I turned around, and there he was. Seth. I hadn’t seen Joanna’s brother in years, but wow, time had been kind to him. He smiled, and it was one of those smiles that made you forget how words work.

“Hey,” Seth said, in a relaxed voice, as if he hadn’t just thrown my peace of mind out the window.

“Hi,” I managed to say.

Very smooth, Olivia.

“Joanna said you’d be here.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Joanna shot him a look. “She’s not here to be disturbed, Seth.”

“Who said I was disturbing?” Seth raised his hands in mock surrender, but there was a glint in his eyes.

“I’m fine,” I said abruptly, feeling like a teenager again. “Seriously. I’m not disturbed.”

“Alright, see you around.”

As he walked away, Joanna elbowed me. “He’s single, you know?”

I groaned. “Oh no, we’re not doing this.”

She laughed, pouring me another glass of wine. “Just keep an open mind. That’s all I’m saying.”

I looked at the door where Seth had just disappeared. My heart did a strange flip.

“I came here to escape, not to… complicate things.”

“Complications make life interesting,” Joanna sang.

I raised my glass. “I hope you’re wrong.”

But deep down, I knew she wasn’t.

The first few days were relaxing. We used to sit outside at night, the three of us just talking about life, laughing about silly memories, and I found myself enjoying the simplicity of it all.

Seth didn’t try too hard to be charming. He was just… himself. Laid-back, calm, always sprinkling a “you know” into his sentences, which I found strangely comforting.

I noticed he was close to Joanna. They had that natural sibling bond, teasing each other about little things, but there was a lot of care between them.

One night, after we finished dinner, Seth leaned back in his chair and looked at me.

“Hey, how about we go out for dinner tomorrow? Just you and me?”

I blinked, caught off guard. “Dinner? Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I figured we’re here, why not go out for a change?”

I looked at Joanna, who raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, clearly amused by her brother’s sudden offer.

“Uh, sure. Why not?” I finally replied, feeling a bit out of place.

“Great,” Seth said, standing up as if he had just suggested we grab a coffee, not go on a date. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

As he walked away, I looked at Joanna, who was smiling.

“What?” I asked, feeling my cheeks heat up.

“Nothing,” she said, still smiling. “Just… Seth doesn’t invite people out. This is new.”

I frowned. “Is this supposed to make me feel better?”

She laughed, shaking her head.

“Relax, Liv. He likes you. That’s a good thing.”

“Maybe,” I murmured, but as I sat there, I couldn’t help wondering if I had just agreed to something that could be much more complicated than I was prepared for.

We were sitting at the restaurant, and at first, everything seemed perfect. The food was great, the atmosphere cozy, and Seth was his usual laid-back self.

We laughed and talked about everything and nothing, and I started to feel a little more comfortable around him. But then, his phone rang.

He ignored it at first, but it buzzed again. And again.

“Sorry, I’ll be right back,” he said, getting up and stepping outside.

What’s so important it can’t wait?

I tried to enjoy my meal, but my eyes kept drifting to the door. When he came back, he smiled as if nothing had happened.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just some work stuff,” he said casually.

But then it happened again. Halfway through our dessert, his phone rang, and once again, he apologized.

At that point, I couldn’t sit still. I got up, silently following him outside. I saw Seth standing with another woman, in a deep conversation.

Who is she?

They noticed me. Seth looked startled.

“Oh, Olivia, this is Lauren.” He paused.

“My ex-wife.”

I didn’t know what to say. Lauren smiled, acting friendly.

“Why don’t you both come for dinner tomorrow?” she said.

Before I could even think about refusing, Seth… agreed! Later, he tried to reassure me.

“It’s nothing. It ended a long time ago. Dinner sounds good,” Seth said, his calm, comforting smile.

I was stunned!

Dinner with the ex? Seriously?

But I didn’t have a solid reason to say no. He seemed so casual about it, as if it was no big deal, and I didn’t want to seem insecure or jealous.

The dinner with Seth and Lauren was awkward from the start. Lauren wasted no time making herself at home, sitting way too close to Seth for my liking.

“So, remember when we took that trip to the beach?” Lauren started, her voice dripping with nostalgia. “We were such a perfect couple back then. Everyone thought we’d last forever.”

She laughed, leaning in closer to Seth. I shifted in my seat, trying to stay calm.

She was trying to annoy me, and I didn’t want to let her succeed. Seth barely responded, giving short, polite answers.

“Yeah, that was a long time ago,” he said, almost sounding bored.

But I couldn’t take it anymore. I pushed my chair back and stood up.

“I’m going to get some fresh air,” I muttered, not waiting for a response.

What am I doing here?

Outside, the cold night air helped a little. Everything felt so complicated, and I didn’t know how to deal with it.

Suddenly, a small voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Are you here with my dad?”

I turned around and saw a little girl, rubbing her sleepy eyes. My heart stopped.

Dad?

That hit me like a ton of bricks. Seth had a daughter.

“Ah… yeah, I’m here with your dad.”

The girl looked at me, her innocence disarming.

“Let’s find him.”

“Sure, sweetie. Let’s find him.”

When I took her to Seth, he immediately picked her up.

“Hey, pumpkin. Bedtime?”

He smiled at her in a way I hadn’t seen all night.

“I’ll be right back,” he told me, carrying her off to put her to bed.

He has a daughter? How did I not know this?

When Seth left, Lauren didn’t waste any time making her move. She came up to me.

“You don’t belong here, you know?”

I blinked, stunned. “Excuse me?”

“Seth and I… we have history. And a family. He always comes back to us. This is just a phase. You should leave before you get hurt.”

Family? That’s too much.

I felt the panic rise in my chest.

Without another word, I grabbed my things and headed for the door. I needed to leave before I completely lost myself.

The morning light filtered through the curtains as I zipped up my suitcase, looking at my phone again. No messages. No calls. The silence was overwhelming.

Joanna walked in. “You’re really leaving?”

I sighed, sitting on the bed. “I can’t stay, Jo. He didn’t even reach out. I feel like I’m in way over my head.”

By noon, my ticket was booked.

Halfway to the airport, while I looked out the window, lost in my thoughts, I saw a car speeding alongside us.

No, it can’t be!

I squinted to get a better look, and I saw Seth. He was driving fast as if on a mission.

What is he doing here? To say goodbye? Or to stop me?

I couldn’t tell, but a part of me was grateful he showed up.

The taxi driver looked at me through the rearview mirror. “Do you know him?”

“Yes, I… I think I do.”

Seth stopped, parking in front of the taxi. He came up to the window, looking at me with that familiar calm.

“Olivia, wait.”

I rolled down the window. “What are you doing here, Seth?”

“I couldn’t let you go like this. I need you to know the truth. And I didn’t tell you because… I didn’t want to drag you into my mess. But I should have. You deserve to know everything.”

I sat there, speechless. He looked away for a moment, then looked back at me.

“Olivia, I fell for you. I know it’s complicated, and I know I have baggage. But I need you to stay. I want you to meet my kids, to see the real me.”

I felt torn between the safety of leaving and the undeniable pull to stay. But my heart knew the answer before my mind did. I tore up my ticket, knowing that sometimes the greatest risks lead to the most beautiful outcomes.

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