Kylee wiped her face with the sleeve of her shirt. “I guess we’re about to see if this was real. If Rio meant everything he said.”
“You’re not alone, okay?” Kelly said firmly. “He’s coming. And you’ve got me, too. Whatever happens, we’ll get through this. You’re not some villain in this story, Kylee. You’re just a woman who finally chose herself.”
Kylee sat down on the edge of the couch, phone pressed to her ear, her body still shaking but her breath slowing a little.
“I just want my baby back,” she whispered.
“And you’ll get him,” Kelly promised. “Let Rio come. Let’s see what he does next. You deserve someone who doesn’t run when the second things get hard.”
After hanging up with Kelly, Kylee sat in silence. She curled her knees up to her chest on the couch, letting the silence settle. Her mind kept replaying Jake’s words:“I hope you used a condom. I’ll kill you if you end up pregnant. You’re a little whore who likes to fuck rock stars. Your daughters will be a whore just like you!” But then, she remembered Rio’s voice, gentle and sure:“Go back. Get the kids. Come back to me.” And Kelly’s: “You’re just a woman who finally chose herself.”
Kylee slowly got up. Her body ached like she’d been in a car wreck, but she moved. Kylee did everything she could to hold herself together while waiting on Rio. Her heart was in shambles, but she refused to let Macy and Kayla see her fall apart. She got up, wiped her tears, and pulled herself into the bathroom to clean up her face. Her hands were trembling as she brushed her hair and tied it back in a messy bun.
Inside, she was unraveling, but for them, she stayed steady. She held it together because that’s what moms do even when the world is falling apart. Every second felt heavier than the last, but she knew she had to be strong, just a little longer, until Rio showed up.
Kylee felt like she was sleepwalking, numb, heavy, cracked wide open beneath the surface. Every breath burned in her chest,every noise felt too loud, and every minute without her son felt like punishment. The house felt hollow without Jake Jr.’s voice echoing through it, and the silence was unbearable.
She kept hearing Jake’s voice in her head, the things he said, the venom in his words. "Whore." "STD." "I’ll kill you."
And then the words he said to their Girls. The memory of their confused faces cut like a knife. And Rio… She replayed every moment from the weekend, trying to hold onto the warmth of his voice, the way he looked at her like she was magic. But now, doubt crept in. Would he really show up? Or would she be just another story left behind in the smoke of his spotlight? She didn’t know. But she hoped. Because if Rio didn’t show up… she wasn’t sure how much more she could take.
Hours passed and Kylee heard a car door slam. She rushed to the front door, her heart pounding in her throat. When she opened it, there he was…Rio.But this wasn’t the playful, flirty version of him she’d grown used to. This was a man on fire. He stormed through the doorway, his jaw clenched, eyes wild. “Where is he?” he growled, voice sharp and low. “Where the fuck is he, Kylee? He will not get away with this.”
Kylee stood frozen, stunned. He was here. He really came. “I….I don’t know,” she stammered, trying to calm him down. “He took my son… he left. I don’t know where.”
Rio’s eyes darkened. “He called you a whore? Told your kids that? Called your daughters that! After cheating on you?” He looked like he could punch through a wall.
She blinked fast, trying not to cry. “Yes. He lost it. I don’t know what to do. This is all my fault!”
Rio looked at her, finally really looked. Her face was pale, her eyes red, and her hands shaking. And just like that, his anger softened into heartbreak. “God, Kylee…This is not your fault! “He stepped closer and pulled her into his arms. Her body sank into his like it belonged there. She clutched his shirt, finally letting the tears fall freely.
“I didn’t think you’d come,” she whispered against his chest.
He held her tighter. “Of course I came. You think I’d leave you to deal with this alone? Hell no! You don’t deserve this. None of this.”
Kylee looked up at him, eyes glassy. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he promised. “Not now. Not ever.”
They stood there in the foyer, tangled together in silence. Rio didn’t need to say anything else right now. His arms said enough. Strong. Safe. Unshaking, even while Kylee’s world felt like it was falling apart piece by piece.
He gently pulled back just enough to look at her, brushing a strand of hair from her damp cheek. “Come on,” he said softly. “Let’s sit down.”
He led her to the couch, not letting go of her hand as they sat. She sank beside him, feeling like she could finally breathe for the first time in hours.
“I’ve never seen him like that,” she said after a moment, her voice distant.
Rio's jaw clenched again, but he took a deep breath and kept his voice steady. “He’s punishing you because he got caught.Because he lost control of something he thought he owned. He called you and your daughter’s nasty names. That’s not love, Kylee.”
She looked down, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. “I’m scared,” she admitted. “What if I never see him again?”
“You will,” he said with conviction. “I will get you a lawyer. We'll fight this. I’ll help you through it whatever it takes. You’re not alone in this anymore.”
She looked up at him, her eyes searching. “Why do you care so much? You could’ve stayed in L.A., gone back to your life, back to the band…”
He leaned forward, his forehead gently resting against hers. “Because I’m in this. With you. I don’t care how fast it all happened. I'm not walking away from you, Kylee. You made me feel something I didn’t even know I was missing.”
Her lip trembled as she whispered, “You don’t think I’m a disgusting whore?”
