The man he could never be (chapter 3)
443 Words
The man he could never be.
Chapter 3– The Morning After
Kayla woke up slowly.
For a few seconds she forgot where she was.
Then she saw the large window and the golden sunlight pouring over the fields outside.
Right.
Alexander’s house.
She sat up and grabbed her phone.
17 missed calls.
All from Daniel.
Kayla groaned.
Her phone rang again immediately.
Daniel.
She stared at it.
Then answered.
“What?”
Daniel’s voice exploded through the phone.
“WHERE ARE YOU?”
Kayla rolled her eyes.
“Good morning to you too.”
“Kayla, I went home and you weren’t there.”
“No way,” she said flatly. “Crazy.”
“Stop messing around. Where are you?”
Kayla hesitated.
Then said calmly:
“With your dad.”
Silence.
Then—
“What?”
She hung up.
Across the house, Alexander sat at the kitchen island drinking coffee.
He had already been awake for hours.
Work emails open on his laptop.
The sound of footsteps made him glance up.
Kayla walked into the kitchen wearing one of his spare t-shirts.
Her hair messy from sleep.
Alexander’s eyes lingered for a second longer than they should have.
“Morning,” she said.
Alexander slid a mug toward her.
“Coffee.”
Kayla smiled slightly.
“Thank you.”
She sat across from him.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then Kayla sighed.
“Daniel called.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened slightly.
“I assumed he would.”
“He knows I’m here.”
Alexander didn’t react much.
“He’ll survive.”
Kayla studied him.
“You’re surprisingly calm about all this.”
Alexander leaned back in his chair.
“I’ve been disappointed in my son for years.”
Kayla blinked.
“That’s… harsh.”
Alexander’s eyes met hers.
“He had someone good in his life.”
His voice dropped slightly.
“And he threw it away.”
Kayla looked down at her coffee.
The room felt strangely quiet.
Then Alexander asked softly:
“Are you going back to him?”
Kayla looked up immediately.
“No.”
The certainty in her voice surprised even her.
Alexander nodded slowly.
“Good.”
Kayla raised an eyebrow.
“Why do you sound relieved?”
Alexander stood up, walking around the kitchen island.
Stopping beside her chair.
Too close.
His voice was low.
“Because,” he said quietly, “you deserve better than him.”
Kayla’s heart skipped.
He leaned down slightly.
“And I take care of what’s in my house.”
Kayla swallowed.
Something about the way he said that sent a strange warmth through her chest.
Possessive.
Protective.
Dangerous.
- Writer
