All Chapters of Beneath the Surface : Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

Lila’s POVIt was the cool of the evening and I sat curled into the corner of the couch in my parent's living room. My legs were tucked under me while a mug of water rested loosely in my hand. The television was on, the volume low, playing some old rerun that I wasn’t really watching. My gaze drifted between the flickering light of the screen and the slow dance of shadows that stretched across the carpet.It was the kind of silence that didn’t feel empty. It felt lived in and comfortable, like the house itself was breathing softly around me. Soon my parents would be back and that gave me something to look forward to.I lifted the mug and took a small sip of water, the coolness rolling across my tongue. It was something to do with my hands, a distraction from the wandering thoughts that kept circling back to the walk I had taken earlier. The laughter of children, the scent of bread, the sight of familiar streets and Daniel. His face, his voice, the way time had not erased the memory of

Lila’s POVThe shop door closed behind us with a soft clink, the sound of the lock sliding into place echoing in the evening air. My mom slipped the key into her bag, her shoulders dipping as though the weight of the day had finally settled on them. I pulled my cardigan tighter around me, feeling the coolness of dusk settle against my skin.The streets were quieter now, painted in soft shades of orange and purple, the town slowing into its evening rhythm. Somewhere down the road, a dog barked lazily. A group of children darted past us, still bubbling with energy, their laughter fading as they turned a corner.I fell into step beside Mom, my feet crunching against the gravel. She carried the day’s earnings tucked neatly into her bag, while I balanced a smaller sack of groceries against my hip. The silence between us was easy, the kind of quiet that didn’t demand to be filled.After a while, her voice broke through, gentle but curious as we drove to the house. “So… how did it feel? Bein

Lila’s POVDaniel’s footsteps were soft, careful, almost reverent as he entered the living room. His gaze went immediately to the couch, where Ethan lay curled up, his little chest rising and falling in the gentle rhythm of dreams. Relief washed over Daniel’s face, loosening the tension in his jaw.“Thank you, Lila,” he said quietly, his voice low so as not to disturb his son. “Seeing him sleep so peacefully means he must have had a good time here.”I shook my head quickly, brushing away the credit. “I didn’t really do much. Honestly, Ethan didn’t give me any trouble. He is very easy to be around.”Daniel’s smile was small but real, the kind that lingered in his eyes even when his lips settled. “Still, it matters. You gave him something I couldn’t give because I was away; comfort. That means more than you know.”The sincerity in his words made my cheeks warm. I turned slightly, busying myself with adjusting the throw blanket draped across the armchair. “Do you need anything? Maybe wat

Drew’s POVThe phone rang.One ring.Two.By the third, I almost ended the call. My thumb hovered over the screen, ready to kill the mistake before it dug deeper into a wound I had no business reopening. But then she answered.“Hello?”Her voice, calm and steady filled my ears and it stirred up something that had died in me even though I couldn't quite explain it.My chest tightened instantly, the sound of her voice sliced clean through the alcohol, the frustration and the steel walls I had built around myself. It was soft, cautious, and it was hers. For the first time in weeks, Lila’s voice filled the silence of my night.For a moment I could not speak. I sat there frozen, my glass of whiskey abandoned on the coffee table while my phone pressed too tightly against my ear.“Hello?” she repeated, gentler this time. “Drew… is that you?”Her saying my name was all it took to undo me.I tried for composure, for some resemblance of control, but the alcohol loosened my tongue before pride c

Lila’s POVThe words wouldn’t leave me.“I miss you.”They clung to me, echoing like an unwanted melody, refusing to fade. I had replayed them in my head a hundred times since Drew’s voice, low and unsteady, drifted through the line before dissolving into silence.A war was brewing inside me. For some weird reason I was hoping he might say more, something, anything at all to anchor his confession. What did he actually mean when he said he missed me. Was it just missing my presence or was there more. I wanted answers but all I heard was the rhythm of his breathing, heavy and uneven, until it softened into sleep.What was I supposed to do with words like that? I had no idea and I just sat there for hours cracking my head about this difficult man called Drew. How could someone so cold burn so hot too.Did he mean them, or were they just whiskey soaked fragments spilling from a man too tired to hold his guard up? Did they belong to the Drew who had cut me down with suspicion, who had look