Pressing send would mean closing the chapter with Holden, something she wasn't fully ready for despite knowing better.

Guilt consumed her, especially given Holden's impending marriage. How could she sustain her relationship with him?

After what seemed like an eternity of an internal battle, she sent a simple message. "Thank you."

Holden's heart caught in his throat as he read the message. He quickly sent a puzzled emoji and replied, "Why are you thanking me all of a sudden?"

As the minutes stretched, a knot of worry tightened in his stomach.

After a while, he decided to call her, only to be met with a swift rejection. The sting of it was palpable. Before he could process it, another message appeared.

"Can't talk. Texting's better for now."

A storm of emotions swirled in Holden, and after a few deep breaths, he responded, “What's going on?"

Ariana's response was rapid, almost as if she had been waiting.

"Thank you for stepping in pretending to be Melon's dad. Your support during this period... It meant everything."

Holden's heart raced as he read Ariana's messages. Ariana's messages were all words thanking him, and it felt Like she was saying goodbye, making anxiety bubble within him.

Just as Holden was about to reply, Ariana sent another message.

"Melon's aware of the real story behind his dad now."

“How did he find out? Is he handling it okay?" he quickly typed back, the weight of her revelation making it hard for him to breathe.

Taking her time, Ariana finally replied, "It's better he knows now than discovers it later. Children can be resilient; they will learn to cope. And thank you, truly, for being there for him all this time."

Ariana kept her silence about the revealing call from Sadie, feeling that diving into those details would only ignite further tensions.

Holden, after all, was never meant to be a permanent fixture in Melon's life, and with his upcoming marriage with Sadie, she didn't want to be the one throwing a wrench in their plans.

However, even if unspoken, Holden sensed Ariana's intentions to put distance between them.

Desperation clawed at him, prompting him to send another message.

“Answer your phone."