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“I do.” He groaned, running an agitated hand through his hair. “I do, but I can protect you both. I know the note freaked you out, but there’s no reason for you to be afraid.”
He was fighting for me, which made this even harder.
“He’s already gone after us once, Ryan,” I whispered. “I can’t risk him doing it again. I’m sorry.”
“Sam, please, let’s not be hasty about this.”
“Ryan, I’m not saying this is the end of things. Once he’s been caught, we can revisit how to move forward.”
He opened his mouth, clearly wanting to argue the point further, but I held up a hand and shook my head.
“You’re not going to change my mind, Ryan. I’m sorry. Henry has to come first.”
He stared at me another moment before finally releasing a sigh of defeat.
“All right,” he murmured. “I get it. I do. I hate that I’ve put you and Henry in this position. I’ve messed everything up again.”
I reached up and cupped the side of his face.
“You haven’t messed anything up,” I assured him. “This isn’t your fault. I promise, this isn’t the end of things. But for now, maybe Henry and I should go to my parents’ house.”
He looked crestfallen, and it broke my heart.
“You don’t have to go,” he mumbled. “It’s late. If you want, you can have one of the other bedrooms.”
The last thing I wanted was to sleep alone after being in his arms, but I knew it was for the best if I was going to maintain this distance.
“Okay,” I agreed and nodded. “That’s probably a good idea.”
He sighed again and took my hand. “Follow me.”
I let him lead me up the stairs and to a different bedroom, knowing deep down that I wasn’t going to get much more sleep that night, anyway.
Chapter twenty-five
Ryan
I tossed and turned the rest of the night, my bed feeling oddly cold and empty without Sam in it. When I finally gave up on sleep and got up, I made my way down the hall to Sam’s room, but when I looked inside, she wasn’t there. I wasn’t surprised. Disappointed, yes, but not surprised. I didn’t bother to check Henry’s room. Sam wouldn’t have left him behind.
I knew that there was nothing I could do about her decision at present. She had every right to make it, but I was terrified by what it could mean in the long-term. Would she ultimately decide to cut me out of their lives again because I complicated things too much? She hadn’t asked for any of this. My life came with risks, and it wasn’t fair of me to force them onto Sam and Henry.
I was frustrated beyond belief, but with myself, not with her. If I had stayed seven years ago, none of this would be happening. Henry would know I was his father, and Sam and I…was it too much to imagine we might have been married by now? Living happily together as a family?
The thought made my chest ache and my shoulders heavy with regret.
At that moment, I heard my phone ring. I made my way back to my room and picked it up.
It was Jason.
“Hey, man,” I said, answering the call. “What’s up?”
“Oh, thank God you’re awake,” Jason declared. “Are you still at home? You haven’t left already, have you?”
“I’m still home,” I answered. “Do you need something?”
“Yeah, I just got a call from the florist, and they need someone to pick up the flowers right now. Something about a funeral order needing the space, I’m not sure. Can you get them before you come to the church?”
“Sure, no problem,” I told him. “I’ll get dressed and go right now.”
