Isaw Griffin for less than fifteen seconds—only the side of his face. But that was enough to know how tense he was—shoulders stiff, jaw tight. Just enough for me to know I still loved him. That every inch of my body yearned to be with him. From my fingernails to the very center of my soul.
But I couldn’t. Even if it were safe to stay, he would never want me now.
The life I would’ve had if DayGlow had never gotten their hooks in me played out in my mind. Griffin wouldn’t be showing up to meet Weston for the first time with his parents and James. He would’ve been here all along. During labor, he would’ve done the stupid Lamaze breathing with me. We would’ve wept together when Weston was finally born. And at this moment, maybe he would’ve leaned down and kissed me before saying, “I’m going to grab the car seat.” And then the three of us would’ve gone home. Together. A real family.
I’d told myself I’d stay until he left with Weston, just to make sure. But watching that vision dissolve was more than I could take. Seeing Griffin and Weston head home without me? I couldn’t watchthat.
I had to gonow.
Had to leave Honeyville, Seddledowne, Virginia, all of it…
Heck, I had to leave the United States.
DayGlow wouldn’t let go of me until I was lost somewhere in a third-world country. Maybe I’d build myself a sad little driftwood hut on a beach in some exotic town no one’s ever heard of, politely decline all offers of food, and sit with my feet in the water until I shriveled up and died. I didn’t care. Without Weston and Griff, what was the point?
I picked up my bag. Clutching the straps, I looked toward the Birthing Center. Toward Weston. “Your daddy’s got you now, little one.” I blew my baby a kiss. “I love you. Forever.” I swallowed my sobs. Then I slipped off the stool, crying too hard to see straight.
Not a soul had given me a second look since I’d come out of the restroom, and no one noticed me now. As I made my way toward the front exit, I’d never been more grateful to blend in.
But as the sliding doors opened, and I walked out into the sunshine, someone stepped in my way.
My throat closed, and my body locked up, certain Cecil had found me.
But it was Ford.
“Hi, Juliette,” he said casually, but his determined expression told the truth. He was there for one reason: to make sure I didn’t get away.
I stumbled back. The sliding doors whooshed open behind me. I turned to bolt inside… and slammed straight into a wall of muscle.
“Hey, now,” Jeff said, hands up. “Griffin just wants to talk to you.”
What?
I couldn’t face Griff. Not after everything I’d done.
“No. Ineedto go.” Spinning to the right, I tried to fakeout Ford, cutting immediately left—making my head woozy. But he was faster.
His arms hooked around me. “Jules—stop.” Eyes closed, trying not to faint, I kicked and squirmed. But he held firm. “You need to talk to Griff. Don’t you think you at least owe him that?”
“I can’t,” I said. “I can’t!”
“We’ve got her,” Jeff said behind me. Who was he talking to? “But she’s putting up a fight. I’m worried she’s going to hurt herself.”
He was right. I shouldn’t have been flailing like this, not with how tender everything was—but the panic wouldn’t let me stop. I twisted around to look at Jeff, hard enough to drag Ford with me.
Jeff was on the phone. “Okay. I’m putting you on speaker.”
“Jules?” Griffin’s voice caught me in the center of my chest, heart fluttering the same way it had at fourteen. “I need you to come back inside so I can talk to you.”
“No.” I sobbed. “Please don’t make me. I can’t see Weston. I can’t.” If I saw him again, I’d never leave.
I could scream and get the security guard’s attention, but I couldn’t do that to them. The whole point of disappearing was to protect these people I loved so much. Not have them arrested.
“I’mgoingto talk to you,” Griffin said. “And the babywillbe with me. There’s a Dupree at every entrance of the hospital. A couple of Bishops too.” Sure enough, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Blue thirty feet to my left and Liam forty feet to my right. I couldn’t outrun either of them on a good day, when I wasn’t recovering from childbirth. “So you can either come in here—” Griff said, “—where we have some privacy, or I’ll come out there, and we can do this in front of my family. Your choice.”
Those words landed hard, and I slumped. “Fine,” I whimpered. “I’ll come inside.”
“Good choice,” Griffin said. “See you in a minute.”
