She stops for a brief moment, looking at me over her shoulder.
“The daughter I raised was fearless. There was no obstacle she couldn’t overcome when it meant enough to her. I don’t know when running away became your default, but I think you’ll find problems have a way of following you. A change of scenery won’t change that.”
“Maybe not. But at least I won’t have to watch the man I love raise a child with a woman I can’t stand,” I retort, voice tight as I fight to keep my emotions in check.
“Then I hope you can live with yourself for letting her win.” With that, she exits the kitchen.
Her words spin in my head for several hours as I pack, unpack, and then pack again. I want to leave. I want to hop in an Uber and tell them to drive. I want to leave Wren Cove so far in the rearview mirror that this town and everyone in it become a distant memory.
But doing so without telling Penn...
He deserves to know.
He deserves a proper goodbye.
And while saying goodbye to him a second time might be even harder than the first, I owe him that much.
So, before I can change my mind, I type out a quick message—we need to talk—and hit send.
His reply doesn’t come right away, but when it finally does, it simply reads:I’ll be on Northern Star for the next hour.
Without responding, I slip on my shoes and head for the door, not bothering to ask my mom if I can borrow her car before snagging her keys from the table next to the front door.
The drive to the docks is a tense one, the rocks in my stomach multiplying a hundredfold in the ten minutes it takes me to get there.
It’s late evening, so it’s quiet when I arrive. With most of the ships already out on the water for the night or several nights depending on the vessel, Northern Star stands out like a beacon under the moonlight, almost as if it’s calling me home.
Home.
I’m not even sure what that word means anymore.
My steps feel weighted, like my shoes are filled with lead.
Still, I put one foot in front of the other, forcing myself to keep moving forward.
By the time I reach the ship, my heart is beating a million miles a minute in my chest, pounding so hard against my rib cage that I can feel the impact vibrate throughout my entire body.
One step. Another and then another until I’m climbing the gangway.
And then suddenly, there he is. Back to me, looking out over the water, the sky and ocean the perfect backdrop to his broad shoulders and silky dark hair.
He hears me come onboard, I know he does, but he doesn’t turn to look at me.
I cross the deck, lungs burning like I’ve just run a marathon.
When I come to a stop next to him, looking out over the dark water, I’m not sure which is easier, opening my mouth to speak or simply throwing myself overboard and letting the sea sweep me away forever.
I don’t know how long we stand there, the ocean lapping around the boat the only sound, before Penn finally breaks the silence between us.
“I named her after you.” His voice is so full of emotion it nearly breaks me wide open.
“Huh?” I don’t immediately follow.
“You once asked me what she was named after—Northern Star. I named her after you.” When he turns to face me, I suck in a hard breath at the sight of him. Eyes dark. Skin pale. He looks like he hasn’t slept in two days.
“After me?” I finally manage to push the words out.
“You were always my northern star, the one thing that would always lead me home. Because you are my home, LV. You always have been.” When he reaches for my hand, I don’t pull away. “When you wouldn’t answer my calls, I thought... I thought you left.”
