Alec’s

"You love being outside, right?" I began and waited for her to nod her head. When she does, I continue. "How would you feel if I locked you inside the house and refused to let you out?"

She thought about it for a second, a cute little frown appearing between her brows. "Very bad."noveldrama

"Would it make you happy being inside all the time?"

"No."

"That's the same with this pretty butterfly. It loves being outside where it can fly around. If you lock it inside, it will be very, very sad. It won't even want to eat or play with you. Is that what you want?"

She looked at me and then at the butterfly in her hand. Tears sprang to her eyes as she answered. "I don't want her to be sad. I want her to be happy, like me."

I smiled at her while running my finger down her cheek. "Then you have to set it free. Play with it outside, chase it, but don't catch it. You also don't want to hurt its wings, do you? Look at how weak they are."

"I don't want to hurt her wings." Her tears are long gone as what I said finally sinks in. "I'll let it go now."

She doesn't wait for me to say anything else, just skips away before lifting her hands in the air and letting the butterfly go. I watched as she continued chasing after them with a huge smile on her face.

Keeping my eyes on her to make sure she didn't go too far, I stood up and stretched. My ass was going numb, having sat on that boulder for a while.

I feel him before I even see him. I used to know when Alec was around, but with the bond now active between us, that feeling has been magnified.

I don't turn even when I feel him on my back or when he comes to stand next to

me. Silence stretches between us. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it also wasn't weird.

I didn't see him during breakfast even though scanned for him. Which is just ridiculous if you ask me. Why? Why now? I thought I had move on. I had destroyed the love I felt for him. Now, though, feelings I thought I'd buried have started emerging.

"You are a great mother," he mumbled next to me, his voice a deep rumble that sent shivers down my spine.

I still. "Well, that's so random, but thanks, I guess."

"She looks so happy. So free," he whispered. "I can't believe I had almost ended

her life. That I missed three years of her life.”

This time I couldn't help but turn to

face him. He faced forward. His

focus was on Aspen, but even without seeing his face, I could hear the regret in his voice. I could hear the hate and resentment towards himself for almost ending her life.

I spent so much time using that to hurt him without realizing he was already hurting. There was no use in beating down a man who was already beating himself down. I was basically kicking a man when he was already down.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry that I am a letdown. I let you both down and that's something I'll regret for the rest of my life. I should have treated you better. I should have tried to piece things together first should have seen past my anger?"

Before I could say anything, Aspen turned her head sharply as if she could sense

her father. She screams with glee before running towards us. In a move that neither of us expected, she jumps into his arms.

"You came," she beamed, wrapping her hands around his neck before she placed her head on his shoulder.

I could feel her happiness all the way to where I was standing. It radiated off her in waves and it filled the entire space.

I looked at the father-daughter duo and I couldn't help but wonder, am I really doing the right thing keeping them separate or is it just my fears that are making me deny what's clearly love between them?