Daddies Taste Better のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 281 - チャプター 290

THEA ASHFORD °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ Mia poured two generous glasses, the pale liquid catching the light as she slid one across the table to me. “She’s going to be fine!” she said brightly, clinking her glass against mine. “Come on, Thea. She’s no longer a child. Crestwood is going to be good for her. A new start with new friends. I’m sure that’s what she wants.” I took a slow sip, the wine crisp and cold on my tongue, but it did nothing to loosen the knot in my stomach. “I know,” I let out the words automatically. My voice sounded hollow even to me. I set the glass down and stared out at the garden where Micah was chasing butterflies, his laughter carrying faintly through the open doors. “I know she’s not a little girl anymore. But after what happened at prom… it just feels like she’s running away.” She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “Baby, that prom thing was one bad night. She’s not running away, she’s running toward something that feels like her own life, I guess. Don’t you

SERAPHINA°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･It took a while, but before I knew it, the summer had slipped by in a blur of quiet days and cautious nights. And I’d settled into the mansion like a reluctant guest who’d overstayed her welcome. The first few weeks had been the hardest—learning the rhythms of the house, figuring out which rooms Noah actually used (mostly the study and his bedroom on the opposite wing), and getting used to the strange silence that settled over everything when he was gone.Kai had become the bright spot in all of it.We texted almost every day after that afternoon by the lake but it was nothing too deep at first, just silly memes, photos of Mira’s latest rock discoveries, and him checking in to make sure I was “still alive and not being held hostage by the ‘popular’ scary mansion.” I’d roll my eyes at my phone screen, but I always texted back. He made it easy to pretend, for a little while, that I was just a normal girl starting over in a new city.By the time university orienta

“Well, Saraphina… “Before she could finish her statement, a group of girls rounded the corner, laughing about something until they spotted Riley and the giant coffee stain on her blouse.“Oh my God, what happened to you?” one of them stopped dead, eyes widening. The other two flanked her like backup, both of them looking me up and down with varying degrees of judgment.Riley sighed, gesturing vaguely at me. “New girl wasn’t watching where she was going. We had a little… collision.”All three pairs of eyes snapped to me at once.I felt my face burn hotter. “It was an accident. I already apologized and I offered to pay for dry cleaning or—”“Relax,” Riley cut in, though she didn’t sound particularly relaxed herself. “It’s just a shirt. Like I said, I’ve got another one in my locker.” She turned back to her friends. “This is Saraphina. Try not to scare her off in the first five minutes.”The tall one crossed her arms, still eyeing me like I might be a threat. “You always did have a thi

We walked in comfortable silence for a minute before I spoke. “So… I met someone today,” I said, glancing at him sideways. “I, uh… spilled coffee all over her this morning.” He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Already making friends the fun way, huh?” I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at my lips. “She was actually really cool about it. Walked me to class and everything. Even took my number before she left.” I paused, then added, “Her friends were kind of intense, though. One of them called me a stray.” That made Kai slow his steps a little, glancing over at me with a curious frown. “Why’d she call you a stray?” I shrugged, kicking a small pebble off the path. “I don’t know. I guess I just have that ‘new girl who doesn’t belong here’ vibe. Or maybe I looked lost.” He nodded slowly, like he was turning it over in his head. Then, after a beat, he asked, “What was the girl’s name? The one you spilled coffee on?” “Riley,” I said. Kai stopped walking. He

THEA ASHFORD°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･I stood at the vanity in our bedroom, rubbing the last of my nighttime serum into my skin, wearing nothing but one of Gage’s old shirts, the hem brushing the tops of my thighs, when the bathroom door opened behind me.He stepped out, towel slung low on his hips, the deep V of his abdomen on full display as the water still clung to his broad chest, tracing paths down the defined lines of muscle. He rubbed another towel over his salt-and-pepper hair, the muscles in his arms flexing with the motion.I couldn’t help it. My hands stilled on my face, and a slow, helpless smile curved my lips as I watched him in the mirror. God, he was still the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. Ten years of marriage, two kids, and the mess of life hadn’t dulled that pull one bit. If anything, it’s as if it had only grown even stronger.He caught my reflection staring and raised a brow, a slow, knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.“What?” I said defensively, still smil