LOGINKasey’s POV It was already past midnight, and Landon and Tyler still weren’t back. Landon had called me earlier to say they would be late, but I never thought it would drag on like this. I remembered the way his voice had sounded on the phone, like he was holding something back. I hadn’t pushed him. If he didn’t want to explain, then there was a reason.Still… late, to me, meant maybe nine. Maybe ten. Not—I checked my phone again. 2:17 a.m.A cold knot of worry twisted in my stomach. Where the hell were they? Did something happen?I opened our chat again. Still nothing new from Landon. My thumb hovered over the call button. I was about to press it when I heard the front door open. I sat up fast and strained my ears. Part of me wanted to run straight out there and throw myself at him, but I held back. I needed to be sure it was them.I slid off the bed quietly and stood still, listening harder."…see you in the morning," Tyler’s voice carried faintly."Yeah," Landon replied. "Night."
Landon's POV"Do you think we should both go in, or will you go alone?" Tyler asked once he pulled up in the driveway. His hands were resting on the steering wheel and his fingers were tapping a slow rhythm against the leather.I didn’t answer right away. My eyes stayed on the front door, on the porch light that flickered like it couldn’t decide if it wanted to stay on or die out. That house used to feel solid. Safe. Mine. Now it just looked… wrong."Nah, I’ll go in alone," I said. "I don’t want to spook her. If I need you, I’ll just call or shoot you a text. Just keep the truck running."He nodded once. "Alright."I reached for the door handle, but before I pushed it open, he spoke again."Hey."I paused and looked back."Good luck, brother," he sai. Then a grin tugged at his lips. "Get that bitch."I gave him a short nod then I stepped out of the truck.My boots crunched on the gravel as I made my way up the walk. This was the house I’d moved into when I was eighteen, fresh off my
Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. I turned my face into his shoulder, breathing him in. "You’re going to be a great dad, Landon," I murmured. "The best one."His eyes dropped to my lips for just a second. I leaned in without thinking, drawn to him like always. He moved closer too and our foreheads almost touched. I could smell the faint cologne on his shirt and feel the steady beat of his heart under my hand when I rested it on his chest. My eyes started to close. His lips were so close I could almost taste the moment.Then the front door banged open again and Tyler’s voice cut through everything. "Landon, we gotta go. Kendra just showed up at the clubhouse. Jovi called. She’s there right now."Landon pulled back fast and let out a frustrated breath. "Duty calls," he whispered while squeezing my hand. "I’ll be back as soon as I can. I promise."I nodded, still feeling the almost-kiss tingling on my lips. "Be careful. And come home to us.""Stay here with your girls. Don’t answer t
Kasey’s POV "The baby is Landon’s? Like, actually Landon’s? Not Darren’s at all?" Maeve exclaimed.Tess’s mouth dropped open right beside her. She stared at me like I had just told her the sky was green. I felt my cheeks heat up, but I had promised myself I would do this today. Last night Landon and I had talked for hours and one of the things we agreed on was that it was time to let our closest people know the truth. He would tell his side after we got the last blackmail piece from Kendra, then we would sit down and figure out how to talk to Darren about the divorce. No more hiding. So here I was finally saying it out loud to my best friends."I’m sorry," I said, setting my tea mug down so my hands wouldn’t shake. "I didn’t know how to tell you guys. It all happened so fast and I was scared. But last night Landon and I decided we’re done keeping secrets from the people we trust. So yeah… the baby is Landon’s. I’ve been carrying his child this whole time."Maeve blinked a couple time
Landon's POVThe day had been somewhat unsuccessful. We pulled up to the clubhouse right after coming from Tyler’s family house, thinking we’d finally corner Kendra and get the last piece of that blackmail mess sorted. But she wasn't there. On asking around, we were told that she had gone to the hospital for her prenatal examinations. I immediately called the hospital and was told she hadn't been there in weeks. If she wasn’t at the doctor, where the hell was she going every single day?Tyler had wanted to hang around the clubhouse and wait for her but I couldn’t stay. The pain was too much and it was making my vision blurry at the edges. We had turned the truck around and headed straight back home. On the drive, Tyler kept saying I needed to talk to Kasey right away, so she wasn’t left guessing again like last time.I agreed, but my mouth went dry. Talking to her meant opening up everything, and part of me was scared she’d hear it all and decide I wasn’t worth the trouble. Still, Ty
I froze. I had not expected that question at all."I don’t know," I said slowly. "I mean… there’s still a lot going on and we're still married so...""That’s not what I asked." His voice stayed even, but there was an edge under it now. "I asked if you’re planning to go back to him. To live with him. To be his wife."I looked down at my hands, clenched in my lap. My nails were digging into my palms. "I don’t have another option. I have to go back to him, Landon."His head snapped toward me. For a second something raw flashed across his face— hurt, maybe, or anger, or both. His jaw tightened so hard I saw the muscle jump."Have to?" he repeated.I nodded, even though I could already feel the tension building between us."Yeah.""Why?" I turned to look at him and the expression on his face made my chest ache. "You still have feelings for me," he said, not looking away. "You said you loved me. And you’re carrying my baby. So why would you go back to him?" I was quiet for a long moment,
Kasey’s POV I had been lying on my bed for three days straight. Seventy-two hours of staring at the same pattern in the ceiling, the same fading poster on my wall, the same door that kept opening and closing with people who didn’t know what to do with me. Tyler had been sitting in the chair near
The smell of fake butter and disinfectant lingered in the air, a greasy mix that only made the pounding in my chest worse. I handed over a ridiculous amount of money for a tub of popcorn big enough to feed a small village, trying to pretend my hands weren’t trembling just a little. "Extra butter
His hands went still. Not just still; absent. Like every nerve in his body had been unplugged at once. The tissues he’d been using to clean me up stayed pressed against my thigh, unmoving, like he’d forgotten they existed. Like he’d forgotten I existed. "Landon?" My voice sounded tiny, even to me.
The first thing I registered was the antiseptic sting in my nostrils. Then, the throbbing on the left side of my face. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt heavy, like someone had painted them shut. It took a few slow, stubborn attempts before they finally peeled apart. My vision blurred,







