Page 37 of Stranded with the Resort Owner

Because now I see it—the guilt. The war inside him that he's been barely keeping in check. Not rage. Not regret over wanting me.

But over what he became in the wanting.

And still, I can't let it end here.

Not without asking.

"Is there any way…" I pause, swallow, and find the courage. "Any way we could come back from it?"

The question hangs there between us. Heavy. Naked.

His face doesn't change, not much—but his shoulders rise, just slightly, as if the effort of holding himself together suddenly doubled.

And then, he shakes his head once. Just once.

"It's too little." He says, voice tight. "Too late."

The words land like a door slamming shut.

Not in anger. Not even sadness.

Just finality.

I nod slowly, the weight of his words sinking through my skin and into my bones.

The words are final.

And they hollow me out in one clean sweep.

I nod slowly, throat burning. "So that's it then? We pretend it didn't happen?"

He doesn't answer right away.

He stares past me like he's afraid that if he looks again, he'll come undone, too.

"No. We don't pretend." He meets my gaze. His voice softens. "We remember exactly what it was. And we leave it where it belongs."

The ache in my chest pulses.

I force a nod. "Okay."

For a long moment, we sit there—quiet, breathing the same air, watching the fire crackle and cast golden shadows along the stone hearth.

Then Lucas leans forward and downs the last sip of his wine. He refills his glass first, then gestures toward mine. I nod. He pours.

When he settles beside me again, his shoulder brushes mine—close, but not quite touching.

He stares into the fire for a beat before speaking.

"Where'd it start?" His voice is soft. Curious, not confrontational. "This need to be perfect all the time?"

I blink, caught off guard by the question. By the fact that he's not pushing, not dissecting—but genuinely wants to understand.

"I don't know." I admit, curling my fingers around the warmth of my glass. "Maybe… always? It was just easier. To get praise. To avoid conflict. To be useful."

He nods like he understands more than he lets on.

"So you became the one who holds it all together."

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