He took a long swig of his beer, shook his head once, and then said quietly, “I really thought this was it. I truly believed…”
He stopped himself, exhaled, and gave a shrug that sliced through her. “You know what? I’m good. Nothing more to do here. You can leave.”
Her throat closed. “Wait, what did you mean by‘I thought this was it’?”
He didn’t answer. Didn’t even look at her. He just tipped the bottle back, emptied it, and walked past her, brushing her shoulder as he went.
Odd. Disconcerting. But she understood. Matt’s arrival had hit him harder than he wanted to admit.
And she couldn’t blame him.
Daisy wanted—needed—to explain. But timing, as usual, was not their friend.
After packing up the gifts and settling Amelia into the car, they said their goodbyes and drove to her parents’ house to switch cars. Amelia chattered sleepily in the back, still riding her sugar high, and in disbelief that her wish had come true, all her favorite people, in one place.
Daisy nodded and smiled when she needed to, but her mind was spinning.
She’d texted Anna, asking her to be on standby, a soft landing for when everything inevitably fell apart. Instead, Daisy invited Matt over.
Too much had happened in one day. Too much left unsaid.
By the time she tucked Amelia into bed, the house felt heavy with silence. Daisy sat at the kitchen table, fingers tangled in her hair, rehearsing what she needed to say and knowing there was no version of it that wouldn’t hurt.
When the knock came, she took a slow breath and opened the door.
“Hey, babe,” Matt said, smiling. He slipped off his shoes, leaned in, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. It was so familiar, so normal it almost broke her.
“She asleep?” he asked, nodding toward Amelia’s room.
“Yeah,” Daisy said softly, closing the door behind him. “It was a long day.”
“I bet. She was nonstop.” He smiled again, easy and open. “I’m happy to have some alone time with you, though.”
He took a few steps closer, his hands finding her shoulders, sliding gently down her arms. “I’ve missed you so much…”
Daisy stepped back, her voice trembling. “I can’t.”
Matt froze. “Can’t what?”
She squeezed her eyes shut, searching for courage. “I can’t be with you, Matt.”
The words hung between them, shaking in the air. Relief and regret collided so hard in her she almost passed out.
His jaw flexed, lips forming a thin, resigned line. “Because of him.”
It wasn’t a question.
Daisy nodded. “And because of me. You deserve so much more than what I can give you… than what Ihavegiven you.”
“But, Daisy,” he said, his voice cracking, “I want that. I’m fine with it, as long as I have you and Amelia.”
Her eyes filled. God, he loved them. That’s what made this so excruciating.
Then his expression shifted, realization dawning like a bruise purpling on his face. “Did you sleep with him?”
She blew out a breath, barely able to meet his eyes. “Yes.”
Matt’s head tilted back toward the ceiling. For a long, painful moment, he said nothing. The silence was so heavy Daisy could hear the clock ticking in the kitchen. Her throat burned from holding back another apology he surely didn’t want to hear.
