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Finally closing her laptop, my mom asks him, “Do they have any leads on your father’s whereabouts?”

Khaos’s gaze drops. “They don’t have the first clue where he could be.”

That’s who she was talking about—Graham. That means he left Khaos, too.

Or did Khaos choose to stay?

“Do you?” I ask.

He looks at me without blinking. “No.”

“So that’s it? I’m just out of a hundred thousand dollars? I’ve been looking at the numbers, at what you and your—”

“I never saw any of that money, Sera. I didn’t have access to your accounts. He did. Every dollar you handed me went directly into his pocket for him to…” He stops himself, shaking his head.

“Gamble away.” The accusation is thrown like a Molotov cocktail.

That’s why he never upgraded his phone, despite my mom giving him money to. Because Graham convinced him he needed it more.

“Yeah.” Khaos nods and shrugs at the same time. “He had all of us fooled.”

My heart aches for Khaos. Despite a lifetime of treachery, he still loves his dad. And now he’s gone. Disappeared without a trace. Probably for good.

For everyone’s sake, I hope that’s true. Khaos is better off without him.

“Can I talk to my—Can I talk to Kota alone?”

“I don’t think so. That’s inappropriate.”

“Mom,” I say. “He’s not his dad. The fact that he’s standing here proves that.”

“He’s still your stepbrother.”

“Are you actually planning on staying married to Graham?”

“Of course not.” She sniffs. “I’m getting that sham of a marriage annulled as quickly as legally possible.”

“Then…” Dipping my chin, I widen my eyes at her.

After a moment, she leaves with a warning to Khaos neither of us believe after seeing her reaction to a real threat. I can’t recall all of last night—and maybe that’s for the best—but the image of my terrifying mother reduced to a simpering ball of vulnerability will forever be etched in my brain. Hopefully the next time she appears in my nightmares, I’ll pull on that memory and send her away. I’ve been letting her have too much control over my life, both in the dream world and in this one.

“What were you going to call me?” I ask once she’s gone. “Your…?”

“Girlfriend. But then I remembered you’re…not.”

“Wow. So that’s what I get for taking a bullet for you? A demotion,” I half tease. It’s my fault he’s not clear on our relationship status. I never stopped loving Khaos, wanting Khaos, needing Khaos, not for a single second.

“Kota, you’ll always be mine in my eyes.”

We regard one another for a moment.

“Same.”

All the composure in Khaos’s face crumbles as he takes the seat my mom just vacated, pulling it closer to the bed and taking my hand in his.

“Why’d you do it?”

Take the bullet.