But that’s not Zayden. Not even close.
He’s stubborn, sure. He pushes back on everything I tell him. But it’s not entitlement—it’s desperation. He can’t afford to beinjured because he can’t afford to stop. There’s no safety net. No backup plan. Just him, holding everything together through sheer force of will.
And I’m starting to—
“Deep thoughts?”
I jump. Zayden tucked his phone back into his pocket and is looking at me.
“Just reviewing files.”
“Liar. The screen’s been dark for ten minutes.”
Damn. He caught me.
“Fine. I was thinking about... work stuff.”
“Work stuff.” He raises an eyebrow. “Compelling.”
“It’s very compelling. Lots of spreadsheets.”
“Uh huh.” He doesn’t look convinced. “You always this bad at lying?”
“I’m an excellent liar.”
“You’re really not.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “How would you know? Maybe I’ve been lying to you this whole time. Maybe your shoulder is fine, and I just like torturing you.”
“I knew it.” His mouth quirks. “So it is a BDSM thing, this kink of yours.”
“Oh my God, are you ever going to let that go?”
“Probably not.”
I shake my head, but I’m fighting a smile. This is dangerous—the banter, the ease of it. Every time I’m with him, my walls get a little lower. My rules get a little blurrier.
“How’s Maisie?” I ask, and immediately regret it.
His expression flickers. “You saw that?”
“I wasn’t eavesdropping. I just—I walked past.”
“It’s fine.” He runs a hand through his hair. “She’s... she’s having a hard time. New place, new people. She doesn’t do well with change.”
“Most kids don’t.”
“Most kids don’t have a revolving door of caregivers.” He says it flatly, like it’s just a fact. “Mrs. Hendricks was with us for two years. That’s the longest anyone’s lasted besides me.”
“What about her mom?”
The question slips out before I can stop it. I know she’s not really in the picture, but I don’t know the details.
Zayden’s jaw tightens. “What about her?”
“Sorry. That’s none of my business.”
“No, it’s—” He stops. Starts again. “Sienna left when Maze was six months old. Decided motherhood wasn’t for her. She shows up maybe twice a year, makes a big fuss that she’s back, takes some photos for Instagram, and disappears again.”
