Page 23 of Echo’s Secret

"But you're considering it now," I say. "With me."

"I'm not considering it. I'm doing it." He turns to face me. "Hannah, you came to me with our son. You asked for help. I gave it. That's not charity or obligation or me being nice. That's me taking care of my family. And I don't do things halfway."

"I know."

"So yeah. I'm talking about a future. Where you and Theo stay in Millhaven for good. Where I'm part of his life every day. Where we figure out what we are to each other without running away from it."

"What if I run again?" The question comes out barely above a whisper. "What if I get scared and sabotage everything like I always do?"

"Then I'll let you go. I won't chase you. I won't force you to stay." His voice stays steady. "But I won't disappear either. You'll know exactly where to find me when you're ready to come back."

"That's terrifying."

"Why?"

"Because it means you're not going to leave first. Which means I have to trust that you'll stay. And I've never trusted anyone to stay."

Wesley steps closer. Reaches up and brushes a strand of hair out of my face. His fingers are rough but gentle. "I'm not asking you to trust me completely right now. I'm asking you to try. One day at a time. Stay today. We'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here."

One day at a time. I can do that. Maybe.

"Okay," I say. "One day at a time."

"Good."

We stand there for a moment, close enough that I can feel the heat coming off his body. Close enough that if I leaned forward just slightly, I could kiss him.

I don't. Not yet. We're not there yet.

But maybe we will be.

"Tell me something," I say instead. "Something about you I don't know. Something you've never told anyone."

"I have nightmares. Not every night. But a few times a week. About Sacred Heart. About aging out with nothing. About being alone again."

The confession surprises me. Wesley never talks about fear. Never shows vulnerability. But he's showing it now.

"What happens in the nightmares?" I ask.

"Different things. Sometimes I'm back there and I can't leave. Sometimes I'm alone in a city that doesn't want me. Sometimes everyone I care about disappears and I'm the last one left." He pauses. "I wake up and have to remind myself where I am. That I have brothers. A home. A club. That I'm not alone anymore."

"I have nightmares too," I tell him. "About Theo dying. About not being able to save him. About being completely powerless while he slips away."

"Those stop after the surgery," Wesley tells me. "Once he's better. Once you know he's safe."

"How do you know?"

"Because fear needs something to feed on. Once Theo is healthy, your fear won't have anywhere to go."

I hope he's right. God, I hope he's right.

A breeze picks up, ruffling my hair. Wesley doesn't move. Just stands there solid and steady like he's a part of the landscape. Like he's been here forever and will be here forever.

I look out at Millhaven again. During my previous visits, I stayed on the outskirts. Never felt like I belonged here. Never felt like I could belong anywhere, really. Just passed through, never leaving tracks, never hoping for more than temporary.

But from up here, the city looks different. Like somewhere a person could put down roots. Build a life. Stay.

"I never felt like I belonged here, you know? I was just visiting. Just passing through."