Page 37 of My Girl to Take

Kiera.

Her gaze lands on me immediately, then shifts to Garth, her expression tightening as she takes in the atmosphere, the tension, the unspoken weight hanging in the air.

“You told him,” she says softly.

“I did.”

She nods once, then steps further into the room, her posture straightening as she looks at Garth.

“I need you to know something,” she says, her voice steady despite the way her hands tighten at her sides. “I had no idea my mother was involved in any of this. I didn’t even know she was coming to my office today. I was just as surprised as you were.”

Silence follows.

Garth studies her for a moment. Then, “I believe you.”

The words hit hard. Something sharp snaps inside my chest.

“Of course you do,” I mutter, the bitterness slipping through before I can stop it.

Both of them look at me.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Kiera asks quietly.

I let out a short breath, shaking my head once. “It means nothing’s changed,” I say, my voice tighter now. “You see a Durham woman standing in front of you, and you believe her. Just like last time.”

“That’s not fair,” Garth says, his tone firm despite his condition.

“No?” I fire back. “Because it looks exactly the same from where I’m standing.”

“You were eighteen,” Garth says. “You’re a grown man now. Look at her.”

“I am looking at her.”

Kiera’s expression shifts, hurt flashing across her face. “Logan, that’s not what this is—”

“It is,” I cut in. “Or it’s close enough.”

“Listen to me,” she insists, stepping closer. “I’m not her. I never have been.”

I hesitate—just for a second—but it’s not enough. The old hurt keeps breaking through.

“I’m done listening,” I say, my voice colder now. More final.

Her face falls.

Garth looks between us, tension pulling at his already weakened frame. “Logan—”

“I handled the problem,” I cut in, stepping back toward the door. “Do what you want with it.”

And then I leave. Because staying would mean admitting I might be wrong.

And right now, I don’t know if I can survive being wrong about her.

Chapter Eight

Kiera

As I watch Logan leave, I move before I can think.