BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM, ᵉᵛᵃⁿ ᵇᵘᶜᵏˡᵉʸ

053

The sunlight bleeding through the blinds woke Rylin before her alarm did. Her body ached in that familiar way it always did after a long shift—the stiffness in her shoulders, the faint burn in her calves—but it wasn't the work that had her tossing and turning half the night. It was Buck. It was always Buck lately.

Dragging herself out of bed, she padded across the floor in her socks, grabbing her towel and uniform. She caught her own reflection in the mirror: tired eyes, hair a wild mess, mouth pressed into a thin line. She muttered, "Pull it together, Rylin."

By the time she came back from her shower, Sarah was already sitting cross-legged on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate in her hand. Madison was stretched out beside her, wrapped in one of Rylin's blankets, scrolling on her phone like she owned the place.

"You're up early," Sarah said, her voice still soft with sleep.

Rylin dropped her bag on the counter and smirked. "Work, remember? Not all of us get to sleep in."

Madison looked up, smirking. "You could just call out. Tell Bobby you need a personal day to figure your love life out. Bet he'd understand."

Rylin rolled her eyes and pulled the elastic from her wrist, tying her damp hair back. "Yeah, that would go over well."

Sarah tilted her head. "Speaking of..."

Rylin froze mid-motion. "Speaking of what?"

"Buck," Sarah said plainly.

Madison groaned. "Oh, here we go." She tossed her phone on the cushion beside her. "We're really doing this before breakfast?"

Sarah ignored her. "You saw him yesterday. You worked together. How was it?"

Rylin let out a sigh, tugging at her ponytail until it felt secure. "It was... fine. Tense. I don't know. And then, after the call, Chimney and Hen cornered me."

Madison perked up. "Cornered you how?"

"They didn't mean it like that," Rylin clarified quickly, moving to pour herself some coffee. "But Chimney basically told me I need to take things slow with Buck. That if I'm not ready, I shouldn't rush back into anything. And Hen agreed."

Sarah leaned forward, her mug cradled in her hands. "And do you agree?"

Rylin hesitated. "I don't know. Part of me does. Part of me keeps thinking—what if he hurts me again? What if I let him back in, and it all falls apart again?"

The room quieted. Sarah studied her for a long moment, then spoke softly, her words carrying more weight than Rylin expected.

"Ry... can you see yourself with him? Really see it? Spending the rest of your life with him?"

The question hit Rylin square in the chest. She blinked, lips parting, but no sound came out at first. Finally, she nodded, voice low. "Yeah. I can. That's the problem. I see it too easily."

Sarah's expression softened, her eyes glassy but warm. "Then don't let fear be the thing that keeps you from that. You've already been through so much. You deserve something good. You deserve someone who makes you feel like home. And if that's Buck..." She trailed off, shrugging gently. "Don't fight it just because you're scared."

Madison sat up abruptly, tossing the blanket off her lap. "Okay, enough of the Hallmark moment."

Sarah shot her a look, but Madison ignored it, eyes narrowing at Rylin. "Here's the truth: if you want him, stop wasting time. Forget slow. Forget waiting. Just go for it. Life's too short, Rylie. Don't sit around second-guessing when you already know what you want."