All Chapters of Daddies Taste Better : Chapter 271 - Chapter 280

“Thank you,” I whispered, the words barely making it past the lump in my throat before he shut the door with a quiet, decisive click that echoed down the hallway. I stood there for a second, staring at the dark wood, phone pressed tight against my chest like it might disappear again if I loosened my grip. Then I turned and half-ran back to my room, closing the door behind me and locking it even though I knew it probably wouldn’t matter. My hands were trembling so badly it took two tries to unlock the screen. The second it lit up, I opened my messages and went straight to Lia. Me: Hey… I’m okay. Finally got a second to text. The “apartment” is actually a huge house in the middle of the woods and it’s kind of insane. Long story. But I’m safe. Promise. I’ll explain more when I can. Miss you already. I hit send before I could overthink it, then stared at the screen, willing the three little dots to appear. My thumb hovered over the keyboard, wanting to type everything but I stopp

SARAPHINA❁✿❀I shrugged, poking at the eggs on the plate he slid in front of me. “I don’t know…?” He let out a short huff that might’ve been a laugh, then turned back to the stove without another word. I took a bite. The meal wasn’t bad, exactly… but holy hell, it was one of the blandest things I’d ever eaten in my fucking life. Barely seasoned eggs, plain bacon, and toast that was a bit better because it was just ‘toasted bread with melted butter’. It tasted like someone had followed a recipe that said “food” and nothing else. Still, my stomach was so empty it felt like it was trying to eat itself, so I kept my mouth shut and forced it all down. Starving had its benefits, I guess. When the plate was finally clean, I set the fork down and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “Thanks,” I mumbled, already sliding off the stool. Noah didn’t reply and just gave me a small nod, eyes following me as I backed out of the kitchen like he was cataloging every step I took. I didn’t

I still didn’t know what to say. But I had to say something. Right? “Okay…” I drew the word out long and awkward, then turned and started walking again. But Kai just lengthened his stride and caught up, falling into step a little closer than before. “You can’t possibly blame me,” he let out. “It’s really rare to meet new people around here. Most days it’s just me and the trees. And you…” He glanced sideways at me, almost shy for a second. “You’re truly very beautiful. I saw you walking and I just… I couldn’t let the moment go and regret it tomorrow. I really hate regretting things.” He paused, kicking a small stone down the road with the toe of his sneaker. “There was this one time, back when I was seventeen,” he continued quietly. “I liked this girl in my class. Like, really liked her. I thought about asking her to prom every single day for months, but I kept chickening out because I was scared she’d laugh or I’d make it weird. So I never said anything. She ended up going wit

Kai’s mom smiled widened. “And what’s your name, sweetheart?”“Saraphina,” I answered, shifting my weight a little. “Saraphina Ashford.”Her eyebrows lifted just slightly, like the name meant something to her, but she didn’t press. Instead she adjusted the basket on her arm and gave me a small nod.“Nice to meet you, Saraphina. I’m Elena. Kai’s mom.” She gently rested a hand on Mira’s head. “And this little escape artist is Mira, Kai’s sister.”Mira beamed up at me like we were already best friends. “Do you want to see my rock collection? I have a shiny blue one that looks like the sky!”“Um…” I hesitated, glancing between the excited little girl and her mom, then at Kai. The normalcy of it all still felt like it might shatter at any second, but Mira’s hopeful face made it impossible to say no.“Sure,” I said, managing a small smile. “I’d love to see your rock collection.”Mira let out a delighted squeal and grabbed my hand without warning, tugging me gently toward a cluster of bigger

The trail was quiet except for the soft crunch of gravel and the occasional rustle of leaves overhead. I kept my eyes on the path ahead, when Kai decided to break the silence.“So… what do you think?”I blinked, glancing sideways at him. “What do I think about what?”He gave a small, almost shy shrug, hands tucked back into his hoodie pockets. “About all this. The lake. The woods. Me dragging you on a random walk with my mom and hyper little sister. The whole… normal picnic thing.” He shot me a quick look, that crooked smile flickering. “Just wondering if I was being too much. Or… if it was okay.”I slowed my steps a little, chewing on the inside of my cheek while I tried to find the right answer.“I don’t hate it and it was… nice,” I said finally. “Really nice, actually. I wasn’t expecting any of it. Especially not the rock collection tour.”Kai’s smile grew, soft and relieved. “Good. I was worried I’d scared you off. Plus the whole ‘lake agrees you’re safe’ bit. That was probably th