Page 44 of Sawyer

“I’ll talk to him,” Sawyer said, his voice low, almost a growl.

“No!” The word tumbled out of my mouth faster than I intended. His brow furrowed, waiting for an explanation.

I scrambled to find the right words. “I mean, I already told him we could talk later. I don’t want you to get mixed up in this. It’s not worth it.”

Sawyer’s eyes narrowed slightly, studying me like he could sense there was more I wasn’t saying.

The familiar itch along my scar flared up, and I had to look away.

It brought back too many memories—of things spiraling out of control too quickly, when a small situation could turn into something dangerous in an instant.

I didn’t want to go through that again.

Not with Sawyer.

He must’ve noticed how anxious I was because his expression softened.

“Alright,” he said quietly, though the concern in his voice hadn’t completely faded. He glanced away, like he was forcing himself to let it go, for now at least. “Let’s pick something quick for Benny and then grab a bite to eat.”

I nodded, grateful for the change in conversation. I didn’t want to think about Garth anymore—about what might happen if I let this grow, or if Sawyer got too involved.

But the fear clung to me, tight and unshakable.

As much as I wanted to believe things with Sawyer were different, part of me couldn’t help but wonder if we were standing on the edge of something that could crumble at any second.

I inhaled slowly, attempting to push those thoughts aside. I knelt to pick up Benny, who was happily nudging toys around.

“What do you think of this one, buddy?” I asked, holding up a bright squeaky ball.

Benny gave it a sniff, unimpressed. After a few more toys, I finally found one—a squeaky bone—that caught his interest. His tail wagged eagerly, and for the first time since Garth’s name slipped from my mouth, I managed a real smile.

“We’re good,” I said, standing up and meeting Sawyer’s gaze again.

The hardness from earlier had softened, and his eyes had returned to their usual warmth.

Sawyer reached out, taking my hand in his. His grip was steady, comforting, like he was silently reassuring me that it was okay.

And maybe it was. Maybe this really could work.

“Let’s get that bite to eat,” he said softly, giving my hand a gentle squeeze, and I squeezed back.

In this moment, everything felt alright. But as much as I wanted to believe it, the unease stayed with me, creeping at the edges of my thoughts.

Chapter 12

Sawyer

Casey glanced at me with a soft smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Maybe he was still thinking about Garth.

“Sounds great. I know a pet-friendly restaurant nearby,” he said.

It didn’t take long for us to reach the place. The restaurant was a quaint little spot. It was cozy and welcoming, with a few other customers sitting with their pets.

We found a table under the shade of a large umbrella.

Benny settled down at our feet, occasionally glancing up as if to make sure we hadn’t forgotten about him.

His presence was calming, grounding me in the moment as I watched Casey scan the menu.