one more beat. Long enough that I have to work to hold his gaze.
"You know, you look familiar." He tilts his head. "Have we met?"
"I don’t think so."
"Hmm." A small nod. "Well. Have a good day."
He turns and walks back up the trail toward town.
I stand frozen, the card in my hand, watching until he’s gone.
—
I start walking back. Then faster. Then I’m practically running through the trees.
Why is a board member from Evervolt looking for Grayson?
What does Grayson have to do with my company?
Maxwell arranged for me to stay in this cabin. He had to have known who lived here. Why didn’t he tell me?
I burst through the tree line. Grayson’s out front, splitting wood. Back to me, movements strong and rhythmic. Completely unaware.
"Grayson!"
He turns, axe in hand. Sees my face.
His expression shifts immediately. Concern. Wariness.
"What’s wrong?"
I march up to him and hold out the business card.
"Who is Andrew Chen?"
Grayson goes still. Completely still. Like something inside him has locked.
"Kate—"
"Don’t." I cut him off. "Don’t deflect. Don’t tell me you need time. Just tell me the truth. Who is Andrew Chen, and why is he looking for you?"
He lowers the axe slowly. Sets it against the chopping block. His jaw is tight, his eyes guarded.
"He’s someone from my past."
"That’s not an answer."
"It’s the only one I can give you right now."
"That’s not good enough!" My voice rises. "A man from Evervolt Technologies just cornered me at the lake asking about you. My company, Grayson. He said the board needs to speak with you urgently. About your future with Evervolt."
"He found me," Grayson mutters. More to himself than to me.
"What does that mean? What is going on?"
He runs a hand through his hair. More stressed than I’ve ever seen him.
"I need—" He catches the word. Stops. Starts again. "Please. I need time to think."
"Time to think?" I stare at him. "A stranger just cornered me at the lake asking about you. I lied for you, Grayson. I protected you without even knowing why. Don’t I deserve to know what I’m protecting you from?"
"Yes." His voice drops. "You do. But—"
"But what?"
He looks at me, and something in his eyes stops me cold.
Fear. I’ve never seen it on him before.
"He’s the reason I can’t let this go any further," Grayson says.
"Let what go further?"
"Us." The word comes out rough. "Whatever this is becoming. I can’t let it continue. Not with him here."
"Are you serious?" The hurt rises faster than I can stop it. "You’re going to push me away again? Without any explanation?"
"I’m trying to protect you."
"I’m already hurt!" The words burst out. "You keep pulling away without telling me why. You almost kiss me and then walk away. You hold my hand like it means everything, and then act like it doesn’t. I’m already hurt, Grayson. So you might as well just tell me the truth."
He stares at me. Conflict written across every line of his face.
For a moment I think he’s going to tell me. Right here, next to the woodpile.
But he shakes his head.
"Tonight," he says quietly. "Please. Give me until tonight."
I stare at him for a long moment. Long enough that he has to hold my gaze and not look away.
"Tonight," I say. "And then I want everything."
I turn and walk inside.
The door closes behind me.
I press my back against it, the business card still in my hand.
Andrew Chen. Board member. Evervolt Technologies.
Whatever Grayson is hiding, it’s big enough that someone flew to Maple Glen to find him. Big enough that even Grayson is scared.
I look down at the card.
I know exactly what I have to do.