Page 131 of Stuck with my Boss Daddies

Kai leaned forward slightly, brows knit. “Is it the baby?”

I blinked.

“No—no, I don’t think so,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “I mean, I don’t know, but… I just need to lie down for a bit. That’s all.” I waved a hand.

“Go crash in my bed for a bit,” Kai said.

I hesitated.

“Go.” That was the thing about Kai—he always knew when to push and when to give me space.

Right now, he was letting me run.

But I had no doubt he’d come find me later.

I nodded, murmured a quick thanks, and slipped away from the table before any of them could say anything else.

The stairs creaked beneath my feet as I climbed, my pulse hammering in my ears.

The second I stepped into Kai’s bedroom, I let out a shaky breath and collapsed onto the bed. I rolled onto my side, staring at the phone still clutched in my hand.

I should block him. Delete the message. Erase his number for good this time.

And yet, my thumb hovered over the screen.

I wanted to tell him to go to hell. To tell him he didn’t own me anymore.

But I also wanted to know what he wanted to talk about.

My hands curled into fists, my nails digging into my palms. I had come so far. Built something new. I had people here who cared about me, who wanted me for more than just what I could give them.

Owain didn’t get to take that from me.

So why did it still feel like he could?

I let out a slow breath and flipped the phone face down on the pillow beside me.

Maybe if I just closed my eyes for a little while, I’d wake up and this would all feel less like the beginning of a nightmare.

The nightmare started the way it always did.

Darkness. The sound of tires skidding. My own heartbeat slamming against my ribs.

Then, impact.

Metal screaming. Shattering glass. My body thrown forward, the seatbelt biting into my skin. The smell of burning rubber and blood filled my nose, thick and suffocating.

But then it changed. It was no longer the memory of my past, the accident that had stolen my family and shattered my childhood.

It was them.

Samuel. Adam. Kai.

Their truck spun out of control, headlights flashing in the rain, their voices calling my name—desperate, afraid—before metal twisted and crumpled around them.

I screamed, but no sound came out. I tried to move, to run to them, but my feet were stuck, cemented to the pavement as I watched the truck flip… once, twice…

Silence.

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