32

CHAPTER 32 - BREATHE

Imani got into Killian's car, she slid in and went quiet. She saw Emily diverting the reporter away from Killan’s car.

Killian got in the driver's seat, locked the doors, and pulled out of Imani tech garage, past the cameras, past the whole chaos.

The whole street of New York as loud but suprisingly, inside the car it was silent.

Imani rested her head against the window, series of questions ran through her mind, loud and messy.

“Did I know? Did I ignore the signs about Luke?”

“How long has be been a threat?”

“Did I ruin everything by setting that trap?”

She stared out the window, hands clenched in her lap, breathing shallow.

Killian didn't ask her to talk. He just reached over and pressed a button on the console.

He helped her open the car roof — the panoramic sunroof sliding back, allowing her to receive fresh air.

Cold breeze touched Imani face distracting her from all what she has been thinking, she looked at Killian who only focused on driving.

"Breathe," he said quietly, eyes on the road, hand on the wheel. "Just breathe, Imani."

She took a breath. Then another. The wind messed up her hair and she pushed it back with her hand but she didn't care at all.

They drove toward Imani's house, as Killan approached the house, he noticed some people had gathered there.

Imani saw that reporters had piled up in front of her house. Her heart sank as she tightened her grip on the car door, attempting to open.

Imani suddenly froze in the passenger seat. Her hand went to her mouth.

"Jaden," she whispered. “My son is in there. What if they—"

Killian parked the car half block away, out of their line of sight.

"Hey," he said, turning to her, voice steady. "Nothing will happen. Look."

He pointed — the front door was closed. Blinds down and the security had tightened.

"There's a patrol car right there. And your nanny texted Emily — Jaden is inside, he's napping, he doesn't know anything. No one gets past that gate." Killan assured her.

Imani's eyes were full of tears she refused to let fall.

Killian suggested it's best if she didn't go home now.

"It's a circus," he said softly. "If you walk in there now, they will follow you to your door with cameras. Jaden will see. Let's not give them that. Come back tonight when they're gone."

He looked at her. "Can I take you to my place?”

Imani hesitated for two seconds, then nodded. "Okay."

Killian made a U-turn and headed toward his penthouse and that’s about 30 minutes ride.

In a flash, they got there but Roi wasn't home yet. Killan had texted him not to return home that night.

The house was quiet, clean, warm. Killian's black coat on the hook.

He didn't explain more. He just guided her to the couch.

"Sit."

Killian offered Imani a cup of water. A glass, cold, with ice.

She drank it with both hands. Her hands were shaking, He noticed.

While she drank, Killian went into the kitchen to whip up something for her to eat.

His sleeves rolled up, in a white T-shirt as he began boiling water, garlic, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, basil from his little window garden.

Imani watched him from the couch, quiet. It was like watching a romantic movie scene.

Soon, the food was served and they finished eating in silence. Just forks clinking.

She was wiping off the stain on her lips when her voice came on, small. "Why aren't you saying 'I told you so'? You warned me about Luke. You told me not to trust him. Everyone warned me.”

She looked at him, eyes red but still holding tears. "Why aren't you blaming me?" She reluctantly smiled.

Killian put his bowl down. He looked at her for a long time.

Then he told her, "I have seen you differently, Imani, and I have learnt not to blame anyone."

"What does that mean?" she whispered.

He picked up the small silver frame from his nightstand. A woman with his eyes, smiling in a garden.

"My mom," he said, his voice low. "I blamed her for giving everyone chance. Allowing her get treated badly until she died—because of me.”

He put the frame down gently. "For a long time I blamed her for being weak. Then I blamed my dad. Then I blamed Roi. I blamed everyone. It made me... hard. It made me cold."

He looked at Imani, "Then I saw you. You trusted Luke even after he hurt you. You trusted Sarah even after she stole from you. And I realized... trusting people isn't weakness. It's... you still believing people can be good. I don't want to blame you for that. I want to learn that."

Imani stared at him and smiled, looking away from him.

Killian noticed Imani had been holding her tears for a while, keep smiling forcefully. Her lip trembling, her shoulders tight, her eyes doing that thing where she pretends she's okay.

Killian simply told her, "Cry. Yes, you can cry. You have been holding it in."

Imani was shocked to hear that but somehow, that made her feel at ease and started crying.

"I trusted him," she sobbed, finally letting it out, voice breaking. "I didn't know he'd betray me again.”

Killian didn't try to fix it, he let her emotions pour out.

And Imani cried, For the first time that whole day, she cried. For the first time in 5 years….in front of Killan.