All Chapters of Beneath the Surface : Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

Lila’s POVBy the time morning had stretched into noon, the house had become quiet. Just me and my wandering thoughts.Dad and Mom had both left together, heading into town for errands. They did not say anything, but the way they lingered before stepping out and the subtle glances they shared, told me everything, which is that they were worried about me. They had not asked, had not pressed, but I saw it written in their faces. That quiet concern only parents could wear.My dad probably told my mom about the little interaction we had that morning but I still did not know if I should tell them that Drew had reached out. Me not telling them was not because I did not trust them, it just felt like I have placed so much on their shoulders within this short time I have been around so I did not want to bother them again.I waved them off with a small smile I did not really feel, promising to rest and to take it easy. The truth was, I was not sure how to rest anymore. My mind was always awake,

Lila’s POVThe words had barely left my mouth when silence swallowed the room again. Silence was now something I was accustomed to.Daniel did not move at first. He just stood there, Ethan’s jacket still draped over his arm, his gaze holding mine in that patient, searching eyes of his. My pulse thudded in my ears, my palms clammy where they pressed into my knees. For a moment I thought maybe I had ruined everything, maybe he had decided I was too much, too complicated.But then, slowly, he sat back down. His movements were unhurried and deliberate, like he wanted me to know he was not running anywhere. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, his eyes never leaving mine.And what I saw there was something I did not expect. His eyes were filled with compassion, not pity or judgment. Just pure compassion.The kind of compassion that felt steady and strong, like a hand offered without hesitation. The kind of compassion that Max had never shown me. The kind that Drew had alw

Lila’s POVThe 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

Drew’s POVI couldn’t lie to myself anymore. So that morning when I woke up I knew the only place I needed to be was Cold Spring, Lila's hometown. My private investigator had sent all the details I needed and gave me the address of the house where she stayed and I just followed the directions from the city.The drive was long, longer than I thought it would feel. The further I got from the city, the more restless I became. Towering buildings gave way to winding roads and sleepy towns, until finally the sign appeared: Welcome to Cold Spring.It was beautiful in a way that made me ache; peaceful and slow, the kind of place untouched by the chaos that had swallowed us whole. Maybe that was why she came here.The address led me down a quiet street lined with modest houses, each with its own touch of age and character. My chest tightened as I pulled up to the one from the photograph. It matched perfectly; the peeling paint, the front porch, even the faint glow from the window.My hands gri

Lila’s POVFor a moment, I could not breathe. My body felt frozen, my chest tight, my pulse thundering in my ears. My lips parted, but no sound came out. The air in the room seemed to shift, as though those seven words had changed something irreversible between us.Love?How dare he say that now? After everything. After tearing me down when I needed him most, after looking at me like I was a stranger, no, worse, an enemy. After leaving me to hold myself together when I was coming apart at the seams. Now he came here, uninvited, breaking into the fragile peace I had started to build, and said that?The shock swelled inside me, crashing like waves against a cliff. And then, underneath it, I felt something far more dangerous.Destabilization.That was the only word for it. His presence, his voice, his confession they rattled me to my core. Everything I had tried to steady these last weeks threatened to topple.I forced myself to swallow, forced my voice past the lump in my throat. “Don’t