I thought a quiet getaway to my friend’s lake house would help me forget my disastrous breakup. But then her charming brother showed up, and just when things were getting interesting, her past wormed its way into our dinner. What happened next changed everything.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him. That smug look when he told me he’d “found someone else.” As if it were that easy. As if our years together didn’t matter.
My ex had a knack for making me feel small, as if everything that went wrong was my fault. Every inch of my apartment was a reminder of that pain. It was suffocating me.
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I needed to get out. Anywhere but here. So when Joanna called, it was like a lifeline.
“Come stay with me at the lake house,” he said.
I didn’t even hesitate. It was perfect.
***
So, the next day, I packed everything I could into a suitcase and set off. The lake stretched out like a giant mirror. The trees swayed as if in some peaceful secret, and the air… It didn’t smell of heartbreak. It smelled of pine and fresh opportunities.
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I stood on the porch, soaking it all up.
“Liv!” Joanna came out waving and hugged me tightly.
“You look like you’ve seen better days.”
“Wow, thanks,” I chuckled, pretending to be offended.
She smiled. “Come on, inside. I bought your favorite.”
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I rolled my eyes. “You mean the wine?”
He winked at me. “You know me too well.”
For the first time in a long time, I felt like things might be going well. We spent hours talking, mostly about nonsense: our shared hatred of running and how rare it is that people voluntarily get up early to do it. It was as if no time had passed since we’d last spent time together.
And then footsteps were heard.
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I turned around, and there he was. Seth. I hadn’t seen Joanna’s brother in years, but boy, had time been kind. He smiled, and it was one of those smiles that makes you forget how words work.
“Hey,” Seth said, his voice relaxed, as if I hadn’t just thrown all my sense of peace out the window.
“Hello,” I managed to say.
Very soft, Olivia.
“Joanna said you’d stay.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
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Joanna shot him a look. “She’s not here for you to bother her, Seth.”
“Who said no to bothering her?” Seth raised his hands in surrender, but there was a gleam in his eyes.
“I’m fine,” I blurted out, feeling like a teenager again. “Really. It doesn’t bother me.”
“Okay, well, we’ll see each other.”
As she walked away, Joanna nudged me. “He’s single, you know.”
I groaned. “Oh no, we’re not going to do this.”
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He laughed and poured me another glass of wine. “Keep an open mind. That’s all I’m saying.”
I looked toward the door where Seth had just disappeared. My heart gave a strange lurch.
“I came here to escape, not to… complicate things.”
“Complications make life interesting,” Joanna sang.
I raised my glass. “Here’s to you being wrong.”
But deep down I knew I didn’t.
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***
The first few days were relaxing. We’d sit outside in the evenings, the three of us just talking about life, laughing at silly memories, and I found myself enjoying the simplicity of it all.
Seth didn’t try too hard to be charming. He was just… himself. Easygoing, easygoing, always sprinkling in a “you know what” whenever he spoke, which I found strangely comforting.
I realized he was very close to Joanna. They had a natural sibling bond; they teased each other about little things, but they cared deeply for each other.
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One night, after we finished dinner, Seth leaned back in his chair and looked at me.
“Hey, what do you think about having dinner together tomorrow? Just you and me?”
I blinked, surprised. “Dinner? Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I thought we’d been hanging out here, why not go outside for a change?”
I looked at Joanna, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing, clearly amused by her brother’s sudden offer.
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“Yeah. Sure, why not?” I finally answered, feeling a little out of my depth.
“Great,” Seth said, standing up as if I’d just suggested we get coffee, not go on a date. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
As she walked away, I looked at Joanna, who was smiling.
“What?” I asked, feeling my cheeks heat up.
“Nothing,” she said, still smiling. “It’s just… Seth doesn’t ask anyone out. This is new.”
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I frowned. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
She laughed, shaking her head.
“Relax, Liv. He likes you. That’s good.”
“Maybe,” I murmured, but as I sat there, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d just agreed to something that might be a lot more complicated than I was prepared for.
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***
We were sitting in the restaurant, and at first, everything seemed perfect. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was warm, and Seth was as relaxed as ever.
We laughed and talked about everything and nothing, and I started to feel a little more comfortable around him. But then his phone rang.
At first he ignored it, but it rang again. And again.
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“Sorry, I’ll be right back,” he said, getting up and leaving.
What’s so important that it can’t wait?
