Page 17 of Nolan

"It is when there's a three-year-old involved," I counter, my voice sharper than intended. "Ashlynn loves her. What happens if things go south? I'm not putting my daughter through losing another mother figure."

Silence falls over the group, each of us nursing our beers, the only sound the distant chirping of crickets and the soft hum of the night.

"You know," Weston says eventually, "when Melanie left me, I thought that was it. Game over. But she came back. What's meant to be will find its way back."

I shake my head, unconvinced. "Melanie left because y'all were so fucking young. Lisa left because she didn't want to be a mother. Big difference."

"I'm not talking about Lisa," Vaughn says gently. "I'm talking about Annabelle. If you two are meant to be together, you'll find a way to make it work."

"And if we're not?" I challenge. "If we try and it falls apart? Ashlynn's the one who pays the price."

"Or maybe you're using Ashlynn as an excuse because you're scared," Boone suggests, earning himself a glare.

"I'm not scared of anything except hurting my daughter."

"Bullshit again," Boone says, leaning forward. "You're scared of getting hurt yourself. After what Lisa did, walking out on you and Ash, how could you not be? But Annabelle isn't Lisa."

I drain my beer, feeling the alcohol warm my veins but do nothing to fill the emptiness in my chest. "Doesn't matter now anyway. We agreed to take a step back."

"So un-agree," Weston says, as if it's the simplest thing in the world. He throws the bottle cap of his beer into the fire. "Talk to her."

"It's not that simple."

"Nothing worth having ever is," Vaughn says, his voice carrying the wisdom of someone who's fought for his own happiness and won.

I look around at my friends, these men who've become my family when my own parents were too wrapped up in their new lives with their new spouses to care about their son and granddaughter. Weston, who found his way back to his wife after nearly losing her. Vaughn, who took a chance, much like I want to. Boone, who unabashedly loves his wife, and who did the single dad thing way before I even thought about it.

Without them, I'd be lost. Without Annabelle, I'm beginning to realize, I might be too.

"I'm going to be alone the rest of my life, aren't I?" The question slips out, more vulnerable than I'd like, but the beer and the weight of the day have loosened my tongue.

"Not a chance," Boone says confidently. "You've got us. Always will."

"And you've got a woman who cares about you and your daughter," Vaughn adds. "Don't let fear make this decision for you, Nolan."

I stare out at the darkening yard, thinking of Annabelle, the way she smiles, the gentle way she handles Ashlynn, the fire in her eyes when we argued this morning. Taking a step back was the sensible choice, the responsible choice.

But as the night deepens and my friends' words sink in, I can't help but wonder if it was the right one.

"Maybe," I concede finally, reaching for another beer. "But for tonight, I'm just glad I have you guys."

"Always," Weston promises, raising his bottle in a toast. "Family doesn't end with blood."

We clink bottles, the sound ringing out into the night like a promise. Whatever happens with Annabelle, I'm not facing italone. And maybe, just maybe, that's enough courage to fight for what I really want.

CHAPTER TEN

Annabelle

Annabelle

Fourteen days of smiles that don't quite reach his eyes. Fourteen nights of lying awake, replaying that hot as fuck couch make out session over and over in my mind until I've memorized every millisecond of it.

"Hand me the blue crayon, please," Ashlynn says, her little fingers reaching across the table. Her artwork, what she proudly calls a butterfly, is a kaleidoscope of colors that don't stay within any lines.

"Here you go, sweetie." I pass her the crayon, watching as she grips it in her tiny fist, her tongue poking out in concentration. These moments with her are my sanctuary now, the only times when I'm not acutely aware of the awkwardness hanging between Nolan and me.

We've been dancing around each other since that night. Polite conversation at breakfast. Brief updates about Ashlynn before he leaves for work. Texts instead of calls when he's running late. The distance grows with each passing day, and I feel him slipping away.

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