In Love With The Bad Boy

Chapter 4: The Long Road Home

Kat stepped off the plane, her fingers nervously gripping the armrest as the cabin lights flickered back on, signaling that they were preparing for landing. The flight had been smooth, but her mind hadn’t stopped racing since she boarded. She couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling in her stomach, the nervous excitement, and the overwhelming sadness that still lingered.

It felt surreal, leaving everything behind in the city—her broken relationships, her betrayed trust, her heartache. It was supposed to be a temporary escape. A brief reprieve. But could she really leave all of that behind just by going home?

Home.

The word sent a wave of both comfort and unease through her. It had been years since she’d been back to her parents' estate, years since she had stepped foot in that pristine, quiet house, full of echoes and distant conversations. Growing up, it was never a place of refuge for Kat. Her parents were always busy—too busy for her. She had been raised by nannies and housekeepers, most of whom she had formed closer bonds with than her own parents. But her home had always been more of a gilded cage than a sanctuary.

But now, it was all she had.

She needed space. She needed time. She needed to be away from the city, from Jason, from Julianne, and the web of lies that had twisted her life into something she no longer recognized. The airport terminal was busy, but her mind felt strangely still, like it was bracing for the next chapter in her life.

The walk to baggage claim felt like a blur. When her suitcase finally appeared on the carousel, Kat grabbed it quickly, dragging it with her as she made her way to the exit. The sound of her heels clicking against the polished floor echoed in the cavernous space, and she felt the weight of her decision settle on her shoulders like a heavy coat.

She didn’t want to go back to the condo, not for even a second longer. She needed to pack, grab her things, and leave. Jason might be waiting for her, still trying to explain things, trying to mend the cracks he had created. But Kat didn’t want his explanations. She didn’t need to hear any more lies. She was done.

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The drive back to her condo was almost suffocating in its silence. Her hands gripped the steering wheel with a tightness she hadn’t even noticed until the car came to a stop in front of the building. Her condo, once a place where she’d felt proud, secure, was now a place filled with memories she didn’t want to face.

As she stepped inside, she was immediately greeted by the familiar scent of cleaning products and the soft hum of the air conditioning. The housekeeper, Maria, was already there, organizing a few things on the kitchen counter.

“Good morning, Miss Villaverde,” Maria said with a soft smile, looking up from her work. “I packed your things as you asked. I also brought in your laptop and a few other essentials.”

Kat nodded, grateful for the housekeeper’s efficiency. She didn’t have the strength to pack herself. She just needed to get in, grab her things, and get out.

“Thank you, Maria,” she said softly, forcing a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes.

Maria could see the exhaustion and sadness in her eyes, but she didn’t press. She simply nodded and began moving toward the door. “I will leave you to finish up, Miss. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

Kat didn’t respond, but the door shut behind her with a soft click, and the silence of the condo was once again her only company.

She didn’t linger. She grabbed the luggage Maria had packed, checking to make sure everything she needed was inside. Her laptop, charger, a few important documents. It was all there. The thought of Jason coming back to this place, standing in front of her, trying to explain what he’d done, was more than she could bear.

“Thank God he’s gone,” she muttered to herself, remembering Maria’s words. Jason had arrived the previous night and left early this morning, thankfully before Kat had arrived. The thought of seeing him here, even for a moment, made her stomach turn.

After a quick check of the apartment to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything important, Kat locked the door behind her and made her way to the elevator.

The parking lot felt oddly quiet, and Kat hurried to her car, eager to escape the suffocating familiarity of the condo building. It was all too much—the memories of a life she once thought she was building, the constant reminders of everything she had lost. She didn’t want to stay here a second longer.

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With some time still to kill before her flight, Kat decided to stop by the airport gift shop.

As she walked into the gift, the familiar sights and sounds hit her like a wave. The vibrant displays in the stores, the laughter of children, the clink of change in the food court—it was all so normal, so ordinary, and yet it felt so foreign.

Kat wandered through the aisles of a gift shop, her fingers absentmindedly grazing the rows of trinkets and souvenirs. She didn’t need anything. She wasn’t really looking to buy. But it felt good to move, to not be trapped in her own thoughts for a moment. It had been years since she had been back home, and everything felt... different. She didn’t know if it was the years that had passed or the broken pieces of her heart, but it felt like she was in a place that didn’t quite belong to her anymore.

Her parents’ house, her hometown—none of it felt like home in the way she had imagined it might. There was no warmth, no comfort. It was all just... distant. Her parents had always been so distant, wrapped up in their own worlds, their own ambitions. And Kat had spent so much of her time trying to carve out a life, trying to find meaning, trying to fill the void of loneliness that had come from being an only child in a home full of echoes.

She sighed, picking up a small keychain in the shape of a heart, unsure why she was even holding it.

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An hour later, Kat found herself sitting in the terminal, waiting for her flight to board. Her fingers drummed against the armrest of the chair, her body restless.

She had made the right decision. Going home was the only thing that made sense right now. It wasn’t about escaping the heartache, but finding a space where she could think, where she could breathe.

The gate area was busy, people rushing about, coming and going, their lives continuing without a care. She envied them for their ease.

Her mind kept drifting back to the broken pieces of her past—the lies, the betrayals—but she tried to push them away. She had to focus on the future now, on finding peace again, on healing.

When the flight was finally called, Kat stood up, her bag slung over her shoulder, and walked toward the gate. As she boarded the plane and settled into her seat, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of hope, mingled with the sadness.

She didn’t know what was waiting for her back home, but she hoped, somehow, that it would be enough to help her forget about the heartache.

For now, that was all she could ask for.

As the plane began to taxi down the runway, Kat closed her eyes, letting the hum of the engines soothe her. She was leaving behind the life she had known. She wasn’t sure what would come next, but for the first time in a long time, she felt the slightest glimmer of peace.