Page 215 of At First Catch

“They want controlling partnership rights.”

The words hit like ice water.

I stare at him, not fully processing what he’s just said.

Because surely…surely, Nolan wouldn’t actually…

“You said no,” I whisper automatically.

Silence. Long enough to hollow me out completely.

“Nolan.”

He exhales harshly toward the floor. “I haven’t signed anything.”

“But you’re considering it.” The softness in my voice makes the whole thing worse because I’m not angry yet. Just heartbroken.

A slow break forms in my chest as the understanding dawns.

Nolan steps toward me instinctively.

“Hads, listen to me.”

“No.” My voice shakes unexpectedly. “No, because I am listening.”

Emotion rises painfully now.

“For weeks, you’ve been talking about how much this town and this marina mean to you. About community and belonging and finally having a home.” My throat tightens sharply. “And now you’re willing to hand pieces of it over because you’re scared.”

Guilt flashes openly across his face at the truth of my words. But underneath it? Defensiveness. Which causes my stomach to drop.

Now, right in front of us is the line we’ve finally reached.

Nolan’s fear versus mine.

“What am I supposed to do?” he asks roughly. “Watch the marina collapse because I was too sentimental to make hard decisions?”

Pain flashes hot through my chest.

“You think this is just sentiment?” I whisper.

Nolan looks away, and that hurts even worse because I know what that means. Part of him already believes he has to sacrifice pieces of himself to survive this.

Rain lashes harder against the cottage windows while silence crashes painfully between us.

Then finally Nolan says, “I’m trying to protect what we built.”

Emotion surges so hard through me it almost steals my breath.

I stare at the man I love standing in my kitchen, looking exhausted enough to collapse and terrified enough to destroy himself trying to save everything around him.

Suddenly, I’m struck by such profound grief that breathing becomes a physical struggle.

This isn’t a man who stopped loving me. This is a man so terrified of losing everything that fear has started reshaping the way he loves entirely.

“You keep saying you’re protecting us,” I whisper. “But every time things get harder, you move further away from me emotionally.”

Nolan stills at the honesty.