Page 237 of Kiss the Villain

Kayden thanks my mom with that blinding smile that kind of gives me butterflies. It’s insane to still have them when we’ve been together for some time. It’s like at the beginning when I was crushing on him and becoming full-blown obsessed while denying it.

“Thanks, Mom.” I side-hug her and she kisses my cheek.

“I want you to be happy, hon.”

“I am, Mom. Truly.”

And I mean it.

I don’t think I knew what happiness was before, but now, just being in the same room as Kayden is happiness.

Happiness takes many forms. It can range from comfortably existing in silence while playing chess to watching Moka eat Jethro’s cables while he tries to wrestle her away. It’s listening to Kayden’s steady heartbeat when I fall asleep and knowing he’s here with me.

It's how he smiles upon seeing me after a whole day of being apart, how he hugs and kisses me as if he can breathe only when I’m around.

It’s hearing Rachel and Jina’s stories about a younger, mischievous, but incredibly smart Kayden and seeing his baby albums. I might have even made them give up a few pictures so I could frame and keep them in that shrine I have of him.

Happiness is Kayden and Kayden is happiness. They’re one and the same in my mind.

Maybe they shouldn’t be, but me and my mind never conformed to normal anyway.

The rest of the dinner is less tense, and Kill keeps trying to be a little shit. He gets kicked by Glyn every time, and I think he’s doing it on purpose at this point.

But Dad is warming up a little to Kayden. They have a pretty similar levelheadedness, so maybe that helps. I do want Dad to like him, I really do, and perhaps that’s an aftereffect of those times when I always craved his approval to the point that I invented a public personality so as not to disappoint him.

But over the past few months, I realized that I like my dad better when he knows exactly what I’m capable of. When I don’t have to hide my true self just to please him.

After dinner, Kayden is swept away by Mom with bribes to show him my photo albums and all the awards I’ve won.

“Mom, stop. That’s embarrassing,” I say then narrow my eyes on Kayden. “Why would you want to see those anyway?”

“The same reason you begged my moms for pictures of me.” He gives an evil grin. “Please lead the way, Reina.”

Kill catches up to them. “I’ll join for commentary.”

I grunt. “Please don’t.”

“I’m going to enjoy this.” He pulls Glyn along. “Come on.”

“I’m sorry,” she mouths. “I’ll defend you!”

“No one will be making fun of my grandson on my watch.” Grandpa all but storms to the sitting area.

I groan. “Fuck my life. I don’t want to go in there.”

“Then don’t.” Dad squeezes my shoulder and leads me out to the balcony. The night’s chill doesn’t manage to cool down my grumbly mood.

“Kill will definitely have his revenge for the time we showed Glyn pictures of him in a dress.” I rub my eyes with the heel of my palm. “That prick never forgave me for that.”

“On the bright side, you don’t have a picture in a dress.” Dad smiles with nostalgia. “Your mom really wanted Kill to be a girl. She was devastated to be only a boys’ mom. I believe that’s why she dotes on Glyn so much—she’s the daughter she always wanted.”

I lean against the railing, listening to the laughs filtering in from the other room, mostly my mom’s. “I hope she doesn’t hate me for not giving her another daughter-in-law.”

“Nonsense. You heard her earlier. Your happiness is what’s important to her, no matter who you choose to be with.”

“What about you, Dad?”

“Your happiness is important to me, too. You know that, Gareth.”

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