“I don’t need to hear ‘I told you so’ right now. You know how it was growing up in that house. Her parents were around, but were never really there. And when you left, it was just me and her. It’s not an excuse, but I’d always just taken on the job of looking out for her, so I missed it. I didn’t see her bullshit for what it was. I had no idea she was in to me like that.”

“I could have told you she was in love with you. She’s been standing under your tree for years, trying to get you to give her an apple.”

“What the fuck does that even mean?” I ask, feeling my brows pull sharply together.

“I’ve been reading The Giving Tree to the boys at night.” He shrugs and smiles.

“I would be better off talking to Cara right now.”

“Probably not. You know how she feels about Isla,” he mutters, and I cringe, remembering the first time Parker brought Cara to New York to meet everyone. Isla tried during that visit to hook him up with one of her friends, right in front of Cara, and Cara lost her mind. After that, she refused to have anything to do with Isla—or her parents, because they acted like it wasn’t a big deal and laughed it off. “I’m just glad Cara didn’t see Isla. You and I both know she would have helped Ashlyn kick her ass.” He laughs, and my jaw ticks.

“This shit’s not funny,” I growl, and he pulls his eyes from the kids and Cara to look at me.

“You need to calm the fuck down. It will all be okay,” he mutters, but the feeling in my chest won’t go away, and I know it won’t until I see her.

“Fuck, I can’t do this. I can’t stay here. I need to go home and check on her.” I pull my car keys from my pocket and shove them at him. “Take my car. I’ll get a cab to take me back to the house.”

“Do you want us to find a hotel for the night?” he asks quietly, and I shake my head.

“No, I just need some time. Take Cara and the boys out to dinner.”

“Sure, whatever you need.” He nods, putting my keys in his front pocket.

“I’ll see you later,” I tell him, leaving without saying goodbye to Cara and the boys.

Making my way out of the zoo, I call Tim and see if he’s available to pick me up. Luckily, he’s close, and is waiting out front for me as soon as I leave the front gate.

“Did your car break down?” he asks, opening the back door.

“No, my brother’s using it. He’s staying here with his wife and kids.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, something came up that I need to take care of at home.”

“I’ll get you there quickly,” he mutters, shutting the door.

Rolling up the divider between us, I pull out my cell phone to call Ashlyn, and then grit my teeth when she doesn’t answer. The drive to the house seems to take forever, even though I know it’s only fifteen minutes. As soon as we pull up out front, I hand Tim enough money to cover the trip and extra for a tip before I get out, slamming the door. Entering the house, I head toward the library, knowing that’s where I will find her if she didn’t take off on me. As soon as I enter the room, I find her curled up on the couch with a blanket pulled up to her shoulders and her eyes closed.

Taking a seat in the crook of her lap, I rest my palm against her cheek and her eyes flutter open. “You didn’t leave,” I murmur, and she attempts to sit up, but I keep her where she is by leaning my body into hers.

“I told you I wouldn’t.”

“I’m sorry, baby.”

Frowning, she shakes her head and tries to sit up once more. “Why are you sorry? You’re not the one who acted like a crazy person.”

“You didn’t act like a crazy person. You reacted when you felt someone was a threat. Your reaction was completely normal.”

“You think trying to attack someone is normal?” She closes her eyes, and I rest my hand over her heart.

“Baby.” Her eyes open, and I feel my heart beat against my ribcage in sync with hers against my palm. “I would kill someone if I thought they were a threat, and I would go to war with any person that tried to come between us. That is not crazy. That’s me protecting the most vital part of me, because it lives inside of you.”

“Dillon.” She closes her eyes, resting her hand over mine on her chest. “I… I don’t like the person I was.”

“That’s okay, because I love her,” I say gently as I run my thumb over her pouted bottom lip. “I hate what happened, but I loved seeing that your feelings for me are just as strong as mine are for you.” I dip my head and kiss her softly then pull back.

“I told you that Isla and her family do not factor into our lives, and I meant that. They do not matter to me. You are my priority. Our future and your happiness are the most important things to me. I cut Isla out of my life when I told her that I was done going along with her lie, and she tried to convince me that she needed more time. I knew then that she was a liar, but my sense of loyalty to her parents made it hard for me to admit it to myself. I wish I never agreed to do what I did, but I can’t change that. I can only promise you today was the last time you will see her. If she tries to contact me again, I’ll file a restraining order against her.”

“But her parents?”

“They will have to understand, and if they don’t, I will have to make a decision about what role they will play in my life. Your wellbeing is all that matters.”