Page 115 of Stuck with my Mechanic Daddies

And then I felt it, the slight shake of her shoulders.

A quiet sniffle.

I tightened my arms around her, resting my chin against the top of her head. “You don’t have to carry all of this on your own, Aurora.”

She didn’t answer, but her hand curled into my shirt, holding onto me like I was the only thing keeping her together.

We stayed like that until the stars blurred, until the weight in her chest seemed just a little bit lighter.

And when she finally pulled back, eyes still a little red but her breath steadier, I reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Better?” I asked softly.

She gave me a look that was part exasperation, part gratitude. “You're impossible.”

I grinned. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

She shook her head, letting out a soft laugh, and I finally saw something in her eyes that wasn’t exhaustion.

It was hope.

And I swore, right then and there, that I’d do whatever it took to keep it there.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Aurora

I wokeup to the sound of water lapping against the shore. For a moment, I forgot where I was.

The air was crisp, the scent of pine and damp earth filling my lungs as I blinked against the soft morning light.

Owen’s truck was parked a few feet away, the blanket we’d laid out still tangled around me.

And then there washim… sitting nearby, coffee in hand, watching the lake like he’d been up for hours.

Memories of the night before came rushing back.

The safe. The documents. The truth about Hank’s family.

And Owen, pulling me away from all of it when I didn’t even realize how much I needed to breathe.

But something was different now.

That crushing weight? It wasn’t gone, but it wasn’t suffocating me anymore.

I sat up, stretching my sore limbs. Owen turned, his lips tilting in a small, knowing smile.

“How long have you been up?” I asked, my voice still thick with sleep.

“A while.” He offered me a cup of coffee from a Thermos, and I took it gratefully. “Didn’t want to wake you.”

I blew on the surface before taking a careful sip, the warmth seeping into me.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

“For this. For last night. For knowing I needed to get away before I did.”

His expression softened, but he didn’t say anything. He just reached over and brushed his fingers lightly against mine.

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