Page 28 of Your Last First Kiss

“Mr. Dillon,” Kai says.

“Just Dillon,” he says, and my gaze ping-pongs between them.

“You can call me Kai,” my son says without making eye contact. Then he turns to me, and the fear in his expression causes my stomach to twist painfully. “Dillon gave me a ride home, Mom.”

I blink away my worry and address Dillon. “Were you checking on Ashton’s place?”

“We were just there,” Landon says flatly without looking up. “No one was home.”

My throat tightens at Landon’s monotone voice. He wasn’t always this serious, this melancholy, and it makes my mom guilt reach up into my throat, threatening to suffocate me.

“We checked on it after Landon’s appointment,” I explain. “A single woman is renting Ashton’s place, so I wanted to make sure she was all set for the storm.”

“No, Mom. I—I…” Kai twists his hands together roughly. “I went to see Mr. Blaine.”

“In the city?” My voice is two octaves too high, and I place a fist to my chest like I can hold my heart steady. “Kaiser Edward Damon,” I say through clenched teeth.

“Don’t call me that,” my son bellows, and Dillon shifts his weight from foot to foot beside me. “Dad showed up here this morning. I knew he was going to Mr. Blaine’s next.”

“Kai. You should have called me. How many times do I have to tell you that you’re not the parent here? What if something had happened to you? I wouldn’t have even known where you were.”

My hands shake, and my eyes grow hot. I’ve never felt fear so intense as I do as a mother. If something happens to one of my boys, it will literally kill a piece of my soul.

“You can’t do everything, Mom, and he was…” Kai looks ready to cry too and faces Dillon.

“Kai, go to your room and wait for me.”

“Mom…”

“Now, Kai.” The command is stern, but my body is trembling.

He glances at me again, and my throat constricts like someone is squeezing the life out of me. Then he spins on his heel and stomps toward the stairs.

A timer goes off on the stove, and I turn away from them while keeping my arms crossed over my chest.

But really, I’m simply holding myself together. If I release my arms, I know I’ll break.

“I’m sorry. I—Lochlan and I thought… I wanted to make sure he was safe.” Dillon’s voice is low and melodic. His words feather over me, wringing out my tension muscle by muscle.

It’s both comforting and maddening that he can do such things to me with simple words.

Landon grunts, and Dillon moves closer to see what he’s working on. It gives me a second to tame the chaos swirling around my overcrowded mind.

Without looking at him, I finally say, “I appreciate that, Dillon, I do. Just—what was he thinking?” I drift closer to the window where the snow is coming down thick and fast. “Wait, did you even check the weather before you came out here?”

I find an old Damon’s Details sweatshirt on the floor behind the chair and pull it over my head, but I don’t miss the way Dillon’s eyes narrow on the logo. I don’t like wearing my ex-husband’s name like a branding any more than he apparently does, but I need the extra protection right now. One more layer to keep me safe.

“I told him I’d get him the number for Tanks so when he needs a tow, he’ll know who to call,” Kai yells from the top of the stairs.

“Kai. Room. Now,” I holler, then turn to Dillon while worrying my lip raw. He’s going to be so pissed. “We’re getting a Nor’easter, Dillon. They’ve already canceled school for tomorrow and will probably end up canceling the rest of the week too. Do you know what that means?”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of candy. I watch in fascination as his jaw crunches away on it before he shrugs. “I guess it means my week is about to get a lot more interesting.” His smile is arresting, and I forget to breathe.

Damn him.

My head is spinning with lists that never end. One piles on top of the next until I’m sure I’ll drown.

One thing I do know is that I’m going to kill Eddy, then Kai. Then Eddy again for—for everything.