Page 41 of Atlas Uncharted

“No, Kairi,” he said, his voice calm and measured. “I’m not insane. I’m a father. A father who was robbed of three years with his child. I want a do-over. I want to see it all from the beginning.”

I shook my head, my back hitting the wall behind me. “No. This… you’re not doing this. You can’t do this.”

His expression didn’t change. Atlas stepped forward, crowding me against the wall again, his body towering over mine. He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, “I’m very serious, Kairi. You let me suffer,” he hissed. “You let me fall apart, cry over every fucking miscarriage, and you said nothing. You let me grieve while you kept my son a secret. You can do what I want, or…”

He stepped back. He reached into the bag again, pulling out a folder and tossing it onto the table with a loud smack.

“These are the custody papers,” he said, his voice still eerily calm. “My lawyer can file them in the morning. I’m asking for full custody.”

I stared at the papers, my heart racing. Tears welled up again. I couldn’t stop them from spilling over.

“Please,” I whispered. “Don’t do this.”

“It’s your choice, Kairi. Do what I say, or watch me tear your world apart.”

“Why are you doing this? You know I wasn’t being malicious by not telling you,” I choked out. “This is malicious.”

I shook my head, forcing myself not to wring my hands. I felt like my head was about to explode.

“I was trying to do what was best,” I whispered.

Atlas shook his head, stepping closer until he was towering over me again.

“Was putting subliminal messages about me in everything you wrote not malicious? You should have opened the door instead of forcing us both to suffer. Instead of lying.”

And just like that, I felt my fear and sadness shift to anger. I suddenly felt like my new self again. He had no power over me unless I let him.

“And there it is. This has more to do with me not saving you from the life you didn’t want. Because you were too much of a coward to save yourself. This isn’t going to turn out how you want it. But I’ll do it.”

I didn’t even hesitate when I reached for my shirt, yanking it over my head. I stood there in my bra, panties, and tights. I let him look. Let him take it all in.

“You want this, Atlas? Is this what you’ve been waiting for? Got a taste and can’t get it off your mind?”

I didn’t wait for his answer. My hands were already at my waist, tugging down the tights, slow enough to make sure he was watching. I could feel the heat from his gaze like a spotlight.

I stepped out of the tights and stood there, feeling like I should be ashamed—but I wasn’t. I ran my hands down my sides, fingers brushing over the curves of my thick hips.

“You like this, don’t you?” I asked, voice full of venom, cupping my breasts through the thin fabric of my bra. “This is what you wanted, right? All these years, you’ve been craving my body?”

I moved closer, every step slow. His anger was thick in the air, but I didn’t care. I was daring him to do something.

“I’ll take your little test,” I spat. I grabbed his hand. He let me take it and guide it between my legs. I let him feel the wetness. I shouldn’t have been turned on, but I was.

“I’ll have your babies. I’ll play along, be your good little whore, and pretend housewife for three years. What’s three years, huh? Nothing.”

I stepped back and reached behind to unfasten my bra, my nipples almost touching him, taunting him. He licked his lips, his hand fisting at his side.

“But when it’s all over, you’ll still be this man. The man I didn’t open the door for. The man whose world is in shambles. And I’ll still end up living my life without you. And you’ll have to see that every time you pick up my kids.”

I straightened up, holding the test in my hand like it was a weapon, then turned and walked away, each step intentional, my hips swaying with the kind of confidence I knew would haunt him.

Fuck compromise. Atlas didn’t want compromise. He wanted to be petty, wanted to push me until I broke. So I’d break him back.

Chapter 29

Kairi

All the bravado I had a second ago fell away as soon as the bathroom door closed. I dropped the ovulation kit into the sink like it was a burning coal. My hands trembled as I grabbed the robe hanging on the back of the door, covering myself. My heart was racing, and I couldn’t catch my breath. This was all so impractical. I had no idea how to handle any of it.

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