Page 62 of Dreams and Desires

I squeeze Jacob’s hand, feeling a lump form in my throat. “I’m going back to the cabin,” I tell him. “But I’ll be back soon. You need anything while I’m gone?”

Jacob shakes his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “Just take care of yourself, Juniper. And... thanks, Zade.”

Zade nods, his gaze softening as he looks at Jacob. “You don’t have to thank me, Jacob.”

We exchange a few final words, and then it’s time to leave. I grab my bag from the corner of the room, shoving the last of my things inside. As we head downstairs, I see my parents waiting in the living room.

My mom’s eyes zero in on my packed bag, and a cruel smile curves her lips. “Finally. Maybe now this town can breathe. Go back to your old life since Jacob’s out of the woods.”

She turns to Zade, her voice dripping with venom. “And you—you need to get out of our lives, too. Haven’t you done enough damage?”

The fury inside me ignites, blazing hot. Zade is the reason their son is alive, and this is how they repay him?

My dad crosses his arms, a sneer pulling at his mouth. “We never want to see you again, Juniper. Don’t bother coming back.”

I open my mouth, ready to unleash everything I’ve been holding back, but Zade steps forward, giving me a subtle shake of his head. He doesn’t want me to spill the truth. Not yet.

He shifts his gaze between my parents. “You two are so blinded by your own bitterness that you can’t see what’s right in front of you. You’re selfish, toxic, and utterly failing as parents. You should be ashamed, but instead, you stand here and throw insults? Your daughter, your son—those are the only things you’ve done right in your entire miserable lives. And you should be grateful.”

Zade takes another step forward, his eyes burning with barely contained anger. “You treat your daughter like she’s nothing, but let me tell you, she’s everything you’re not. She’s strong, she’s kind, and she’s loving. She’s more than enough, and you don’t deserve her.”

My dad’s face flushes with rage, but I don’t let him get a word in. I grab Zade’s hand, pulling him toward the door. “Let’s go. They’re not worth our time.”

As we reach the door, my dad’s voice echoes behind us, laced with hate. “Don’t you ever come back here, Juniper!”

I stop, turning to face them one last time. My tone is cold and unyielding.“Don’t worry, I won’t. And you know what? You two can go to hell. I’m done bending over backward to earn your approval. Once Jacob’s back on his feet, he’s going to leave you, too. And then you’ll both be exactly where you belong—alone.”

With that, I turn away, Zade’s hand firmly in mine, leaving my parents standing there, speechless. For once, it feels like freedom.

We walk to the car in silence, the tension between us simmering just beneath the surface. As we get in, the engine hums to life, and we start driving away from the house, leaving the confrontation and the hurt behind.

As we drive, the rain pounds against the windshield. I can’t help but let out a frustrated sigh. “Why the hell has it started raining so much in Cody? This place was never about rain—more of a snow town, really.”

Zade glances over, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “Rain’s good. I like rain,” he says.

I can’t even muster a reply. My thoughts are spinning around him—he defended me and stood up to my parents like he had nothing to lose. But how the hell am I supposed to get past the fact that he betrayed me? When I needed him the most, he just wasn’t there. The storm outside feels like it’s echoing the mess inside me.

Zade. The man who saved my brother, who just fought for me like I couldn’t fight for myself, but he’s also the one who broke me and then discarded me like I was nothing. How can I let him in again, knowing what he’s capable of?

I want to hate him. Ishouldhate him. But there’s a part of me that doesn’t. A part that wants to believe there’s still good in him. But I can’t forget the pain he caused and the way he shattered my trust.

I feel torn between what I want and what I know is right. How can I trust him when I can’t even trust my own feelings?

Suddenly, the car sputters and jerks, pulling me out of my thoughts. Zade curses under his breath as we come to a stop on the side of the road.

“Great,” I mutter, frustration rising as I realize we’re stranded in the middle of nowhere, with only the storm for company.

Zade pulls out his phone, his jaw tight, as he checks for a signal. Luckily, there’s a connection since we’re not too deep in the area. He quickly calls his driver, giving instructions to bring another car and a mechanic to fix the one we're in. Once he’s done, he tosses the phone aside and leans back in his seat, his eyes never leaving me.

The air inside the car feels charged. The storm outside is nothing compared to the one brewing within these walls. I can feel his gaze on me.

“You know you can’t avoid this forever.” His words stay quiet but land heavy, charged with an edge I don’t understand yet.

“Avoid what?” I ask, my voice defensive.

“Us. Everything that happened between us that night.”

“I don't want to talk about it,” I snap, turning to look out the window.

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