All Chapters of Never Mine To Love: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Elliot’s POVLuciana was sitting in the passenger seat, legs tucked under her, sipping the last of her morning coffee. Her curls were tied back in a loose bun, and the soft morning light made her skin glow. We had music playing low from the car speakers—some calm acoustic playlist she liked. I didn’t mind it. It fit the mood.“I’ll be back in five,” I said, grabbing my jacket from the back seat.Luciana glanced at me, one brow raised. “Six.”I laughed. “I’m just letting him know we’re driving out today. It’s not a whole conversation.”She leaned her head against the headrest. “Sure. I’ll still be here when you get back. Me and my sad little coffee.”“Want a refill?”“Only if you want to stop at a gas station every thirty minutes.”I held my hands up. “Good point.”The building wasn’t far. Just a short walk across the lot and up the steps. Daniel—my dad—had his office on the second floor of the admin wing. Third door on the left. Always the same.The hallway smelled like old paper and

River’s POV “I want you badly,” I whispered, my hand still pressed against him. Daniel didn’t move. He stood in the doorway, breathing slow and tight, like he was weighing something dangerous. Then, finally, he spoke. “Inside,” he said. His voice was low. Firm. Final. I followed him in. The door shut behind me with a soft click. He didn’t touch me right away. He walked past me like nothing had happened, his back straight, shoulders tense. His voice stayed calm. “Shoes off.” I kicked them off quickly. He turned to me, eyes sharp now, darker than I’d ever seen them. “Jacket.” I peeled it off. My hands shook, but not from fear. From the heat. The need. I dropped it to the floor without thinking. Daniel stepped close. His hand came up, brushing the side of my face—not soft, but slow. His thumb dragged across my lower lip, and I trembled under the weight of his stare. “You’ve been thinking about this,” he said. I nodded. “Say it.” “I’ve been thinkin

River’s POVWhen Daniel said her name, it felt like time skipped a little.“Olivia.”My stomach flipped.I hadn’t heard that name in years. Not since I was a kid hanging around Elliot’s house after school, running barefoot through their kitchen, laughing too loud and eating snacks like I lived there.She turned.And suddenly I remembered her exactly.Same brown curls, short now. Same graceful smile. Same eyes—sharp but warm. Olivia had always looked like someone who knew how to handle herself. Like someone who didn’t panic, even if a tornado showed up in her living room.She looked at Daniel first, then at me. Her eyes narrowed slightly, like her mind was digging through old drawers.And I remembered.—I was ten, maybe eleven.Olivia was leaning against the kitchen counter, wearing a navy blue blouse and gold earrings. Her nails were painted red, and she was laughing at something Elliot had said. I was sitting on a bar stool, swinging my legs, eating strawberries out of a plastic bow

River's POVI woke up before Daniel, tucked into his side, his arm wrapped around my waist. I didn’t move. I just listened to His breathing. The sounds of birds chirping outside. The steady beat in my chest that told me this was real.I turned my head slightly and looked at him.He looked peaceful when he slept. Less guarded. His jaw relaxed, hair messy on the pillow, lips parted just a little. I watched his chest rise and fall for a minute longer before I shifted.He stirred.And then his hand slid down.Slowly.My breath caught.He didn’t speak. He just moved lower, under the blanket, his mouth finding my neck, trailing heat along my skin. His hands, always so sure, slipped over my thighs, fingers spreading warmth like fire.I gasped.No words.No need for them.His lips found places that made me tremble. His fingers knew how to draw me open. He made me lose focus, lose breath, lose everything except the feeling of him everywhere. Daniel hovered above me, one arm braced beside my h

River’s POV"He's Lying To You" I had found another note when I got home on my doorsteps. I didn’t sleep. Not at all. I just lay there, staring up at the ceiling in the dark, hour after hour. My mind wouldn’t stop. That picture, that note, it kept spinning around and around in my head like a ferris wheel I couldn’t get out of. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face. Daniel’s face. His eyes, his smile, his voice. And then, I saw that one line. The one written in rough, messy black ink: He’s lying to you. It felt like those four words had crawled into my chest and refused to let go. Morning came fast, but it felt like it took forever too. I got dressed before the sun even came up all the way. I didn’t eat. I didn’t drink anything. My stomach felt tight, like it was tied in a knot. I stuffed the photo and the note into my hoodie pocket and left. I walked fast. Not because I was late. But because I felt like if I didn’t move quickly, I might fall apart. My thoughts staye