All Chapters of After Hours: Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

Chapter One Hundred-Two: The Weight of KnowingAlli’s POVThe bathroom was cold against her bare feet, and the morning light creeping through the tiny farmhouse window was too bright for her aching eyes.Alli sat on the closed toilet lid, hunched forward, elbows on her knees, forehead in her palms.She hadn’t even brushed her teeth yet.The nausea had returned before sunrise—subtle at first, then crashing like a wave against her ribs, curling her body over the sink until nothing came up. It had been like this for nearly a week now. Lingering. Creeping. Haunting.And she knew.She just hadn’t admitted it yet.Down the hall, she could hear the soft hum of cartoons. Johnny’s voice mixed with their son’s laughter—low and gruff and sweet. It broke her heart and filled it all at once.Daddy.John had taken to the word like he’d always known it, like it had lived under his tongue all his life just waiting to be spoken.And Johnny…God, Johnny had stepped in like he’d never left. Like five ye

Chapter One Hundred-Four: All InJohnny’s POVJohnny lay in bed, the stillness of the night settling around him like a heavy, warm blanket. The farmhouse was quiet, save for the occasional creak of wood settling and the rhythmic breath of the woman asleep beside him.Alli.His fiancée.His girl.His everything.And now, once again… she was carrying his child.The thought stirred something inside him—wild and electrifying, like someone had lit a match to his bones. Not fear. Not this time. It wasn’t like when he’d found out about John years later, completely blindsided, robbed of firsts and moments he couldn’t ever get back.No—this time, he knew from the start.She told him. She’d taken the test two days ago and finally gathered the strength to lay it all out. And even now, hours later, he could still hear the tremor in her voice when she’d said those words:“It was positive.”He hadn’t needed the test in her hand to believe it. He’d seen it in her—how she flinched when the smell of b

Chapter One Hundred-Seven: Just a ManJohnny’s POVThe room was quiet—just the gentle hum of the ceiling fan, the occasional creak of old farmhouse wood settling into the night, and the rhythmic whisper of her breath against his chest.Alli slept like she always did when she was tucked against him: limbs tangled, nose buried into the curve of his neck, soft sighs spilling against his skin. And God, if there was ever a time he felt like a man on his knees without ever having left the bed, it was moments like this.Johnny stared at the ceiling, wide awake.His hand drifted over the swell of her hip, fingers tracing the smooth curve beneath the blanket. He’d built cars from scratch, rebuilt engines blindfolded, pulled things out of fire and steel and grease-stained chaos—but nothing had ever made him feel more vulnerable than holding this woman and knowing he couldn’t fix what had already been lost.He’d missed years. Missed her smile in college photos. Missed John’s first words. Missed

Chapter One Hundred-Nine: Storms That LingerAlli’s POVFive months pregnant.That was the thought that greeted Alli every morning before her eyes even opened. The swell of her stomach, the dull ache in her back, the strange mix of joy and fear that came from carrying a child you already loved so fiercely it hurt.But this morning was different. Not because of the nausea, or the cravings, or even the sore hips she’d started waking up with. No, this morning was different because she had woken up alone.Johnny had slipped out early—again.The note on her nightstand was written in his sharp, all-capital scrawl."Fixing that damn faucet at the shop. Be back before your cravings hit. You & our babies are my whole world."Babies. Plural.She smiled despite the exhaustion that clung to her like fog. John, their son—her son for the first five years, his in every way now—and the baby inside her, both held pieces of Johnny’s soul. She could see it every time Johnny knelt to tie John's shoes or

The nursery smelled like wood glue, frustration, and baby lotion.Johnny stood in the middle of it, surrounded by a battlefield of half-assembled furniture, torn instruction manuals, and a set of Allen wrenches that mocked him from every corner. He ran a hand through his hair, sweat clinging to his brow, shirtless and annoyed.“Son of a—” he muttered, as the crib rail popped loose again and clattered to the floor. He resisted the urge to throw it out the window. Barely.From the doorway, Alli watched, her arms folded over her swollen belly, lips twitching with amusement. “You’re gonna scare the twins before they’re even born.”Johnny straightened, turning to face her. She was glowing—his shirt stretched over her belly, her blonde hair up in a loose bun, eyes bright with humor.“Tell ‘em to get used to it,” he grumbled. “This house is full of character. Mostly anger and confusion.”She stepped inside slowly, her hands on her back. “You’ve been yelling at that crib for two hours. Want h