Page 133 of Daddy Sees Snakes

Finally, I slip through and gently pull it shut behind me.

Only then do I allow myself to exhale.

In the hallway, I lean against the wall for a moment, my mind racing.

What am I doing?

Is this the right choice?

But I know I need time to process everything that's happened, to figure out my next move.

I pull out my phone, fingers hovering over Allegra's name in my contacts.

No, I can't call her.

Not yet.

Instead, I open the Uber app, requesting a ride.

As I wait for confirmation, I can't help but replay last night in my head.

The way Viper looked at me, the feel of his hands on my skin, the intensity of our connection...

The ping of the Uber app snaps me back to reality.

My ride will be here in five minutes.

Just enough time to slip out unnoticed.

As I make my way down the stairs, a war rages inside me.

Part of me wants to run back upstairs, to wake Viper and tell him... what?

That I'm falling for him?

That I'm terrified of losing my best friend?

Instead, I force myself to keep moving, each step taking me further away from the man who's turned my world upside down.

As I reach for the front door, I pause, my hand trembling slightly.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, though I'm not sure if I'm apologizing to Viper, to Allegra, or to myself.

With a deep breath, I open the door and step out into the chilly morning, leaving behind the warmth of Viper's bed and the certainty of his arms.

For now, all I can do is put one foot in front of the other and hope that somehow, someway, everything will work out in the end.

The Uber pulls up, a sedan that blends into the quiet suburban street.

I slide into the backseat, grateful for the tinted windows that shield me from prying eyes.

I mumble the address I need to go to the driver, who nods silently.

As we pull away from Viper's house, my mind drifts back to last night.

The way his tattooed arms wrapped around me, strong yet gentle.

The intensity in his dark eyes as he looked at me, like I was the only woman in the world.

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