“Nah,” I said quickly. “I’m good.”
She crossed her arms. “No. Come on.”
I sighed. “Let me grab something to drink first.”
She handed me one of the room keys. “They don’t take cash at the snack bar so you’ll need this to charge it to the room.”
I nodded.
“I’ll meet you upstairs,” she said, grabbing her bag and heading toward the elevators.
I watched her walk off before turning toward the snack bar. I grabbed a Red Bull and some crackers. My eyes lingered on the chocolate for a second. I almost grabbed it then I pictured myself suffering through cardio and put it back.
Kordai and that damn weed had me hungry like I hadn’t eaten in days. I paid with the room key and rode the elevator up alone, checking my phone. No messages from Khloe. I stared at the blank screen. Part of me wanted to see her name. Another part knew space was probably the thing that we needed.
Give her time,I told myself.
The elevator dinged. I walked down the hall and the room door was open. Kemi’s bag sat near the couch while water ran in the bathroom.
I stepped inside just as she came out with a towel, wiping her face.
She laughed. “It’s hard trying to keep a skincare routine when you’re sharing one bathroom with five people fighting over hot water.”
I smiled. “But I can’t complain. They let me stay.”
I sat down, popping open my Red Bull. “You should’ve said something sooner.”
She shrugged. “I’m a big girl. I would’ve been okay. But when you offered… I told myself not to turn down my blessing.”
She walked over and sat across from me. “So,” she said gently, “tell me why you look like you lost your best friend.”
My chest tightened because I had. I took a deep breath and I told her everything. All of it. From the moment I saw the missed calls. To the argument. To Khloe leaving. To my mom’s words. To the way my marriage suddenly felt fragile in my hands.
Her face moved through emotions as I talked — hurt, understanding, agreement — especially when I repeated what my mom said.
When I finished, she scooted closer and took my hand.
“Kairo… you are a good man.”
I looked down, shaking my head.
“No, listen,” she said, squeezing my hand. “You’re strong. You show up for everyone. You provide. You protect. You love hard.”
Her thumb brushed across my knuckles. “But you don’t let people see when you need protecting too.You try so hard to be strong for Khloe that you don’t let her see your struggles,” she continued. “You think being a man means carrying everything alone.”
She shook her head gently.
“She doesn’t need perfection. She just needs access to all versions of you. You gotta let her see you break sometimes,” she said softly. “That’s how people learn how to love you correctly.”
I stared at her. The kindness in her eyes. The patience. The warmth.
She smiled. “You’re an amazing husband. An incredible father. And you’re human, Kai. You’re allowed to hurt too.”
Something shifted inside me. All weekend I’d been holding everything together. And right then… someone was holding space for me.
I noticed how beautiful she looked sitting there. Before I realized what I was doing, my hand moved to her face. Her eyes widened slightly. I hesitated for half a second then I kissed her. I was expecting for her to pull away, but she didn’t. Her hand slid into my shirt as she leaned into me, kissing me back.
I don’t remember deciding to move. One second we were sitting there, her hands still wrapped around mine… and the next I was pulling her toward me again.
