Two Hearts

The Drive Home

Laura POV

When I woke up the next morning, I still couldn't believe how normal yesterday had been.

Well...

As normal as anything involving Daniel Carter could possibly be.

Yet the thing that lingered in my mind the most wasn't the walk on the beach. It wasn't Monopoly. It wasn't even our conversation.

It was the moment near the fireplace.

The moment when he had brushed away the drop of wine from the corner of my mouth. The way he'd looked at me afterward. The way the air between us had changed.

For one brief second, I had genuinely thought he was going to kiss me again.

And the most terrifying part? I wasn't sure I would have stopped him. Maybe I even wanted him to. That realization alone was enough to make my head hurt.

Because with Daniel, nothing was ever simple.

Nothing.

I got dressed and headed downstairs.

Daniel was already in the kitchen. Of course he was. A mug of coffee sat in front of him while another waited for me. The sight felt strangely domestic.

Dangerously domestic.

"You’re probably drinking your black poison again," I said as I sat down.

One corner of his mouth twitched.

"Good morning to you too." Then he pointed at my cup. "And yet you're drinking it."

I looked down.

Annoyingly, he had a point. I took a sip anyway. He looked entirely too pleased with himself.

I rolled my eyes.

Some things never changed. And strangely enough, I didn't mind. Not anymore.

Despite everything we'd talked about the day before, Daniel still felt distant. Not cold. Not hostile.

Just... guarded.

As if he'd opened a door for a few hours and was already wondering whether he should close it again. But I understood now. At least a little.

Being vulnerable wasn't easy for him. Trust wasn't easy for him. And after everything he'd told me yesterday, I was willing to be patient.

Because the Daniel I had seen at the cabin wasn't the man I had first met. He wasn't arrogant. He wasn't controlling. He wasn't even particularly intimidating.

He was funny. Thoughtful. Protective. Lonely. And maybe that last one broke my heart the most.

We spent the morning cleaning the cabin together. It felt surprisingly natural. We argued about whose mess was whose. Mostly I blamed Daniel. Mostly because it was fun.

To my surprise, he actually argued back. And for once, neither of us was trying to win. We were simply enjoying ourselves.

The realization hit me unexpectedly.

We were becoming comfortable around each other.

Maybe too comfortable.

The drive back was just as easy. We spent half the journey fighting over the radio. Every five minutes one of us changed the station. Every five minutes the other complained.

At one point Daniel threatened to throw my favorite station out of the window. At another point I informed him his taste in music was a crime against humanity.

The fact that he laughed nearly made me forget to breathe.

My mood improved even more as we got closer to town. Closer to Markus. Closer to Ellia.

The children had spent the entire weekend sending messages and photos. I knew they were having fun. I knew Chris was taking good care of them. But none of that stopped me from missing them.

I wanted to hug them. I wanted to hear them talk over each other. I wanted to make their favorite dinner. I just wanted my children back home.

As soon as we arrived at the park, I got out of the car. Daniel followed.

That surprised me. The last time he'd stayed inside. This time he leaned casually against the car and watched from a distance.

Present. But not intrusive.

The sight made me smile.

The moment I spotted the children, I practically ran toward them.

"MOM!" Two small hurricanes crashed into me.

I laughed. And suddenly everything felt complete again.

"Mum, mum, mum! We did so much stuff!" Markus started talking first.

Naturally.

Ellia immediately interrupted him. And within seconds both of them were talking at the same time. I couldn't understand half of it. But I loved every second.

"You can tell me everything in the car."

Neither of them listened.

Not that I expected them to.

A moment later Chris approached. It still felt strange seeing him. We had spent years building a life together. And now we stood on opposite sides of it.

"Returning them in one piece," he joked.

I frowned.

"Should I be worried?"

He laughed.

"No."

Then his expression softened.

"I know you were nervous."

I sighed. He wasn't wrong.

"I was."

"They were fine."

My shoulders relaxed immediately.

"Thank you."

Chris nodded.

"When I have another free weekend, I'll let you know."

"You know I'll never stop you from seeing them." And I meant it.

Whatever had happened between us had happened between us. He would always be their father.

Always.

