“Nothing,” he says with a heavy sigh. “I just wanted to keep you updated. The PI’s going to start tailing Michael again once he’s back from holiday. Looks like he and his family went to Utah orsomething.”
I don’t have time to unpack that. They never left for the holidays. Not once in the six years I’ve known him. But maybe things changed after I wasn’t around.
“Thank you.” I don’t wait for his reply, because Britt’s scream cuts through the air again.
“Just stop and talk with me!”
I rush toward the back door, but before I reach it, it swings open. The glass in the four pane window rattles, I’m shocked, honestly, it didn’t shatter.
I stumble back against the adjacent wall as Keoni barrels inside.
“Hey—” He brushes past me so fast I don’t even get a glimpse of his face. “Keo?”
He snatches the truck keys hanging by the door and throws the front door open.
“Oh, fuck—Ayden, I didn’t mean to,” Britt stammers, her face stricken with horror. “Try to stop him. Please.”
I don’t hesitate. I tear through the house, not even bothering with shoes. The cool wood of the patio is nothing compared to the icy bite of the grass as I hit the yard.
“Keo, wait!”
He doesn’t even flinch at my voice. He just keeps power-walking toward his truck. If he were sprinting, I’d never catch him—but I force myself into a run and manage to grab his arm.
“Stop, Keo. What’s wr?—”
He spins on me, causing me to cut myself off before I can finish.
I’ve never seen him cry before, and while he isn’t now, I can tell he’s either on the edge of it or just pulled himself back. His eyes are bloodshot, red splotches running across his temples and down his neck.
“What… what’s going on?” My voice is lowered, trying to soothe whatever’s happening.
He wets his lips, the keys in his hand jingling faintly, but I don’t dare look away from his face.
“Talk to me. Keo, baby, what?—”
“Just… stop.”
I don’t know if my heart can take this. Not all in one night.
Something shifts in his expression. Like he’s finally seeing that it’sme,and not just anyone standing in his way.
“Fuck, Ayden…” He drags a hand across his face, then shoves it up through his frazzled hair. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.” I step in front of him, keeping just enough space between us to let him decide what he needs. “Talk to me.”
His chin falls to his chest as his eyes shut, breath shuddering out of him. “Christ. I’m a hypocrite. I demanded you tell me what was going on,whyyou never came here. Yet here I am… not… telling you what happened.”
My smile is weak, but it’s real. He really was forceful back then, and I wish I could be like that now—demand answers, have a commanding presence. But that’s not me.
“Start now. No better time than the present.”
His hardness falters, softening into something closer to fear, and it breaks me. He shakes his head, but I don’t let up. I step closer, setting my hands on his arms.
“Keo, talk to me. Don’t push me away.”
“I’m not trying to, I just?—”
“Remember what you said? Don’t let you push me away.”
