Semua Bab He Hurt Me, Now He Wants Me Back: Bab 141 - Bab 150

Imogene Scott I hate the idea of Kia tagging along for Lily’s check-up. It feels… wrong. It makes me feel like she’s stepping into a role that’s supposed to be mine. I grab my bag, heading out of the gallery. I instruct Emmett and Breonna to close up when I’m gone but deep down, I’m praying they don’t murder each other. I step into the cool night and into my car. As I drive, my grip tightens on the steering wheel, and my mind is racing, practicing how I’m going to tell Damien that no other woman should ever act like Lily’s mother. I’m her mother. Kia may be family, but this… My heart pounds with unease. It’s silly, I know that. But I can’t help feeling like Kia’s slowly encroaching on things that matter too much to me. Maybe it’s just insecurity rearing its ugly head, but I hate it. The drive feels longer than usual, and by the time I pull up to Damien’s house, I’m already rehearsing the conversation in my head for the hundredth time. I step out, nerves buzzing under my skin

Damien Shaw After my dinner with Imogene, the next few days have been a blur of work for her, and I’ve been trying my best to be patient. I know how important this project is for her, how much she’s poured into her gallery. But it’s hard, hard not to feel a little left behind. She’s barely been home, so Breonna has gone back to babysitting Lily again after school. Breonna and Lily mostly stays at my place because Imogene is never home on time. And anytime she is, she’s too exhausted to do much more than crash on the bed. It’s like I’m watching her slip further into this world of deadlines and meetings, while I stand on the sidelines, waiting for her to come back to me.I sit at the kitchen table, it’s almost 11pm. Lily is asleep upstairs in one of the rooms and Breonna is with her. Probably asleep too, I’m not sure. I glance at my phone, half-expecting a text from Imogene saying she’s running late again as usual. Nothing.I take a sip of my coffee—it's gone lukewarm by now—and ru

Imogene ScottDamien's father.The words keep echoing in my mind, but don’t flake sense. I stare at the man sitting across from me. His hunched frame and the way his eyes dart around. His resemblance to Damien is undeniable. Though, there’s something in the shape of his face, the line of his jaw. But that still doesn’t make sense. Damien’s father? The father who abandoned him and his mother before he was even born? Damien never speaks about him. I’ve only heard parts of the story from Breonna and from Damien’s rare moments of openness. How his father was gone before he ever had a chance to meet him, leaving his mother to raise him alone. Damien despises the man. He doesn’t even say his name. And now, here he is. Sitting in front of me. Why did he come to me of all people?I swallow hard. “Why… why are you here? What do you want?”The man shifts in his seat. “I want to reconnect with my son.” His voice cracks, as if even saying those words costs him something.I give him a lo

Damien ShawImogene forces a smile, and shakes her head. “It’s nothing. Really. Don’t worry about it.”I watch her closely. There’s something about the way she moves, how her fingers nervously brush her hair back as she picks up that journal. Keith gave it to her. I don’t like it. It’s not that I don’t trust her, but the idea of her being close enough to Keith to accept something like that is just ridiculous. Still, as I look at her now, I can’t ignore how worried and worn out she looks. She looks so exhausted and I hate it. I want to take that burden from her, but she keeps holding it all in.“Come here,” I say softly, stepping toward her.She hesitates for a second, but then I pull her into my arms. She feels so small against me. I stroke her hair, letting my fingers slide through the soft strands, then kiss the top of her head.“I’m always here whenever you want to talk,” I whisper.“I’m fine,” “You work so hard, Imogene,” I say, pulling back slightly to look at her. “You know

Damien Shaw What the actual fuck? Now I’m starting to rethink if Imogene and Keith working together was ever a good idea in the first place. I mean, they were basically in each other’s arms a few seconds ago. I give Imogene a long look, she counters with a smile but I can see the nervousness behind it. “I’ll wait in the car.” I say and step out before she can say anything else. I storm out of the gallery, my jaw clenched so tight it hurts. I know it was just a hug, but something about it makes me lose my mind. Imogene and Keith, arms wrapped around each other, looking way too comfortable for my liking. I replay the scene over and over. Her smile. His hands on her back, and suddenly, I'm questioning everything. I yank the car door open and slide inside, slamming it shut behind me. My hands grip the steering wheel. I shouldn’t feel threatened by Keith. Imogene’s with me, we’re rebuilding... Before I can spiral too far, I hear the passenger door open. Imogene slips in, the so