I wake the next morning to an empty bed, the smell of something delicious cooking, and knocking echoing from the front door. I slip on my jeans and don't bother with any other clothing. Worst-case scenario—it's her dad at the door, and he's here to beat the hell out of me. I don't want to get blood all over a perfectly good shirt. I chuckle to myself; not even the thought of Rob breaking my nose can ruin my good mood.

Ari stands at the front door with her back to me. My shirt from last night hangs down to the middle of her thighs and she pulled her hair into a knot at the top of her head. I already can't wait to take her in my arms again.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry to hear about Nonna," says the man on the other side of the threshold.

"Thank you, Asher," Ari replies.

The hair on the back of my neck stands on end, and my face grows hot with anger. I do my best to stay calm as I make my way over to her to interrupt their little condolence party.

"If you need anything, anything at all, you just have to ask," he says.

I step into view and put my arm around Ari, pulling her next to me. The urge to punch him in the nose again surges through me.

"I got this, Prescott. She won't be needing anything from you," I growl, focusing my gaze and hoping every ounce of my hatred for him is evident.

"Kade," Asher says taking a step back. "I just stopped by to let A.J. know that I'm sorry to hear about the loss of her grandmother."

"I'll make sure to tell Nicky and Rob you stopped by. I'm sure they'd enjoy meeting up with you while you're in town," I retort.

Asher holds up his hands. "Okay, okay. I didn't mean to start any trouble."

Fuck, I want to shove him on the ground and let my irritation loose on his face.

Asher places his hands in his pockets and walks down the porch. "Bye A.J."

"Bye," she says walking back into the house.

I can't read her expression, and I feel like everything around me is spinning out of control. It's a struggle not to slam the door shut before I follow her into the kitchen. Stopping at the counter, I watch as she carries on like nothing happened.

"What the hell are you doing, Ariella?"

She tosses a pan of burned bacon into the trash and shakes her head. "I don't know. I just saw him in the snapback and basketball shorts, and it reminded me of when we were younger. It was almost the exact outfit he wore when I first met him." She stops and throws her hands in the air. "I don't know!"

I pace back and forth, running my hands through my hair. She's gone completely insane, and I'm on the verge of losing my calm with her. "How can you look at him? I want to kick the shit out of him every time I so much as hear his name. You're a smart girl, Ari. I'm sure I don't need to remind you of the bullshit he put you through."

"No, you don't, I remember, Kade! I've played it on repeat in my head for weeks. But I can't help thinking about him. He was all I had at one time."

Sharp pain like a knife through my heart has me gasping for breath. I don't want him to invade our time even if it's just in thoughts. He may have been there for her in the past, but I want to be her future, but I'm doubting that can happen. Yes, she said she loved me, but it doesn't mean she's in love with me. I spoke the words first, and she might have felt obligated to say them back.

Fuck.

I love Ariella. I love her so much that I know I have to give her space to figure things out on her own, and she can't do that with me in her way. This is one of those times in life where I need to set her free because I love her too much not to.

Ari busies herself laying out food and cleaning as she goes. If she wants me to, I'll stay. All she has to do is say the word, and I'll find a way to postpone the upcoming concerts, but I know she needs time on her own to figure out who she is—to discover she's strong enough to get through this on her own. It's not so much Ari who needs me, as it's me who needs her.

For now, I let the argument go and enjoy breakfast with her family. I clean the dishes as they talk and laugh at the table. Knowing she has them gives me peace. No matter what, Nicky and Rob will always look after her.

When I finish with the kitchen, I sneak away to pack what little belongings I brought with me. With everything ready to go, I set my bag at the foot of the bed and wait for her to find me.

She enters the room, and I'm comforted to see her wearing her old band t-shirt and jeans. It reminds me that her life will be back to a semi-normal state soon. Without a word, she sits next to me on the bed and stares at my luggage on the floor.

"What are you doing?" she asks. The worry line in between her eyes is deep, and I ball my hand into a fist, fighting the urge to smooth it away.

"I'm going to L.A."

"Why? You don't have to be back until tomorrow? Is this about Asher? Because you're right; I don't know what I was thinking. It's so stupid now that I look back on it. I got caught up in the memory, but it doesn't change what he did."

I look into her eyes and say, "It's not about him. I need you to know that if you chose me, you did it for all the right reasons. Not because I'm a crutch while times are hard. I know what I want...I want you. I'll always want you. It scares the hell out of me that you're going to look at me one day and think I clouded your judgment. I was just a distraction during another unbearable moment in your life. So, I'm going to step back and let you take control of this." I shake my finger back and forth between the two of us. "Every major decision in your life has had some outside determining factor. It's like it has all been staged for you. You have all these players around you who make the calls, yet this is your life. I think it's time for you to run it the way you want. You get to be the stage director and start calling the shots. What do you want, Ariella?" I gently ask her.

I long for her answer to be me, but above that, I want it to be something she's sure will make her happy.

Ari shakes her head and furrows her brows. "I don't know. I've never really thought about it. You're right. I've tried to always please everyone else and just went along with what they wanted. Their happiness has meant everything to me."

"I know, and it's one of the many reasons I adore you so much." I smile as a list of all the astoundingly beautiful things about her unravels in my mind.

As tears trail down her face and I want to take it all back and stay—to keep her safe and hide her from any more hurt, but I can't do it. I can't risk the damage I could cause to her if I don't let her go. It's not humanly possible for me to continually be her shield. She needs a chance to realize hurt will come, and she's strong enough to preserve on her own. It's time for her to be free and make her life into what she wants.

I brush my thumbs over her cheeks and say, "Please understand that I'm not leaving you. I'm just giving you room to fly on your own for a bit. If you need me, I'll be here."

I pull her into my arms, and she rests her head on my chest as a sob rattles through her. This is the right thing to do, but it doesn't make it hurt any less.

With one last tight squeeze, I let her go.