“I saw how hard you worked to fix things between Colleen and Jay,” Seb continued. “You blamed yourself for that. You felt responsible. But Ainsley… that wasn’t your fault—and neither is this.”
“But it is,” she whispered past a constricted throat. “If I hadn’t acted like I did before—”
Seb stepped forward and took her hand. “You didn’t ask for this stalker. You didn’t cause this. That’s not on you, Ainsley. I don’t want you putting yourself at risk just to prove you can fix it.”
Ainsley looked at him with wide, pained eyes. “Then what do I do?”
“You stay safe,” Seb said. “That’s what’s most important. We can work on everything else together. I want you to rely on me more.”
She nodded slowly, then leaned into him, resting her forehead against his chest.
They stood that way until they w
