Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him. That smug look on his face when he told me he had “found someone else.” As if it were just that easy. As if our years together didn’t matter.

My ex had a special talent for making me feel small like everything that went wrong was my fault. Every inch of my apartment was a reminder of that pain. I was suffocating.

I needed out. Anywhere but here. So when Joanna called, it was like a lifeline.

“Come stay with me at the lake house,” she said.

I didn’t even hesitate. It was perfect.

***

So, the next day, I packed whatever I could shove into a suitcase and hit the road. The lake stretched out like a giant mirror. The trees swayed like they were in on some peaceful secret, and the air… It didn’t smell like heartbreak. It smelled like pine and fresh chances.

I stood on the porch, taking it all in.

“Liv!” Joanna came out, waving, and pulled me into one of her too-tight hugs.

“You look like you’ve seen better days.”

“Gee, thanks,” I chuckled, pretending to be offended.

She grinned. “Come on, inside. I made your favorite.”

I rolled my eyes. “You mean wine?”

She winked. “You know me too well.”

For the first time in forever, I felt like maybe things could be okay. We spent hours talking, mostly about nonsense—our shared hatred of running and how weird it is that people voluntarily wake up early to do it. It was like no time had passed since we last hung out.

And then came the footsteps.

I turned, and there he was. Seth. I hadn’t seen Joanna’s brother in years, but wow, time had been kind. He smiled, and it was one of those smiles that made you forget how words work.

“Hey,” Seth said, his voice relaxed, like he hadn’t just thrown my whole sense of peace out the window.

“Hi,” I managed.

Real smooth, Olivia.

“Joanna said you’d be staying.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Hope I’m not interrupting.”

Joanna shot him a look. “She’s not here to be bothered, Seth.”

“Who said I was bothering?” Seth held his hands up in surrender, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

“I’m fine,” I blurted, feeling like a teenager again. “Really. Not bothered.”

“Alright, well, I’ll see you around.”

As he walked away, Joanna elbowed me. “He’s single, you know.”

I groaned. “Oh no, we are not doing this.”

She laughed, pouring me another glass of wine. “Just keep an open mind. That’s all I’m saying.”

I glanced toward the door where Seth had just disappeared. My heart did a weird little flip.

“I came here to escape, not to… complicate things.”

“Complications make life interesting,” Joanna sang.

I raised my glass. “Here’s to hoping you’re wrong.”

But deep down, I knew she wasn’t.

***

The first few days were relaxing. We used to sit outside in the evenings, the three of us just talking about life, laughing over silly memories, and I found myself enjoying the simplicity of it all.

Seth didn’t try too hard to be charming. He was just… himself. Laid-back, calm, always sprinkling in a “you know” whenever he spoke, which I found oddly comforting.

I noticed he was close to Joanna. They had this natural sibling bond, teasing each other about little things, but there was a lot of care between them.

One evening, after we’d finished dinner, Seth leaned back in his chair and looked over at me.

“Hey, what do you think about grabbing dinner tomorrow? Just you and me?”

I blinked, caught off guard. “Dinner? Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, just figured we’ve been hanging out here, why not go out for a change?”

I glanced over at Joanna, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing, clearly amused by her brother’s sudden offer.

“Uh, yeah. Sure, why not?” I finally answered, feeling a bit out of my depth.

“Great,” Seth said, getting up like he’d just suggested we grab a coffee, not go on a date. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

As he walked away, I looked over at Joanna, who was grinning.

“What?” I asked, feeling my cheeks warm.

“Nothing,” she said, still smirking. “Just… Seth doesn’t ask people out on dates. This is new.”

I frowned. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

She laughed, shaking her head.

“Relax, Liv. He likes you. That’s a good thing.”

“Maybe,” I mumbled, but as I sat there, I couldn’t help wondering if I’d just agreed to something that might be way more complicated than I was ready for.

***

We were sitting in the restaurant, and at first, everything seemed perfect. The food was great, the ambiance was warm, and Seth was his usual laid-back self.

We laughed and talked about everything and nothing, and I started to feel a little more comfortable around him. But then, his phone buzzed.

He brushed it off at first, but it buzzed again. And again.

“Sorry, I’ll be right back,” he said, standing up and heading outside.

What’s so important that it can’t wait?

I tried to enjoy my meal, but my eyes kept drifting to the door. When he came back, he smiled like nothing had happened.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just some work stuff,” he said casually.

