DANTE
I didn’t have to force my way into her life. I was already there but she was just resisting.
“She pushed me away.” My shoulders stiffened, fingers flexing against the arm of the chair, my jaw locked tight. “But she needs me.”
Linda’s gaze stayed steady on me, though I caught the way her eyes grew softer. I wondered if she could see how much it cost me to admit that out loud.
“Dante…” She set her pen down gently on the table. “People who are hurting sometimes push others away. It doesn’t mean they don’t need you.”
She leaned forward a little. “It means they’re scared. They’re protecting themselves the only way they know how.”
I stayed quiet, staring at the carpet, my brows drawn together.
Linda let out a slow breath. “I know her divorce might seem small to you, maybe even sil
