“Sweetheart,” Liam steps forward.

I put my hand up. “I need a minute,” I say the words that I’ve been biting back. I see the flash of pain across his eyes, but right now I’m going to save myself.

“No, there are no more minutes.” Liam’s entire body is tight and ready to fight. “I’m done with us taking time. I love you. I would never betray you. You and I make sense. So I’m done shoving you away.”

These two men have the ability to destroy me, and I won’t let that happen. I push past them and head inside. My mother stands with Aarabelle in her arms. Tears fall from her face, and I know she heard it all. I walk over and wrap my arms around them both. Her arm holds me close and Aarabelle puts her head on my shoulder.

“Dada!” she yells, and I turn to see Liam walking in the house.

Aaron’s face falls, he turns, and then walks out the door. “Aaron!” I call out and rush onto the beach after him. “Aaron, stop!”

He turns and pain lances across his face. “You let her call him Daddy?” There’s no judgment in his tone, only hurt and disappointment.

“No,” I shake my head quickly. “And he never encouraged her. It’s just what she called him.”

“I can’t . . .” he begins and then stops talking. He walks closer to the water and stops and screams.

I wait in silence, unsure of what to say or do. You can feel the turmoil rolling off him.

“Everything I hoped for and lived for is gone,” his voice breaks at the end. Aaron turns and his brown eyes cement me to the ground. “I wanted to die so many times. I could’ve begged at the end for them to kill me, but I lived because I kept seeing your face. Each night I closed my eyes and saw you and imagined what she looked like. Now, I come home and you’re in love with another man. No, not just another man. Liam. My best fucking friend and my daughter is calling him Daddy!” he yells, and it’s my turn to break.

I step closer to him, the urge to comfort him overwhelming me. “It wasn’t like that. You died in my world, Aaron. There was a paper that said you were gone. No hope of a return. We said our goodbyes, and I grieved.” My hand touches his. “I was dead inside. Then he came to Virginia and made me live again. He brought joy, laughter, and love back to us. Liam didn’t steal anything.” Aaron’s eyes close and I go on. “In your letter, you told me to move on. I wasn’t sure I could at first, and then when things shifted further into more with Liam, I found out about Brittany.”

“You’ll never know how much I hate myself for sleeping with her.” I touch his face softly and he squeezes my hand. “It was my worst mistake. I felt so incapable of making you happy. Everything was about the baby and I couldn’t cope. Then, I convinced myself while I was gone it never really happened. If I could deny it over and over then maybe, just maybe, we could find a way again. But once again . . . can you see how fucked up I am? Can you see how I don’t even know who I am anymore?”

“You’re in there, Aaron. You’re not a bad guy, but you can’t keep doing this. You have to deal with everything.”

“Please, Lee. Save me,” his voice is desperate.

There are two options right now—I can hold on to the hate and anger toward him or forgive and try to move forward. He made a horrible mistake, but it’s not within me to make him suffer. “I can’t save you. But I forgive you.”

His eyes snap up and I see a small piece of relief. “Does that mean we have a chance?”

“Please don’t ask me that. I may have forgiven you, but I don’t want to hurt you. So please, don’t ask unless you’re really ready for the answer,” I implore.

Aaron reaches his arm out tentatively and we embrace. He needs this, and in a way, so do I. The life we shared together was filled with happy times. There was love and passion, but the end was where we failed. It’s both of our faults the marriage was where it was. I know he wants a chance, but my heart is with Liam.

“I know what your answer is.” Aaron looks away. “I’m going to stay here for a bit.”

“Okay,” I reply. “I’m going to make some arrangements for Aarabelle. Liam deploys in three days, and I want to see him off. I want us to do what’s best for her, so I can ask my parents to stay here so you can spend some time with her or they can take her?” I give him a little, hoping he’ll see that while I’m not asking for permission, I’m taking into account his feelings. He is Aara’s father, and I won’t begrudge him the time with her.

“I’d like to spend some time with her, so if they agree to stay here . . .”

“I’ll ask,” I smile.

Aaron nods and looks off toward the water as I head to the house.

Liam stands on the deck as I advance. “He okay?”

“I think he’s getting there. That hurt him a lot,” I explain.

He looks at the sky and then back at me. “I never wanted that to happen. I should get going.”

“Don’t leave yet,” I request. “I’m going to have my parents stay here with Aaron and Aarabelle. You and I are going to spend your last days here together.”

Liam’s lips lift as his eyes brighten. He steps closer hesitantly before his fingers graze my cheek. “Are we?”

“We are, and if you’re a good boy, maybe you can break out that eggroll,” I raise my brow and for the first time it feels normal.

“I’m not sure you deserve my eggroll,” he jokes.

I lean close to his ear and use the tip of my fingernail to scrape down his chest. “I think you and I both know you can’t resist me. So, you can go home, and then I’ll be over with a bag soon.”

Liam’s lips just barely touch my ear. I shiver involuntarily as his breath wisps across my skin. “Don’t bring any clothes, you won’t need them.”

I close my eyes and try to get myself under control as I now need to get the rest of my plan set. “I’ll see you soon.”

“I’ll be waiting.” He kisses the side of my cheek and walks off.

God, I love that man.

My parents were all too happy to stay at the house with Aarabelle. I explained the situation briefly, and they seemed to understand. Aaron was surly but didn’t say much when I left. Once I arrive at Liam’s, I grab my bag and head to his apartment. He opens the door before I have a chance to knock.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming,” he grins and leans against the door. His dark hair shines in the sunlight, and his white shirt accentuates his muscles. My mouth waters at the sight of him as my body burns to see it all.

I lick my lips and drag my bottom lip between my teeth. “Well,” I say pushing my hand on his chest. He doesn’t move, but I shove him a little harder and back him into the apartment. “What are you going to do with me now that you have me?”

Liam grips my hips and then kicks the door closed. He lifts me into his arms while pressing me against the door. “Do you know how much that dress made me fucking crazy?”

I nod and tangle my fingers in his hair. “I hoped it would. Nothing else seemed to get you to stop being so stupid.”

His head rests on mine as we both breathe in each other. “You came to me. You’re here instead of there.”