Chris stepped closer. I knew what he was about to do. The same thing he'd done last time. A friendly goodbye hug. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Yet before he could move closer, I instinctively stepped back. The reaction surprised both of us. For a second neither of us spoke.

Then Chris glanced past me. Toward the parking lot. Toward Daniel. Understanding flashed across his face.

"Oh." The single word said more than an entire conversation.

I immediately wanted the ground to swallow me whole.

"Right." He smiled politely. "I'll see you all later."

The children waved goodbye.

And then he left.

We headed back toward the car. The moment Markus and Ellia saw Daniel, they ran toward him. Both of them wrapped their arms around him at the same time.

I almost laughed.

The expression on Daniel's face was priceless. Complete confusion. Complete panic. And something else. Something warm.

The children had become important to him.

Whether he realized it or not.

The drive home started normally. But somewhere along the way, something changed.

Again.

Daniel became quieter. More distant. Every answer became shorter.

"Yeah."

"Mhm."

"Okay."

The Daniel from the cabin slowly disappeared. And the old Daniel returned. I watched him for a while. Then turned toward the window.

My stomach tightened. Because I already knew what was happening. The walls were going back up.

The rest of the evening wasn't much better. The children unpacked. Told stories. Argued over whose weekend adventure had been more exciting.

I made lasagna.

Everyone ate. Everyone talked. Except Daniel.

I barely saw him.

And somehow that bothered me far more than it should have.

After dinner the children went upstairs.

I stayed behind in the kitchen. Cleaning. Thinking. Worrying.

Then I heard footsteps. The front hallway. A familiar sound. And suddenly I knew. Daniel was leaving. Running.

Again.

I walked out of the kitchen. Sure enough, he already had his keys.

"Daniel?"

He froze. Caught. Like a child trying to sneak out after curfew.

"Where are you going?"

His eyes shifted away.

"Just for a drive."

There it was. The lie. Or maybe not a lie. Just another escape.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

I closed my eyes. There it was again. That damn word - Nothing.

"Stop doing that."

His jaw tightened.

"Doing what?"

"Pretending nothing changed."

The silence between us stretched. Then I continued.

"You spent the whole weekend talking to me."

His eyes lifted.

"You held my hand."

He swallowed.

"You told me things you've never told anyone."

I took a shaky breath.

"And now you're acting like we're strangers again."

For a moment he simply stared at me. Then slowly put the keys down.

"We're not strangers."

"Then why does it feel like you're avoiding me?"

No answer. Of course. So I kept going.

"You know what's funny?"

His expression darkened.

"Every time we get closer, you're the one who pulls away."

That one hit. I saw it. Immediately. Because it was true. And he knew it.

"Because getting closer changes things." His voice was sharper now. Harder. Defensive.

"Maybe that's not a bad thing."

His gaze dropped.

Then came the answer. The answer that hurt far more than I expected.

"Maybe it is."

The words hit like a slap. I actually took a step back. Because suddenly all I heard was: You were a mistake.

This weekend was a mistake. Us was a mistake.

I swallowed hard. Then forced myself to speak.

"Fine."

I nodded.

"If that's how you feel, then stop looking at me like that."

Confusion flashed across his face.

"Like what?"

I held his gaze.

"Like I'm something you want and something you're terrified of at the same time."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Then I turned around and walked away. Back to the kitchen. Back to safety. Because I couldn't do this anymore.

I wasn't a game.

I wasn't a distraction.

And I wasn't going to let him keep pulling me closer just to push me away again.

Daniel POV

The kitchen door swung shut behind her. Silence settled over the house.

I stood there alone. Motionless. Staring at nothing.

Like I'm something you want and something you're terrified of at the same time.

The words echoed through my head.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Because the worst part wasn't that she'd said it. The worst part was that she was right. Completely right.

I wanted her. Far more than I should. Far more than I'd ever intended. And that terrified me.

Not because of her. Because of me.

Because people left.

Eventually, everyone left.

They always did.

And somewhere along the way, Laura had stopped being a contract. Stopped being an obligation. Stopped being temporary. She had become important. And important things could be lost.

I closed my eyes.

Maybe that was why I kept pulling away. Because if I never got too close...

Then losing her wouldn't destroy me.

Right?

The problem was...

I wasn't sure I believed that anymore.