Page 32 of The Billionaire's Pawfect Match

“Happy?” The word feels foreign on my tongue. “What if he lets me down? What if he’s just like?—”

“Like your parents?” Jenn finishes softly, her hand finding mine.

I nod, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.

“A lot of people have that fear, whether they’re aware of it or not. But here’s the thing. Emily, you’re not your parents. And Isaac isn’t either.” She squeezes my hand, grounding me again. “You’re pushing him away because you’re scared.”

“Isn’t that… smart?” The question is a whisper, a plea for validation.

“Maybe. Or maybe it’s just safe.” Her voice is gentle, but her words cut deep. “But since when has playing it safe gotten you what you want?”

I want to argue, to tell her she’s wrong. That I’m fine with my life as it is, that all I need is friends and dogs. But the flutter in my heart at the thought of Isaac, the ache in my chest when I think about pushing him away; they betray me.

“Your parents let you down,” Jenn says, her voice a lifeline. “But that doesn’t mean everyone will. Don’t let their mistakes define your chances at happiness.”

Happiness, huh? It’s a slippery thing, hard to catch. Harder to hold.

“Take a chance, Em.” Her eyes hold a fierce kind of hope. “Don’t let fear decide your future.”

That fear wraps around me, a familiar cloak. But it’s threadbare now, worn thin by years of clinging to it. Maybe it’s time to shed it. To step out into the uncertainty, where possibilities can breathe.

“Maybe I’m tired of being afraid,” I admit, the words barely more than a breath.

“Then do something about it.” Her encouragement is a nudge, a call to action. “Text him back. See where it goes.”

The phone lies on the kitchen table, inert and unassuming. A bridge to something new, something terrifying and wonderful all at once. I stare at it, hesitant. Then, with a resolve that feels like the first step off a cliff, I get off the couch and grab it.

Tomorrow, I had said. But tomorrow is an excuse, a way to delay the inevitable.

“Tonight,” I decide, my thumbs moving over the keyboard with a tremor. “Tonight, I take the chance.”

Thank you,I type to Isaac, the words simple and true.Dinner was lovely.

I press send.

My heart races, but there’s a newfound lightness in my chest. A flutter of wings against the walls I’ve built so high. For the first time in a long while, I allow myself to hope. To dream of the joy that might be waiting on the other side of fear.

“Good?” Jenn asks, her smile infectious.

“Good,” I confirm, a matching smile breaking through.

“See?” She leans back, satisfied. “Not so scary.”

“Yeah,” I agree, though my racing heart might not.

CHAPTER 17

EMILY

My phone buzzes on the nightstand, a soft vibration that pulls me from the warmth of sleep. I reach for it, my heart still nestled in the quiet comfort of dawn.

It’s a text from Isaac. A response to my message last night?

Either way, my heart is already racing, and I hurry up and swipe the text open before the doubts can creep in. I’m doing what Jenn said — I’m jumping in, going for this. No matter how scary it is.

A picture pops up on the screen: Baxter, curled like a comma in a sea of white sheets, his furry body surrendered to slumber.Guess he wore me down,the message reads.

A smile tugs at my lips. This dog, with his stubborn streak and relentless charm, has managed to conquer the bed of the most disciplined man I know. It’s endearing, this small victory of my four-legged friend. And it’s stirring something within me — something warm, something hopeful.

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