Chapter 229: One Last Day

Words : 1687 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Chapter 229: One Last Day Tiger~ The late afternoon sun was dipping lazily toward the horizon, spreading long ribbons of honey-gold light through the leafy canopy above. Shadows danced on the pavement as I leaned against Jacob’s car, arms folded, the soft breeze playing with strands of my hair. The air smelled faintly of sun-warmed asphalt and blooming magnolias. A few college students strolled past, laughing about something that didn’t concern me. I barely registered them. My thoughts were elsewhere. Wrapped around her. This wasn’t just another pickup. Today was goodbye. I didn’t flinch when the glass doors of the college swung open and the low hum of the afternoon crowd spilled into the quiet. I didn’t have to look. I felt her—like always. That unmistakable burst of energy. Easter never just entered a space—she bloomed in it. A ripple in the air, like spring bursting through winter’s final grip. Then I heard it. That voice, all sunlight and spark. "Tiiiiger!" she called out, stretching my name into the air like it belonged there. I looked up just in time to see her racing toward me. Her curls bounced with every step, her oversized tote bag flailing behind her like it had a life of its own. She practically radiated motion and light. "Jacob told me you were picking me up today," she said breathlessly, her eyes gleaming. I pushed off the car, the ghost of a smile tugging at my lips. "Yeah. Something came up," I murmured, my voice soft but steady. "He asked me to come instead." Easter beamed. "Well, I’m glad it’s you. You know I feel safe when you’re around." She reached up on her toes and gave me a quick hug—brief, warm, and utterly unguarded. I froze for a fraction of a second before letting myself return the gesture. I always did that—hesitate. Like touching her would burn me. She slipped into the front seat, adjusting her skirt as she buckled up. "He already told me, by the way," she chirped. "Said you’d pick up Rose from kindergarten as well. Hope that’s not too much trouble." "Not at all," I said, starting the car, my fingers brushing the wheel like I had to coax it into motion. "I’m glad to do it." As we pulled away from the school, her laughter filled the car. She told me about the coursemates she taught, how one of them accidentally stapled his sleeve to his assignment, and how another tried to convince her that the sun was made of gold bars. I found myself smiling more than usual. I even chuckled once, though it came out more like a breath than a sound. Easter glanced at me from the corner of her eye, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips. "Tiger, do you even laugh like a normal person?" she teased. "I swear all I ever hear from you is that little ’hmph’ sound." I gave a half-shrug, the corner of my mouth twitching. "Maybe I’m saving my laugh for a special day." She gasped dramatically, hand flying to her chest like I’d wounded her. "Are you saying I’ve never been worthy enough to hear it?" "You’re more than worthy," I said, too softly. And then I looked away—quickly, carefully—before she could catch the truth lingering in my eyes. She laughed, full and free, tossing her curls like they were caught in some invisible breeze. "You’re impossible," she said. "Like a giant teddy bear with a tragic backstory. Straight out of a soap opera." I let a small smile break through. There was something about the way she said things—no filter, no hesitation. With me, she was completely herself. She leaned in with ease, laughed loud, teased without fear. She never measured her words around me. And I loved that. Gods, I loved that. But I also hated it. Because she was never like that with Jacob. With Jacob, her whole body changed. She got quiet. Soft. Her words fumbled like they couldn’t find the right shape. And her eyes... they lit up like they were seeing the stars for the first time—like he was the answer to some secret prayer she hadn’t realized she was whispering. And yeah. It hurt. Sometimes I let myself wonder—if I had met her first, before the pain, before the healing, before Jacob—would I have stood a chance? Would I have been the one she looked at like that? But the truth is, Jacob and Natalie saved her. They found her when she was breaking and helped piece her back together. Jacob became her sanctuary. Her home. And I could never betray him. Not even now. I love Jacob too much to ever cross that line. Even if it means swallowing every unspoken word. Even if it means losing something I never really had to begin with. Even if it costs me everything. We reached Rose’s kindergarten. She spotted us through the window and screamed, "Mama! Uncle Tigerrrr!" I stepped out and opened the door for Easter. The moment Rose burst into her mother’s arms, I felt