Chapter 4
Josie's POV
I could still feel the warmth where his hands had steadied my waist, and I couldn't help but feel a flutter of shyness. This was probably the first time I'd been this close to Uncle Dylan...
Yet, something about him felt different from other family elders. Perhaps it was because we were only nine years apart, without much of a generational gap between us.
Then, Olivia's earlier words suddenly flashed through my mind, making my head buzz with confusion. I felt heat rising rapidly to my cheeks and quickly stepped out of his embrace, creating some distance between us.
The thought was so abrupt, so inappropriate that I couldn't even bring myself to look up at him, terrified he might notice my flushed face.
A silence settled between us before he broke it with an unexpected question.
"How do you feel about your engagement to Connor?"
Engagement to Connor? Oh! There was no escaping this question, was there? How could I possibly answer that? If I told the truth—that I wanted out—would I disappoint the family that had taken me in and treated me like their own? Richard and Elizabeth had been nothing but loving since they took me in.
"I... well..." I searched for words that wouldn't reveal too much. "We're both so young, with so much going on. Connor has his plans, and I've got my research..."
I deliberately kept it vague. The truth was, I had no idea how to broach dissolving an engagement that had been arranged years ago. The expectation had hung around my neck like an invisible pendant for so long I'd almost stopped noticing its weight—almost.
Dylan's piercing gaze seemed to cut right through my half-answer, but he simply nodded. "Young people should have the freedom to make their own choices."
For some reason, his words sent a wave of relief washing over me.
"It's getting late. You should get some rest," he said, rising from his seat with fluid grace. "Richard and Elizabeth are coming home tomorrow. They've been asking about you."
"I've missed them too." I managed a small smile. "Goodnight, Dylan."
"Sleep well, Josie."
Back in my room, I stood at the window watching Manhattan's lights twinkle against the night sky. My thoughts raced ahead to tomorrow. How would I face Connor's parents? How could I delicately express my desire for independence without seeming ungrateful?
Morning sunlight streamed through my curtains when I woke. I took extra care getting dressed, choosing a casual but put-together outfit that said "responsible adult" rather than "college kid." Just as I finished brushing my hair, I heard Elizabeth's voice floating up from downstairs.
The moment I entered the dining room, Elizabeth looked up from her travel bags that Jenkins was still bringing in.
"Josie, good morning! Did you sleep well?" She came over and gave me a quick hug, the familiar scent of her perfume a reminder that the house would return to its normal rhythm now that they were back.
Richard folded his newspaper as I took my seat. "There she is. Anything exciting happen in the lab while we were away?"
We settled around the breakfast table, Jenkins serving his signature Belgian waffles with fresh fruit. Elizabeth shared highlights from their European meetings while occasionally asking about my week. Richard wanted to know if I adjusted well to the early start of graduate school life. Their questions were casual but attentive—the comfortable routine of a family catching up after a brief separation.
Gathering my courage in the warmth of their attention, I finally spoke up. "I've been thinking about something lately. With lab hours getting more intense this semester, I was wondering if maybe... I should get a place closer to Columbia."
A brief silence fell over the table.
Elizabeth and Richard exchanged one of those married-couple glances that contained an entire conversation. Then Elizabeth reached for my hand. "Of course, honey. Actually, Richard and I were just talking about a lovely townhouse near campus that would be perfect for you—"
"That's really generous," I jumped in quickly, "but I was thinking of something simpler. Just a regular apartment."
"Nonsense," Richard waved dismissively. "Safety is our priority. The neighborhood near Columbia can be—"
"It's not about that," I insisted gently. "It's about... learning to stand on my own two feet." I was twenty-two. I should figure out how to manage without the Brooks safety net sometimes.
Besides, I'll need to deal with Gray Industries' affairs eventually, though thankfully, my brother's handling everything for now.
Another meaningful glance passed between them before Richard sighed with a reluctant smile. "You always were stubborn, just like your father. Alright, but promise you'll still come home regularly. This will always be your home too."
"And do keep in touch with Connor," Elizabeth added, a hint of motherly disapproval coloring her tone. "That boy—graduates and then runs wild out there without coming home. How are we supposed to let him manage the family business in the future?"
"He perhaps just needs some breathing space," I found myself defending him automatically, though Connor's absence had actually made it easier to avoid confronting our engagement situation.
"Still," Richard shook his head, "family should come first. You two grew up together—that bond is special regardless of what happens."
I nodded, relief washing through me that they weren't pushing back harder. "I should go pack. I've got important lab work this afternoon that I need to prep for."
"Sunday dinner?" Elizabeth called after me as I stood. "Non-negotiable, young lady."
I smiled back at her. "I wouldn't miss it."
As I headed upstairs, I could feel Dylan's gaze following me from where he'd been silently observing our conversation. Something about his attention made me feel simultaneously nervous and oddly reassured.
Back in my room, I leaned against the closed door and took a deep breath. Moving out of the Brooks mansion was my first step toward independence—and possibly toward finding the courage to discuss breaking the engagement. Yet as I looked around at the space that had been my sanctuary for ten years, an unexpected wave of melancholy washed over me.
Freedom was what I wanted. So why did taking the first step toward it feel so complicated?
