Seeing her didn’t diminish my feelings of desperation. If anything, her proximity caused them to writhe and spin out of control. I knew my one-sided attachment was unhealthy, that I was on the verge of dipping back into depression. But I couldn’t help myself. I lapped up every second in her orbit.

I’d also unintentionally become fond of her boy, Austin. He looked nothing like Alexis, so he obviously took after his father, whoever that was. And yet, all I saw was a cute kid who reminded me a lot of my nephew of the same age—intelligent, hilarious and full of mischief. He’d dropped the daddy act, and instead settled on being my closest friend—his words not mine. Most days, Austin broke the tension, his innocence creating a buffer between our complex past.

So when I overheard the Thorne sisters talking about packing bags and leaving for the city—their home—I had to escape that stifling room before they saw me spiralling.

She was leaving—again.

Mumbling a quick goodbye to Phil, I bolted out of there and out of the hospital altogether.

As I reached my car, a sense of déjà vu sparked as Alexis called to me from behind. “Owen, can we talk for a minute?”

I inhaled a deep breath or two, then faced my living nightmare. This is where she tells me to go fuck myself, right? It’s what I deserved, but still, panic stirred at the mere thought.

As I took her in, she seemed agitated, twisting her fingers, avoiding eye contact. “I thought it would be important to let you know what’s going to happen with Dad. It’s not my intention to make you uncomfortable…”

I internally tried to raise those barriers to protect myself from the inevitable pain when her next words shocked me to my core.

“I’m moving back to Acacia Falls to help Dad… I know it’s a small town, and our families will most likely run into each other often.”

My brain ran so fast my mouth was sprinting without a command. “Why would that make me uncomfortable?”

She gulped, her face reddening. “Well, I have a son now, and I don’t want anything affecting his transition here. I guess I wanted to give you and Everly a heads-up.”

“Everly?” What the fuck is she talking about? Then it clicked, causing frustration to rise in my voice. “You don’t know, do you?”

I was irrationally pissed, yet pissed all the same.

Alexis’ gaze hit mine for the first time, most likely in reaction to my shaky, irritated tone. And without her having to ask, I spilled all my shit at her feet. “Everly is long gone, and not a part of my life. Hasn’t been for years now. What do you think I’ve been doing all this time, playing happy families?