But then it happened again. Halfway through our dessert, his phone buzzed, and once again, he excused himself.

That time, I couldn’t sit still. I got up, quietly following him outside. I saw Seth standing with another woman, deep in conversation.

Who is she?

They noticed me. Seth looked startled.

“Oh, Olivia, this is Lauren.” He paused.

“My ex-wife.”

I didn’t know what to say. Lauren smiled, acting all friendly.

“Why don’t you both come to dinner tomorrow?” she said.

Before I could even think to refuse, Seth… agreed! Later, he tried to reassure me.

“It’s nothing. It’s been over for a long time. Dinner sounds good,” Seth said, his smile calm and reassuring.

I was taken aback!

Dinner with his ex? Really?

But I didn’t have a solid reason to say no. He seemed so casual about it like it was no big deal, and I didn’t want to come off as insecure or jealous.

***

Dinner with Seth and Lauren was uncomfortable from the start. Lauren wasted no time in making herself at home, sitting way too close to Seth for my liking.

“So, remember when we took that trip to the beach?” Lauren started, her voice dripping with nostalgia. “We were such a perfect couple back then. Everyone thought we’d last forever.”

She laughed, leaning closer to Seth. I shifted in my seat, trying to keep calm.

She was trying to get under my skin, and I didn’t want to let her succeed. Seth barely responded, giving her polite, short answers.

“Yeah, that was a long time ago,” he said, sounding almost bored.

But I couldn’t take it anymore. I pushed my chair back and stood up.

“I’m going to get some fresh air,” I muttered, not waiting for a response.

What am I even doing here?

Outside, the cool night air helped a little. Everything felt so complicated, and I didn’t know how to handle it.

Suddenly, a small voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Are you here with my daddy?”

I turned and saw a little girl, her eyes sleepy as she rubbed them. My heart stopped.

Daddy?

It hit me like a ton of bricks. Seth had a daughter.

“Oh… um, yes, I’m here with your daddy.”

The little girl looked up at me, her innocence disarming.

“Let’s find him.”

“Of course, sweetie. Let’s go find him.”

When I brought her to Seth, he immediately scooped her up.

“Hey, pumpkin. Time for bed?”

He smiled at her in a way I hadn’t seen all evening.

“I’ll be right back,” he said to me, carrying her off to tuck her in.

He has a daughter? How did I not know this?

When Seth left, Lauren wasted no time in making her move. She stepped closer to me.

“You don’t belong here, you know.”

I blinked, stunned. “Excuse me?”

“Seth and I… we have history. And a family. He always comes back to us. This is just a phase. You should leave before you get hurt.”

Family? This is too much.

I felt the panic rise in my chest.

Without another word, I grabbed my things and headed for the door. I needed to get out before I lost myself completely.

***

The morning light filtered through the curtains as I zipped up my suitcase, glancing at my phone again. No texts. No calls. The silence was crushing.

Joanna walked in. “Are you really leaving?”

I sighed, sitting on the bed. “I can’t stay, Jo. He hasn’t even reached out. I feel like I’m in over my head.”

By noon, I had my ticket booked.

***

Halfway to the airport, as I stared out the window, lost in my thoughts, I saw a car speeding up beside us.

No, it can’t be!

I squinted to get a better look, and I saw Seth. He was driving fast like he was on a mission.

What is he doing here? To say goodbye? Or to stop me?

I couldn’t tell, but part of me was just grateful he showed up.

The taxi driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror. “You know him?”

“Yeah, I… I think so.”

Seth pulled over, parking in front of the taxi. He reached the window, looking at me with that familiar calmness.

“Olivia, wait.”

I rolled down the window. “What are you doing here, Seth?”

“I couldn’t let you leave like this. I need you to know the truth. And I didn’t tell you because… I didn’t want to drag you into my mess. But I should have. You deserve to know everything.”

I sat there, speechless. He looked away for a moment, then back at me.

“Olivia, I’ve fallen in love with you. I know it’s complicated, and I know I have baggage. But I need you to stay. I want you to meet my kids, to see the real me.”

I felt torn between the safety of leaving and the undeniable pull to stay. But my heart knew the answer before my mind did. I tore up the plane ticket, knowing that sometimes the greatest risks lead to the most beautiful outcomes.