Chapter 116

Lila’s POV

The minutes and seconds that followed after Daniel's question felt like the longest. I didn't know what to expect and why was this coming after I was beginning to trust and rely on him.

What was it with parks and revealing things that laid underneath the surface.

For a moment, he did not answer. His gaze just stayed fixed on me, steady and unwavering, as if he was making sure I was ready to hear. Then finally, with a slow breath, he said,

“I have feelings for you, Lila.”

My heart went still. I could not breathe anymore.

He did not look away. “Since you came back, I have been nursing this thought, though I kept it to myself. I told myself friendship was a safer place to start, a place where we could see if we really sync and if we could work out together. And the more time I have spent with you, the more I have realized that what I feel is not something I can ignore.”

The world seemed to shrink to just his words. The laughter of children playing in the park faded, the rustle of leaves quieted.

Daniel leaned back slightly, his shoulders squaring as though bracing for rejection. “I am not forcing this on you. I am not asking for an answer right now. I just… See I am a straightforward man, I do not like pretending, and I most definitely don't want to play games with something this serious. That is why I am telling you now. So you can decide where you want this to go, if anywhere.”

I blinked, stunned into silence. My chest felt tight, every thought colliding with the next.

He smiled faintly, though his eyes betrayed the vulnerability beneath. “Take your time, Lila and think it over. You do not owe me an answer today or even tomorrow. But remember… whatever choice you make, it will not just be about you. It will be about your child too. And I respect that more than I can say.”

His words pressed deep into me. I glanced at Ethan, who was crouched on the grass a few feet away, completely absorbed in making his toy car zoom over rocks. His giggles drifted back to us, pure and unbothered. And then my hand drifted to my stomach, almost instinctively.

This was not just about me anymore.

Finally, I found my voice, though it felt unsteady. “I… I understand, Daniel. I truly do but this is… sudden. I do not even know what to say. I do not know how to react.”

He nodded, his expression soft and patient. “That is okay. I did not expect you to have an answer right away. I just needed you to know. You deserve honesty.”

Silence stretched between us again, but it was not heavy this time. It was fragile and delicate, the kind of silence that holds too much unsaid words.

The sun began its slow descent, painting the park in shades of orange and gold. The light clung to Daniel’s features, highlighting the quiet strength in his jaw, the calm resolve in his eyes.

When Ethan grew tired, Daniel stood and called him over. The little boy came running, his cheeks flushed, his smile wide. He clutched my hand as we started the walk back home, his small fingers grounding me even as my thoughts tangled in a storm.

Daniel tried to lighten the air with small talk as we walked. He pointed out the fresh paint on one of the old store and told me about a neighbor who had started selling honey from their backyard hive. His voice was even, deliberately casual, as though he wanted me to breathe instead of drowning in the weight of his confession.

I responded when I could, my words quiet, my mind elsewhere. I could not stop replaying what he had said, the sincerity in his tone, the way he had looked at me as though I was not broken, as though I was not carrying a history of mistakes and scars.

Ethan filled the spaces too, skipping ahead to pick up rocks, then rushing back to tell me which ones looked like dinosaur eggs. His energy was boundless, his joy unfiltered, and I clung to it, grateful for the distraction.

But underneath it all, my heart was pounding.

Daniel had feelings for me and he had said it plainly, without hesitation and without shame. Now I had to figure out what to do with that.

By the time we reached my house, the sun had dipped lower, the shadows stretching long. My chest tightened when I saw my parents’ car parked in front of the house.

“They are back,” I murmured.

Daniel glanced at me, then smiled. “Good. I will say hello to them before we head home.”

I nodded, though something inside me bristled. There was an extra car parked outside too. Sleek and unfamiliar. It didn’t look like it belonged to anyone in this town if not I would have recognized it. My stomach twisted sharply, a coil of unease tightening.

I forced myself to stay calm, to not betray the sudden rush of fear clawing its way through me. Daniel and Ethan walked ahead, chatting lightly, unaware. I followed slowly, my palms clammy.

When I pushed the door open, the atmosphere hit me like a wall.

The air inside was too still. My parents sat upright, their expressions hard and their posture stiff. Mom’s hands were folded tightly in her lap while dad’s jaw was clenched as though he were holding something back.

Ethan bounded inside cheerfully, oblivious, running straight toward my mom with a delighted “Grandma!” She forced a smile, hugging him, but her eyes flicked toward me quickly, urgently.

And then I saw him.

Sitting on the edge of the couch opposite my parents.

Head slightly bowed, hands clasped together, but unmistakable.

Drew.

For a second, my heart stopped.

The room spun around me.

It was not possible. He was not supposed to be here, not in this house, not in this town, not in this life I was slowly, carefully building without him.

But he was.

His presence filled the room, heavy and unavoidable, unraveling every ounce of calm I had gathered in the past weeks.

My fingers tightened instinctively around the strap of my bag, and though I fought to keep my expression neutral, inside I was trembling.

And I began to wonder, how did he find me? And what could he possibly want from me again?