Chapter 29
Chapter 29:
Kyson listened in silence, his expression darkening with every word. Then he caught it—the faint unevenness in her breathing, the hint of tears she was trying to hide. His voice dropped, low and sharp. “Yeah… how could he? Do you want me to come back and sort him out p>
Kailey went still. “No. That’s not something you should do p>
Kyson lifted an eyebrow. “And why not p>
“Because… he’s still my uncle p>
Kyson leaned back against the railing and looked out over the city lights and the movement far below. His tone softened, though the edge remained. “Alright. Then we’ll keep our distance from him for now. No reason to let him ruin anything else p>
Kailey finally agreed, her shoulders loosening as though she could breathe again.
They talked for a while longer, and somewhere in the conversation the heaviness that had been sitting on her chest quietly dissolved.
After a pause, Kailey asked, “Are you finished working for the day p>
𝘘𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯
“Yes,” Kyson answered. “Is there something you want? Some kind of gift p>
“A gift?” The idea made her uncomfortable. Nora had already done so much on his behalf. Asking for more felt wrong. She shook her head. “No. I don’t need anything p>
Kyson frowned, aware of the way she kept pulling back even when he was only trying to be kind. Still, he knew better than to push too quickly. What they had was new, and trust didn’t grow overnight.
So he only said, “I’ll wrap things up here in a couple of days. If something upsets you or something’s on your mind, you can always tell me. Anytime p>
Kailey’s lips curved, and her tone turned playful. “Sure. You just want to hear all my drama, don’t you p>
Kyson paused, caught between calling her sweet or completely unaware. Sweet won out.
“Yeah,” he said quietly.
That small answer stayed with Kailey longer than it should have. She came away convinced that he genuinely liked hearing her stories. From then on, whenever something dramatic or interesting happened, she found herself wanting to tell him first.
But that was a matter for another day.
Once the call ended, Kailey could finally breathe properly again.
She lay staring up at the ceiling, letting the calm settle back into her chest. After a while, she reached for her phone and sent Aleena a message letting her know she would visit the Owen family the following day. She would stay with them for a few days, and once Kyson returned, she would leave for Aslesall.
Olivia’s injury had turned out to be worse than expected. The doctor needed another day before he could confirm everything, so she was kept in the hospital overnight for observation.
Ryan had left earlier to gather a few necessities and hadn’t anticipated the argument with Kailey turning so intense. By the time he made it back, the afternoon had already slipped away. It was nearly three o’clock.
Olivia looked pale against the white sheets, but the moment she spotted him, her eyes lit with relief. Her voice wavered. “Why did it take you so long? The doctor came by earlier and said there could be a scar. I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m terrified p>