I tried to enjoy the meal, but my eyes kept wandering toward the door. When he came back, he smiled as if nothing had happened.
“All good?”.
“Yeah, just some work stuff,” he said nonchalantly.
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But then it happened again. Halfway through dessert, his phone rang, and once again, he excused himself.
This time I couldn’t stay still. I stood up and followed him silently. I saw Seth standing with another woman, deep in conversation.
Who is it?
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They looked at me. Seth looked startled.
“Oh, Olivia, this is Lauren.” He paused.
“My ex-wife.”
I didn’t know what to say. Lauren smiled, acting friendly.
“Why don’t you two come over for dinner tomorrow?” he said.
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Before I could even think of refusing, Seth… agreed! Later, he tried to reassure me.
“It’s nothing. It’s been a while. Dinner sounds good,” Seth said, with a calm, reassuring smile.
I was surprised.
Dinner with your ex? Really?
But I had no solid reason to refuse. He seemed very casual, as if it were no big deal, and I didn’t want to seem insecure or jealous.
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***
Dinner with Seth and Lauren was awkward from the start. Lauren quickly made herself at home, sitting a little too close to Seth for my liking.
“Remember when we went to the beach?” Lauren began, her voice thick with nostalgia. “We were such a perfect couple then. Everyone thought we’d last forever.”
He laughed, leaning closer to Seth. I shifted in my seat, trying to stay calm.
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He was trying to get under my skin, and I didn’t want to let him. Seth barely responded, giving him polite, brief answers.
“Yeah, that was a long time ago,” he said, sounding almost bored.
But I couldn’t stand it any longer. I pushed back my chair and stood up.
“I’m going to get some fresh air,” I muttered, without waiting for a reply.
What am I doing here?
Outside, the cool night air helped a little. Everything seemed so complicated, I didn’t know how to deal with it.
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Suddenly, a little voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Are you here with my daddy?”
I turned around and saw a little girl, her eyes sleepy as she rubbed them. My heart stopped.
Daddy?
It hit me like a ton of bricks. Seth had a daughter.
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“Oh… um, yeah, I’m here with your daddy.”
The girl looked at me with disarming innocence.
“Let’s go find him.”
“Of course, honey. Let’s go find him.”
When I brought her to Seth, he immediately picked her up.
“Hey, pumpkin. Time to go to bed?”
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He smiled at her in a way she hadn’t seen all night.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, taking her to tuck her in.
You have a daughter? How could you not know?
When Seth left, Lauren was quick to make her move. She approached me.
“This isn’t your place, you know.”
I blinked, stunned. “What do you mean?”
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“Seth and I… we have a history. And a family. He always comes back to us. This is just a phase. You should leave before anyone hurts you.”
Family? This is too much.
I felt panic rise in my chest.
Without another word, I gathered my things and headed for the door. I needed to get out before I got completely lost.
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***
Morning light filtered through the curtains as I zipped up my suitcase and checked my phone again. No texts. No calls. The silence was deafening.
Joanna walked in. “Are you really leaving?”
I sighed, sitting up in bed. “I can’t stay, Jo. He hasn’t even reached out. I feel overwhelmed.”
By noon, I had already booked my ticket.
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***
Halfway to the airport, as I looked out the window, lost in thought, I saw a car speeding alongside us.
No, it can’t be!
I squinted to see better and saw Seth. He was driving fast, as if on a mission.
What are you doing here? Do you want to say goodbye? Or arrest me?
I couldn’t say, but part of me was grateful that he had shown up.
The taxi driver looked at me in the rearview mirror. “Do you know him?”
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“Yes, I… think so.”
Seth stopped, parking in front of the taxi. He came up to the window, looking at me with that familiar calm.
“Olivia, wait.”
I rolled down the window. “What are you doing here, Seth?”
“I couldn’t let you leave like that. I need you to know the truth. And I didn’t tell you because… I didn’t want to drag you into my mess. But I should have. You deserve to know everything.”
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I sat there speechless. He looked away for a moment, then back at me.
“Olivia, I’ve fallen in love with you. I know it’s complicated, and I know I have baggage. But I need you to stay. I want you to meet my daughter, to see the real me.”
I felt torn between the certainty of leaving and the undeniable attraction of staying. But my heart knew the answer before my mind. I tore up the plane ticket, knowing that sometimes the greatest risks lead to the most beautiful results.
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