Page 142 of Stuck with my Boss Daddies

Another knock, gentler this time.

“Sadie… it’s me,” Kai said again, softer now, barely more than a breath. “We just want to talk. Please, let us in.”

I hesitated, fingers hovering over the flimsy motel lock. My throat burned, my vision blurred, the war inside me raging so violently I thought I might shatter from the force of it.

But I wasn’t alone.

Not anymore.

My fingers shook as I slid the lock free and twisted the knob.

The door opened.

And there they were.

Kai. Samuel. Adam.

All three of them standing in the dim, unnatural light of the motel hallway, drenched in exhaustion, in worry, so raw it made my breath stutter.

Kai’s eyes met mine first, dark and filled with so many things I didn’t know how to hold.

Then Samuel—jaw clenched, hands curled into fists like he was holding himself back from grabbing me.

And Adam, who looked like he hadn’t taken a full breath since I left.

I stepped back before I could stop myself, the door widening just enough for them to enter. They didn’t hesitate.

Kai was the first one through, his movements tense but careful, like he was afraid I’d bolt if he wasn’t cautious. Samuel followed, his sharp gaze sweeping over me.

Adam came last, quieter, softer, but his eyes—God, his eyes—were warm and aching and full of something I didn’t think I deserved.

The door clicked shut behind them. And suddenly, the room felt too small.

Too full.

Too much.

I wrapped my arms around myself, stepping back until my knees hit the edge of the bed.

“You shouldn’t have come.” My voice was barely more than a whisper.

Kai’s expression tightened. “You really thought we wouldn’t?”

I swallowed, looking away. I had hoped, for their sake, that they wouldn’t. That they’d let me go, let me make this easier.

Samuel sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face.

“Jesus, Sadie.” His voice was rough, full of frustration, making my chest ache. “Do you really think so little of us?”

“No,” I said quickly. “It’s not that.” I forced myself to meet their eyes, one by one. “It’s me. I can’t… I’m not…”

My throat closed up, my chest squeezing like it was caught in a vise.

They waited.

They always waited.

I sucked in a breath and tried again.

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