Alle Kapitel von I LEFT WHEN HIS EX CAME BACK WITH HIS SON: Kapitel 131 – Kapitel 140

For a moment, I wasn't sure whether I had actually seen Clara or whether my mind had simply reached into the past and placed a familiar face where it didn't belong.Olivia followed my gaze."What are you still looking at?”"I..." I hesitated, still staring at the doors. "I thought I saw Clara."Olivia turned toward the building and looked around the courtyard, her eyes moving from the entrance to the surrounding gardens before she looked back at me."There's no one here, babe."I glanced toward the entrance again.Nothing.No sign that anyone had been standing there at all.I swallowed and nodded slowly."Maybe it's just my head."Olivia gave me a sympathetic smile."It's definitely just your head."I looked at her.She held my gaze for a second before the absurdity of the situation finally caught up with both of us and a laugh escaped us."You're terrible.""I know."She slipped her arm through mine, steering me gently away from the courtyard."Come on before your imagination decides

THALIAThe moment I heard Brandon ask for me, every muscle in my body seemed to tense at once.For the past few minutes, I had been trying to settle the uneasiness Clara's appearance had stirred inside me. Now, hearing Brandon's voice just outside the door made all of that effort feel pointless.I looked at Caleb, and behold, he was already looking at me.There was a question in his eyes, but I didn't have the energy to answer it. Before I could think better of it, my hand reached out and caught the front of his shirt, my fingers curling into the fabric near his chest."Don't let him come in."The words came out quieter than I'd intended.Caleb's expression changed immediately. The amusement disappeared from his face, replaced by something gentler as he glanced briefly toward the doorway."Okay."He didn't ask why.He didn't ask what had happened between Brandon and me.He simply stood and moved toward the entrance, positioning himself in a way that blocked most of the room from view

CHAPTER 135BRANDONIf anything, seeing Clara standing there made me more uncomfortable than angry.She had Leo with her, and the little boy looked nothing like the energetic child I remembered. He stayed close to his mother, one hand curled tightly around the hem of her shirt while his eyes moved cautiously around the unfamiliar clinic. When I looked at him, he quickly lowered his gaze, almost as though he had become accustomed to avoiding people’s eyes.That was what had been happening lately.Leo had stopped talking as much. He barely slept through the night, woke from nightmares he couldn’t properly explain, and became anxious whenever Clara stepped out of his sight. His doctors had called it trauma-related distress, and while they hadn’t given us a simple diagnosis that could explain everything, they had been very clear about one thing: Leo needed stability, and love.Something his mother can’t provide.Most importantly, he needed to feel that the people he loved weren’t going

THALIACaleb was walking me back toward my cabin when I remembered the documents I had left in my office at the training center, and since he mentioned that he needed to pass some information to a few of his teammates, we decided to stop there before heading back.“I’ll be quick,” I told him as we entered the building.“Take your time. I’ll be downstairs.”I nodded and headed upstairs, relieved that I had finally found a reason to get my mind off everything that had happened earlier. I picked up the documents from my office, checked the few messages waiting on my phone, and started downstairs with the folder tucked against my chest.I heard laughter before I reached the bottom, along with the unmistakable sound of several people talking over one another, and I smiled because I assumed the players had started another one of their ridiculous conversations.Then I stepped into the lounge and saw who was standing among them.Clara.She was holding a cup of coffee in one hand while a few s

CHAPTER 139THALIAI didn’t answer him.Whatever he wanted to say, I wasn’t sure I had the patience to hear it, especially after the afternoon I’d already had. I tightened my hold on the folder and walked past him, keeping my eyes fixed ahead as though the hallway suddenly required all of my attention.“Thalia, please.”I slowed but didn’t stop.“Just let me explain.”I finally turned around, the frustration I’d been carrying all day rising again.“What do you want to explain now?”Brandon took a few steps toward me, his expression unusually serious.“I didn’t call her here. I promise.”I stared at him for a moment before giving a small nod.“Okay.”I turned to leave but he reached out and gently caught my arm, stopping me without pulling me back.“It’s not that simple.”I looked down at his hand before meeting his eyes.“Then what is it?”His expression shifted, and when he spoke again, the frustration in his voice had disappeared.“Her son is sick, Thalia. Physically and mentally.”