Semua Bab After Hours: Bab 71 - Bab 80

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Don’t Let GoAlli’s POVThe evening air hung heavy in the living room, thick with quiet warmth and something else—uncertainty.John had fallen asleep curled on Johnny’s chest, his tiny hand wrapped in the fabric of Johnny’s t-shirt like he was afraid to let go. His face was soft, slack with peace, lips slightly parted. His breathing synced to Johnny’s—slow, deep, safe.Alli sat across from them on the old couch, legs curled beneath her, her eyes tracing every rise and fall of their bodies. It was beautiful. It was surreal.And it scared the hell out of her.She hadn’t expected things to fall back into place so quickly. And in some ways, they hadn’t. There were still jagged pieces. Still bruises from the past pressing into the present.But seeing them together…She swallowed hard and looked down at her tea—cold and untouched.Johnny glanced up. Their eyes met.“I didn’t mean for today to feel so heavy,” he said softly, voice rough with emotion. “I just wanted… no

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Pushed AwayJohnny’s POVBy the time Johnny pulled back into the gravel drive in front of Alli’s house, John had fallen asleep in the back seat—sticky fingers, happy meal bag crushed under one small arm. His hair was windblown from the playground, cheeks flushed from running and laughing.And Johnny’s heart felt like a slab of stone in his chest.He carried his son inside, tucked him into bed without waking him, and lingered for a moment in the doorway—watching the little boy shift under the blanket, unaware of the storm outside his room.But it was brewing.And it was time to face it.Alli was at the kitchen table when he came out, scrolling on her phone, a half-drunk mug of coffee beside her.She looked up, smiled softly. “You’re back early.”He didn’t answer right away. He couldn’t.She tilted her head, her smile fading. “Johnny?”He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down, his palms pressed against his jeans, restless. “Something happened at the par

Chapter Eighty-Two: The LetterAlli’s POVThe evening storm rolled in like a slow burn—low thunder in the distance, air thick with pressure. The rain hadn’t started yet, but the sky was darkening, bruised and heavy, like it was holding something back.Alli had just finished putting John to bed, his arms wrapped around his new stuffed dinosaur, when a knock echoed off the front door.She froze.It wasn’t loud. Not urgent.But it was intentional.Her first thought was Johnny.She hurried barefoot down the hallway, brushing her hair out of her face as she reached the door. Her fingers hesitated on the knob.She opened it.A man in a black windbreaker stood there, soaked from the creeping drizzle, holding a clipboard and an envelope in a waterproof sleeve.“Allison Rae?” he asked.“Yes?”“I have a delivery for you. It’s been signed for—just need your initials here.” He handed her the clipboard.She scribbled quickly, brows pinched. “From who?”The man didn’t answer. Just gave a polite nod

Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Deep End Alli's POVThe kitchen was too quiet.Alli had sent Johnny and John off with sunscreen, snacks, and half a heart that couldn't quite settle in her chest. She stood at the sink, watching the gravel settle after his truck rolled away, the dust hanging in the air like memories that refused to drift.She'd told herself she was doing fine.She had the bar, she had the house, she had John. She didn't need anything else. She'd built a life with sharp edges and routines to keep her from slipping back into the ache of what-ifs. But watching them drive off together cracked something in her.That was her son. That was his father. And she'd kept them apart for too long.She didn’t regret protecting her child. But she regretted the silence.The bar was closed today. She hadn't scheduled staff. She hadn't even opened the books. Instead, she wandered the house with the ghost of Johnny still lingering in every corner. His scent from last night clung to her pillows.

Chapter Eighty-Nine: When Silence Isn't SafeAlli's POVThe morning had a softness to it that Alli didn’t trust.John was snuggled under her arm on the couch, his hair a wild halo of blond tangles and his attention fixed on the cartoon playing in front of him. Johnny sat in the old armchair across from them with a coffee cup nestled in his hands like it was anchoring him there. Alli tried not to stare at him, but it was hard not to when he looked like that—hair still slightly damp from the shower, eyes a bit tired but softer than she'd ever seen.If she squinted, it could almost look like a real family morning. Like they did this all the time.But they didn’t.This was new. Raw. Fragile in a way that made her chest ache.Then Johnny's expression changed.It happened so subtly that if she hadn’t been watching him, she would’ve missed it. His eyes tightened, lips pressing into a harder line. He went still—too still.“What is it?” she asked quietly, keeping her voice low. John didn’t not