Chapter 8
Chapter 8:
Kailey hadn’t expected to see him. The cleaning lady must have kept him informed.
“Yeah,” she replied, setting her bag quietly in the cabinet. After a short pause, she asked, “How is Olivia? Is she alright p>
The name made Ryan’s brow tighten, a flicker of irritation crossing his features. Kailey sensed he was about to scold her for hurting Olivia again, so she lowered her head and said nothing.
To her surprise, he changed course. “I left in such a hurry earlier. The cleaning lady told me you took a hard hit against the table. How bad was it p>
Kailey’s hand curled into a fist at her side, then slowly loosened. She kept her eyes on the floor. “It’s nothing. I’m alright p>
Ryan didn’t believe her. He remembered the cleaning lady mentioning that Kailey had been in tears—something that almost never happened. She had always been tough, which meant the pain must have been severe. He closed his laptop, set it aside, and crossed the room toward her. “Let me take a look p>
When he reached out, Kailey instinctively stepped back.
His hand hung in the air, the gesture left unfinished. Surprise flickered in his eyes.
“Kailey?” His voice was gentler now, uncertain. “I know I was only thinking about Olivia in that moment, and I didn’t see what you were going through. I’m sorry, alright p>
A dull ache settled in Kailey’s chest. All his worry had been for Olivia. He hadn’t seen her at all.
With her head still bowed, she replied in an even voice, “It was just a bruise. Nothing compared to Olivia’s injury. You should be by her side p>
𝘘𝗎𝖺𝗹𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝗍𝗋𝘢n𝘀la𝘁𝗂𝗼𝗇𝗌 on
“You’re certain you’re alright p>
“I’m fine p>
Ryan studied her for a long moment before finally letting it go. Knowing her temperament, he reasoned she would have made a fuss if things were truly serious.
He was about to continue when his phone rang. He answered immediately, his voice softening at once. “Olivia? What happened? Are you hurt?” Without pausing, he grabbed his jacket. “I’ll come right away.” He moved swiftly toward the door, then stopped and glanced back at Kailey. “If anything comes up, let me know. Take care of yourself, and try not to go out unless you need to p>
Kailey stood still and watched as he hurried out, started his car, and disappeared down the street.
The quiet stretched around her. The dull throb in her waist began to return.
Then her phone buzzed from inside her bag. The screen lit up with Kyson’s name, and something rose in her throat. She answered, her voice carrying a vulnerability she hadn’t meant to show.
“Kyson, I got hurt p>
Kyson seemed caught off guard by the shift in Kailey’s voice. For a moment, everything went quiet on his end, save for the faint rustle of movement in the background.