Page 59 of Under Ground

“Gareth called and asked me if I was taking Casey to the US. You know, it’s the first time he’s shown any interest in her. He’s pretended she doesn’t exist since I was pregnant with her.”

I take her hand in mine, rubbing my thumb over her knuckle. “What did you say to him?”

She meets my gaze, her blue eyes shimmering with tears. “Told him it was none of his business.” Raising her hand to her cheek, she wipes away stray drops. “He’s just worried that Melanie will find out if people go digging into my past.

Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I pull her in tight against me. “I’m so sorry. This is the last thing I thought would happen. It’s just so laid-back and nice here, I never thought for a moment that there’d be the interest in me—in us.”

Lana lets out a big sigh. “I guess we got that wrong.”

“I did. It’s my fault. You raised it as a concern, and I got it wrong.” I kiss the top of her head. “I was thinking all day. I’m going to call Reece and ask him for advice. He’s probably the most famous person I know.”

She’s quiet for a moment—way too quiet. Her fingernails rake her thigh,

“I’ve been thinking too. I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”

What?” I release her. “No.”

She blinks back tears. “We have secrets in our lives that have to stay buried. I can’t risk Casey being exposed to this. What if next time someone does manage to snatch her? What then?”

I’m not sure how to react. She’s right. I put them both at risk just by being in their lives, but then, I should be the one to protect them.

And I don’t know how.

“I can’t go through this again.” She buries her head in her hands. “Casey is what’s important.”

I reach out and stroke her hair. “I don’t have to rush back to the States. I’ll stay while we work through this.”

She meets my gaze. It rips me up inside to see the despair in her eyes. “That’s not enough. I need to protect my family now. You need to leave.”

I swallow hard. She’s putting up barriers all over again, and she’s already so far behind them, there’s no way I can reach her.

“Lana, we can work through this. Please.”

Her eyes fill with more tears. “I don’t want to do this, but we both knew this wouldn’t last.”

My heart rips in two. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll finish your film and leave. You’ve got a whole new world waiting out there for you, Alex. One I won’t be a part of.”

I shake my head. “You’re my world. I want to take you with me. You and Casey. We could start a new life together as a family.”

She sniffs, cupping my cheek with her palm. “I can’t live like this. One story and someone tries to grab my child? And you’re asking me to leave the security I have here to move across the world to an uncertain future.”

“I’m certain about us. Aren’t you?”

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Yes. I feel the same, completely the same.

Her lips twitch. “And the worst.”

The words cut deep, but I know what she means. She’s scared.

And I’ll leave for tonight, but I’m not giving up on us.

This isn’t over.

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