something tug at me—something deep and ancient. She looked just like Easter when she smiled. "Up, Uncle Tiger!" Rose demanded, lifting her little arms like royalty issuing a decree. I couldn’t help but laugh under my breath as I scooped her up effortlessly. She melted against my chest, tucking herself into the space she always claimed—like it was made just for her. Her tiny fingers gripped my shirt like ivy clinging to the stone. "Hey, Rosebud," I murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair. She giggled, nose scrunching. "You smell like trees." "That’s ’cause the trees like me," I said with a wink. "They gave me their cologne." Easter’s laugh floated through the air like a song I’d never tire of hearing. She reached out and brushed my arm, just a whisper of contact, but it settled warmth deep in my bones. "We’re so lucky to have you, Tiger," she said softly. But inside, my chest ached with the truth. No, I thought. I’m the lucky one. We piled into the car not long after. Rose was in the back, humming something sweet and made-up, her voice lilting like a melody only she could hear. I caught a glimpse of Easter in the passenger seat, adjusting her hair in the mirror, completely unaware of how that tiny gesture could tie a knot in my stomach. I swallowed, then went for it. "Would you..." I hesitated, pulse stuttering, "Would you want to go on a friendly date with me today?" Her head turned so fast it made the air shift. "A date?" "Just as friends," I rushed to clarify. "No pressure. Just... you, me, Rose. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere with trees, maybe. Something peaceful." She paused, watching me like she was trying to read between the lines. Then she smiled—small, tired, but real. "I’d love that, actually. I could really use it. I haven’t had peace in... a long time." I nodded, swallowing the lump that rose in my throat. "Good." But even as the moment settled, my mind drifted—back to the beginning. The first time Jacob brought Easter to Zane’s house, she looked like something torn out of a dream. A broken fairy. All light and hurt and wonder. I swear my heart stopped for a full second. It was love at first sight. I’d planned to talk to her. Maybe even ask her out. But then I saw it—the way her eyes lingered on Jacob, that quiet inhale when he entered the room, like she’d been holding her breath without even knowing it. And I saw him, too. How his eyes, usually unreadable, softened when they landed on her. How he stood a little too close. The moment he caught me joking with her across the couch, his gaze darkened—not much, but enough. That was all I needed to know. So I stepped back. I locked it all away—every flicker of feeling, every impulse to reach for her. I chose to be her friend. And now? That friendship was ending. Because when Jacob erased her trauma, he’d be pulling the thread that connected her to all of us. She’d forget the fear—but she might forget the love too. The healing. Me. She wouldn’t know me anymore. I gripped the wheel tighter as I drove us farther, past the familiar roads, toward the edge of the forest. Rose had dozed off in the backseat, her tiny head lolling to the side. Easter glanced at me. "We’re going into the woods?" I parked near a trailhead, the trees whispering overhead like old friends. The air smelled of pine, rich earth, and fading sunlight. "Yes," I said. "Our date’s inside the forest." Easter blinked once, slowly. But she didn’t look surprised—not really. If anything, there was a quiet knowing in her expression, like part of her had been waiting for this all along. Then her eyes softened, catching the light just right, and that familiar spark flickered there—warm, unguarded. "That sounds perfect," she said, her voice gentle, like a secret slipping between us. I stepped out, opened the back door, and gently lifted Rose into my arms. She stirred but didn’t wake. Her warmth against my chest was grounding—painful. Then I turned to Easter and held out my hand. "Come with me?" She placed her hand in mine without hesitation. "Of course." I hesitated again—then looked straight into her eyes. "Do you trust me?" Her answer was immediate. "With all my heart." And that—that—was what broke me. She didn’t know. She didn’t know that in just a few hours, everything would fade. She wouldn’t remember this forest. This day. This moment. Me. I held her hand tighter and stepped into the woods, where the trees bent low like they were bowing for her, and birds fluttered ahead to clear the path. She didn’t ask questions. She just smiled, walking beside me like this was the beginning of something instead of the end. And the whole time, my heart ached with a truth I couldn’t tell her: This wasn’t a friendly date. It was goodbye.

Chapter 229: One Last Day

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