Page 67 of Stuck with my Mechanic Daddies

I met her gaze, steady and sure. “Then we find out the truth.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Aurora

I needed air.This was too much.

I stood from the couch, my pulse thudding in my ears. The room felt smaller than it had a moment ago, like the walls were closing in.

I barely knew my uncle. I had no idea he’d had a falling out with the Grady family.

And now, somehow, I was right in the middle of whatever mess he’d left behind.

Why did he do this to me?

The key sat cold and heavy in my palm, but my mind was still tangled up in everything else. Last night, the way I felt, the waytheyfelt.

Ethan. Owen. Mason.

I’d never imagined something like this was possible.

But last night had been perfect. Terrifyingly perfect.

And now, in the harsh light of morning, I didn’t know what to do with any of it.

I needed space.

I set the key down carefully on the coffee table. “I should go back to the inn.” My voice was steadier than I felt. “I need a little time to clear my head.”

Owen straightened from where he was leaning against the table. “I'll drive you.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but the look in his eyes told me there was no point. Stubborn as ever.

Ethan’s jaw tensed, but he didn’t argue. Mason just rubbed at his neck like he was working through his own frustration.

I grabbed my bag and followed Owen outside, the cool morning air hitting me like a reset button.

I climbed into the truck, staring out the window as we pulled onto the road. Silence stretched between us.

Owen was the first to break it. “Are you okay?”

I turned toward him, my fingers twisting in my lap. “I don’t know.”

“I get it.” His grip on the steering wheel tightened.

I let out a breath. “Do you?”

His eyes flicked toward me before returning to the road.

“Yeah.” He was quiet for a beat. “Last night was different. I don’t think any of us expected it, but itwasreal.”

Something in my chest clenched. “That's what scares me.”

Owen nodded, like he understood. Maybe he did.

The Medford Inn came into view, its old brick exterior solid and familiar. He pulled into the parking lot, putting the truck in park but making no move to shut it off.

When I reached for the door handle, he caught my wrist, his touch firm but gentle. “Aurora.”

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