Page 78 of Tides of Change
Noah let out a small breath, and relief settled onto his narrow shoulders. Then, without hesitation, he turned and ran down the hall. I blinked, caught off guard, until he returned seconds later, clutching a stuffed animal—a well-loved, slightly floppy sea lion. He held it out to me with serious eyes.
“This is Flippy. He helps when you’re sick. You can borrow him.”
A lump formed in my throat as my fingers closed around the plush fabric. “Thanks, kiddo.”
Noah nodded, seemingly satisfied, and ran off to play with his cars.
Harper stepped forward then, worry etched in every line of her face. “How are you feeling?” She reached out as if she wanted to touch my arm, then seemed to think better of it.
I forced a small smile. “Like I got hit with an oar and almost drowned.”
Her lips pressed together, and Garrett shot me a look. “Not funny,” he muttered.
“A little funny,” I countered, but my voice was raw.
Harper exhaled, then gestured toward the kitchen. “I made chicken noodle soup. Thought it might help warm you up.”
Warm.Would I ever be warm again?
Still, I nodded gratefully, and Garrett led me to the table with his hand on the small of my back. The smell of fresh rolls and steaming broth filled the air and wrapped around me like anembrace. It felt like it had been so long since we’d first sat down for dinner weeks ago. The simple family supper comforted me.
Garrett pulled out a chair for me. Harper ladled soup into a bowl and set it at my place. Noah climbed onto his chair across the table. He watched me closely, as if to make sure I was okay.
I wrapped my hands around the warm ceramic and let the heat seep into my fingers. For the first time since the cave, I felt something like safety.
The night pressed against the windows, the storm long gone, but its echoes still lived inside me. My body remained tense, my mind unwilling to let go of the past night and day. Curled up against Garrett in his king-sized bed, wrapped in the safety of his arms, I couldn’t shake the feeling that if I closed my eyes, I’d wake up drowning.
My head rested against his chest, and I listened to the steady, reassuring beat of his heart. The warmth of his body was a stark contrast to the icy grip of the sea from earlier. I knew I should sleep—I was beyond exhausted, physically wrecked, emotionally drained—but fear had me in its hold.
I swallowed hard and stared at the darkened room. “I think I’ll have nightmares for years,” I whispered.
Garrett’s arms tightened around me.
I squeezed my eyes shut, emotion thick in my throat. Relief crashed over me again—the same overwhelming, suffocating relief that I was still here, still breathing, still alive. I had thought, more than once, that I wouldn’t make it out of that cave. That the tide would take me under before Garrett could reach me.
“I shouldn’t be here,” I murmured, and guilt settled heavily in my chest. “You’re a single dad. You had Noah to think about. You shouldn’t have?—”
Garrett cut me off by tilting my chin up and forcing me to meet his gaze in the low light. His touch was firm but gentle. “Don’t. Don’t you dare blame yourself. Finch did this. Not you. And I’d do it all again to protect you. Save you.”
His conviction made my breath hitch. I wanted to believe him. But deep down, the fear lingered.
I turned my face into his chest and inhaled familiar scents—warm skin, fresh body wash, and fabric softener. His presence, his steadiness, was the only thing keeping me tethered to the present instead of spiraling.
“I’m glad I’m here with you,” I admitted quietly. “I don’t think I could be alone in my house. Not yet.”
Garrett exhaled softly and his finger traced soothing patterns over my back. “You don’t have to be. Stay as long as you need.”
The words settled something deep inside me. I wasn’t a burden to him. I wasn’t an obligation. He wanted me here.
Garrett’s hand slid up to tangle gently in my hair, as if he needed the reassurance just as much as I did. He held me closer, and his lips brushed over the top of my head in a quiet, unspoken promise.
But safety wasn’t the only thing keeping me in his arms. The warmth between us, the way he held me like I was something he didn’t want to lose—it wasn’t just comfort. It was something more. Something real.
At least, it was for me.
I hesitated before whispering, “Garrett, do you still want this? Us? Now that the danger is over?”
He pulled back just enough to look at me, his expression unreadable. “Is that what you think? That I only wanted you because I needed to protect you?”
