“We signed a lot of shit, but that wasn’t one of them.”
Kai and I pull into my driveway, and I’m exhausted, mentally and physically. Sharing everything felt freeing, but it also felt like it took everything in me.
The remnants of Sean’s rage are still lying out in front of the house, and as soon as I see them, I’m angry.
How did I let it get to this point?
The intimidation, the need to buy my memories, his obsessive need to control everything—all of it comes down to him and what he wants. It was always what he wanted, and while I know it won’t matter, it’s now about what I want.
My eyes are focused on the broken chair, the splintered wood, the pieces scattered around. My phone is also somewhere in that mess. I left it because there was no point in seeing if it still worked.
“I’ll clean that up,” Kai says sweetly, his fingers touching my cheek, bringing me back to him.
“No.”
Tilting his head to the side, he looks at me, sympathy shining in his eyes, and I can feel the tears welling up in mine.
“Come here,” he murmurs, hooking his hand around the back of my neck, guiding me to him. “Babe, you don’t have to hide anything from me. Cry, yell, break something. I don’t fucking care because there has never been a time in my life when I wanted to kick the shit out of someone like I did him.”
Climbing over the console of the car, I straddle his hips, my arms wrapped around his neck, burying my face in him as I sob.
Hard, but silent, I let the tears fall again, getting everything out—not just the words, but the tears I’ve continued to hold back. Never being allowed to express my feelings and being constantly ridiculed when I did has taken a toll on me.
I’ve hidden my feelings, controlled how I responded to everything, never letting my real and raw emotions show. But I’m done with that as I cry in Kai’s arms. His mouth is next to my ear. Soft, calming shushes leave his lips, and with each ragged breath I take, I hold him tighter.
Time passes slowly, and I want to fall asleep in his arms. The comfort of his body is everything I’ve ever wanted but was never able to find.
Coming to Hawaii was the best decision I’ve made because I not only met Kai, but I’ve also made some amazing friends who have helped me see that love isn’t conditional.
“Do you want to grab some things and stay at my place?” Kai now asks, his words a hushed whisper of kindness and love.
I take in what he’s said, trying to decide if I want to be run out of my own house by a guy who has ruined my life already.
“I want to stay here, but will you stay with me?”
“Of course.”
We exit the car, walking toward the house, Kai’s fingers woven through mine. He stops when he gets to the mess Sean made.
Releasing my hand, he bends down to begin cleaning up, but I stop him.
“Hold on,” I say, hearing the anger and hatred in my tone. “Can I borrow your phone?”
Since mine was destroyed, I want to document this, remind myself what I left and how I never want to go back. Not that I’ve even considered it for a second, but this could help my case of not signing the NDA.
“Sure,” he says, handing it to me, but the passcode pops up, and I hand it back to him. “It needs your face or your code.”
“Code’s your birthday, Quinn,” he states as if this is the most normal thing in the world. “I changed it after we met so I didn’t forget it.”
“What?”
“Code’s your birthday,” he repeats, as if I didn’t hear him the first time. Not only am I floored by the fact that he changed the code to my birthday, but that he gave me the code in the first place.
He looks at me, a completely relaxed look on his face, his arm extended, the phone in his hand. He motions for me to take it but lets out a huff before entering his code and handing it back to me.
It takes him a second to catch up to what’s happening between us right now, and I see the change in his face.
His brow furrows, and then I see the anger flare in his eyes. I bite my bottom lip and raise my brows, letting out a sigh. He has no idea how often this is going to come, how many triggers I have over the littlest things, and all I can hope is that he doesn’t get sick of dealing with the trauma someone else inflicted on me.
