Caleb McCrae had spent years trying to outrun his past.

He left in the middle of the night once before, decades ago, when he and Gideon packed their lives into a duffel bag and fled their father’s house with nothing but a tank of gas and a vague idea of freedom. Back then, it was simple—escape meant survival, and as long as they had each other, nothing else mattered. They lived hand to mouth, scraped by in dingy apartments, and swore they’d never become the man they left behind.

But years passed, and somewhere along the way, Gideon changed.

What started as a sharp word here and there turned into something darker—something Caleb recognized all too well. The man who once shielded him from their father became another version of him, and Caleb, like their mother before him, had no choice but to walk away.

Now, with a stable life, a safe home, and a partner who shows him love without conditions, Caleb finally feels like he’s free. But freedom is fragile, and Gideon was never one to let things go.

Because Gideon still sees him as that boy who once promised they’d stick together forever. And if Caleb thinks he can just disappear—well, Gideon has other plans.

After all, love means never, ever, ever letting go.