Page 66 of Finding You

“She left,” Adele told him. “I watched her drive off. Frey packed your stuff, and Lane got Audra ready. She’s knocked out in her carrier. I’m pretty sure Katie just went to call the cops, but if we take off and have someone else drive your car, she’ll follow them, and we can get to my place.”

He was filled with a rush of anger. He shouldn’t have to do all this to get away from his ex—to keep his child safe. He hadn’t committed a crime. He hadn’t threatened to take Audra from her. He just wanted to see his daughter without having what little time he was allowed interrupted by his ex.

“I hate that she’s doing this.”

Adele nodded and used a finger to lift Dallas’s chin. “She’s scared. She’s scared that a judge is going to think you’re a better parent and take her baby away from her. She’s afraid what she did is going to come out and tarnish her character in court.”

“I don’t want to take Audra from her. I just want what’s fair!” Dallas shouted, then stopped because he knew that Adele was right, and it wasn’t fair to take his temper out on a member of his family. “Sor?—”

“No,” Adele said like he was scolding a dog.

Dallas rolled his eyes but managed a smile. “Thanks. Uh…well. I think I like your plan, so I guess we should go?”

“Bowen already left in your car, and Lane’s going to put Audra in mine.” He gripped Dallas by the shoulders and forced their gazes to connect. “It’s going to be okay.”

Dallas wanted to believe that. Desperately. But his faith was hanging by a thread, and the universe seemed to be holding a big pair of shears beside it with a cruel, sadistic grin.

Chapter Nineteen

KYLEN

“Marry me.”

Dani laughed and smacked him on the arm before resuming the scalp massage. Her lap was soft, and her fingers were the perfect amount of gentle and strong. He’d just come back from getting his grandmother officially settled into her new place, which had been great…

Until it wasn’t.

Until she yelled at her carer and spit on the poor woman. Then she threw a tantrum and knocked her lunch all over the floor. Kylen had been mortified, but the staff smiled at him, waved it off, and told him that’s what they were there for. His gran wasn’t a “problem child” or anything else he was worried about.

She was just like everyone else.

Eventually, she settled down and was allowed to go into the rec room, where they were having a paint-by-numbers session. Kylen left when he realized she no longer wanted him there.

“It gets easier,” the nurse told him, walking him toward the main doors. “And then it gets harder again. And then easier again. It’s a vicious cycle.”

He sighed, but he was smiling because it was the first time in a long time he felt like he could breathe without worrying that the ten seconds he took to make sure he had enough oxygen, something was going to happen to her.

“I’ll be by soon,” he promised. Then he left.

He checked his phone when he got home, but he hadn’t heard from Dallas in a while, and he was starting to panic like maybe he’d said something wrong. He knew he’d had the near slip where he almost told Dallas he was in love with him, but Dallas hadn’t seemed to notice.

Unless he had, and now he was starting the slow ghost.

Kylen would live if that happened, but he would be crushed all the same. He wanted Dallas to trust him—to believe him when he said he didn’t need all the little details about relationships that everyone thought were necessary. He didn’t need sex. He needed someone who loved him for who he was.

He didn’t need big fireworks and constant sparks.

He needed someone steady. Someone he could trust. A man who would be careful with his heart.

Most of the time, that felt like too big an ask, but then Dallas had come along, and Kylen had allowed himself to get his hopes up.

Now, he was wallowing, but being with Dani helped. She was always the perfect source of comfort when things were too much. He could picture doing this in the future, only there would be five of them. Flora would be playing with her toys, he and Dallas would be curled up together with Audra, and Dani would be near him, just being herself.

God, he wanted that so much his throat ached.

“What is it?”

Kylen closed his eyes and turned his face away from the TV. “Dallas hasn’t texted or called in a while.”

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