CHAPTER TWENTY–SEVEN
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LIANA’S POV
As waked into the ward room, I paused when I heard Ryan’s little voice floating through the
hall door. I stopped right
there, not wanting to interrupt, but what he was saying made my chest tighten.
“Mommy doesn’t like it when I ask of my daddy,” he was saying. “She says it hurts her because she misses him so much. She says he’s in the military and when he returns, he’ll take us on outings. Maybe to the zoo. Or the beach.”
I closed my eyes.
God…
When I finally stepped in, three pairs of eyes turned to look at me. All at once.
My father’s expression was unreadable, but the look in his eyes told me everything. It was–We had a whole lot to talk about kinda look. My stepmother looked the same too–calm, but surely had a lot of things she wanted to say.
Ryan’s eyes lit up.
“Mommy!” he shouted, jumping off Dad’s lap and running to me. He wrapped his arms around my waist. “Where’ve you been? Where’s Uncle Killian!”
My heart skipped a beat.
Killian
The memories of what had just happened between us rushed back, making me dizzy.
Ryan tilted his head up at me, studying me with that curious look only kids could give.
“Why is your hair all tattered, Mommy?” he asked. “You look tired. Were you crying outside? Your mouth is swollen. Did you fall?”
I nearly choked. “Shh, Ryan. Let’s not talk about that, okay? Mommy’s just fine.”
He frowned but nodded.
My father stood up, his movements stiff. “We’re leaving. I’m not staying here a second longer.”
Mother quickly stepped forward. “Please. You just woke up. At least stay for the night. Rest here, let them observe you-”
“No,” Dad cut in. “I want to go home.”
And right then, Killian walked in.
My heart thumped wildly in my chest. His presence was filling the room immediately, calm but commanding. My father’s jaw clenched the moment he saw him
Killian, as if he wasn’t phased, stepped forward and held out a few papers “The discharge is ready Everything’s signed. He’s good to leave.”
No one moved at first.
Then Dad stood up immediately, brushing off the blanket from his legs. Mom didn’t argue this time. She just quietly started gathering the few things he had in the room.
Ryan held my hand tightly as we all walked out of the room. He looked sleepy again, rubbing at his eyes and yawning
We left the hospital in complete silence
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Killian drove. His face was blank, eyes fixed ahead. My dad sat beside him in the passenger seat, arms crossed. Not a word
between them.
I was at the back, sandwiched between Mother and Ryan, who had already fallen asleep again, his head on my lap.
I kept my hand in Ryan’s hair, gently stroking it while my heart was beating faster with every mile we got closer to home.
When we arrived, it was already late. Everywhere was dark. Mother carried Ryan to one of the spare rooms, laying him down gently and kissing his forehead. I stayed at the door, watching them. That soft part of my heart still cracked a little watching
her.
Then, when Ryan was finally asleep and the door was closed behind us, Mother turned. So did my father. Both of them
looked at Killian and me.
I felt frozen.
Mother folded her arms. “Now. Let’s talk.”
Dad didn’t sit down. He just stood there, eyes flicking between Killian and me. “We’ve been quiet long enough. I need
answers. All of them.”
I swallowed hard. “Dad, I—”
“Start from the beginning,” he said. His voice was calm, but there was fire in his eyes. “Everything.”
Killian stepped forward slightly, but Dad raised a hand.
“I want to hear it from her.”
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