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Kairi

Atlas slipped into bed, smelling freshly showered. Whatever he scent he was wearing made me want to lean closer and breath him in. but I held back. This was all so weird and overwhelming. Sometimes just having him next to me was enough to turn me on, and I hated myself for it. I’d catch myself wondering when sex would become part of this twisted arrangement, and then immediately chide myself for even thinking about it. We didn’t need to complicate things further—but damn, I was horny.

I lay there quietly, waiting for the right moment to speak. The words felt heavy on my tongue, but I didn’t know how to express them in a way that sounded emotionally mature, so I just let them out.

“I heard you on the phone. Thank you for what you said to your mother,” I finally said, keeping my gaze fixed on the ceiling, unable to look at him yet.

There was a pause before he responded. “I know,” he said cautiously. “I figured you might have heard, and you don’t have to thank me. It’s something I should have done a long time ago.”

“I was never jealous of Ashlen,” I said slowly. “And I was never as naive about her as people assumed. I knew she wasn’t a real friend most of the time. But when my mom died, she was there for me. She helped me when no one else did. That meant something to me, even if the rest of it was a mess.”

Atlas was silent, so I pressed on. “For all the bad, there was some good in our friendship. That’s why I never completely turned my back on her. I just got tired of pretending I didn’t know who she really was.”

“I never thought you were jealous of Ashlen. You never had a reason to be. You're smart, beautiful inside and out,” he said softly, making my cheeks heat before continuing. “It makes sense why you even came here.”

We fell into silence again, but then Atlas broke it. “Kairi, you heard the call. Are you ready for Dion to meet my mother? I need to know where your head is at with all of this.”

I hesitated before answering. We were in a calm place, and I didn’t want to ruin it by mentioning how little I cared to meet his judgmental mother. “No, not yet,” I admitted gently. “But I want Dion to know all of his family. I want that for him. I just need to be sure it’s safe. I won’t have him around people who are toxic or who make him feel less than. We already have enough problems of our own, Atlas. I can’t add more.”

He reached out and gently touched my hand under the covers. “I get it. I won’t force anything. I’ll make sure it’s safe for him—for both of you. I promise.”

I nodded, feeling a small sense of relief, though the doubts lingered. “Thank you,” I whispered.

Atlas was quiet for another moment before he shifted the conversation. “What do you want to do for Dion’s birthday? I want it to be special.”

I thought about it. “Something small. I don’t know many people with kids here.”

He nodded. “I’ll handle it. I’ll make sure it’s perfect.”

I didn’t argue. I was exhausted—mentally and physically. My eyes started to close. Just as I was about to drift off, I felt Atlas shift beside me, his arm wrapping around my waist. He pulled me close, pressing a soft kiss to the back of my head.

“Goodnight, Kairi,” he whispered.

I let him hold me, feeling the tension in my body slowly melt away. We were at a crossroads, and I realized I needed to compromise for Dion’s sake.