Page 40 of Make Me Yours
A memory flashed—Monique leaning forward in her office, voice steady but not unkind.‘You can’t build a future from unhealed ground, Sawyer. It doesn’t hold.’
I’d brushed her off then. I couldn’t right now.
“I want to be the man you deserve,” I said, meeting Lilly’s eyes. “But right now, I need help figuring out how.”
Her breath caught, and for a second, I thought she might cry. But Lilly, being Lilly, didn’t. She just nodded, eyes bright and shining in the dim light. “Then do that,” she whispered. “Just… don’t disappear.”
The words sounded more grounded than I expected. She wasn’t asking for everything—just not to be left behind without a word.
I tightened my grip on her hand for a moment, memorizing the warmth in her fingers. Then, slowly, I brushed my thumb across her knuckles.
“I won’t,” I said. And even though I meant it, I knew that stepping back—getting my head right—was the only way I’d ever be able to come back to her for real.
When I finally let go, her hand felt colder than before.
Sunny padded to the door as I stepped out, tail hanging low, eyes tracking me like she knew something was off. She didn’t wag this time—just sat there, ears tilted, the picture of quiet worry.
I turned back once. Lilly stood in the hallway, and the light behind her made a halo around her head. She was holding the test again like proof of something neither of us knew how to name yet.
“I’ll call you later,” I muttered. “As soon as I make the appointment with Monique, I’ll let you know.”
She nodded, a small, tired smile flickering across her face. “Okay.”
For a beat, neither of us said anything else. The air between us felt like that thin line you cross when you’re leaving base—one step and there’s no turning back.
Sunny gave a soft whine, and I reached down to scratch behind her ears. “Look after her for me, huh?” I murmured.
Then I straightened, shoved my hands into my pockets, and forced myself down the steps. The midday sun hit me full in the face, so bright it made my eyes water.
This isn’t a retreat,I told myself.It’s regrouping.
Still, by the time I reached the truck, my chest was pounding so hard it felt like it might crack open. I wasn’t sure if it was fear, hope, or both—but for the first time in a long time, it felt like something worth fighting for.
Chapter Seventeen
Something Worth Saving
Lilly
The morning light was pale, early gold, making everything feel softer than it really was. I pulled into my usual spot outsideBloom & Vineand sat for a moment with my hands still on the wheel. Emma had followed me from my cabin, and her car pulled in right behind mine. A second later, she climbed out, her messy bun and oversized sunglasses making her look more put-together than I felt.
She leaned on her car door and called, “You sure you’re up for this?”
I managed a tired smile. “Work’s the one thing I understand right now.”
“Yeah,” she said, closing her door with a solid thump. “You and your flowers—therapy with stems.”
Sunny trotted out from the backseat, tail wagging. She gave a little shake, as if brushing off the heaviness that still clung to me, and followed us toward the shop.
The key turned easily in the lock, the familiar click echoing in the stillness. Emma flicked on the lights while I disarmed the alarm, and the glow spread slowly through the small space. The smell of the flowers and plants hit me first. It was like stepping into another version of myself, one that knew where everything belonged.
Emma glanced around, taking in the scattered buckets and half-filled orders I’d left on Friday. “You really are the only person I know who finds comfort in cutting things apart for a living.”
I laughed quietly, grateful for her attempt to lighten the mood. “Everything here has a place. A purpose. If I can’t fix the rest of my life, at least I can make sure the tulips face the right direction.”
“That’s the florist version of control issues,” she said, teasing but gentle.
I grinned faintly. “Probably.”
