BELLA
After that night, I just stopped talking to Kai altogether. No texts, no calls, no casual nods in the hallway of the hospital, which I never actually saw him in since the day we fought. I didn’t block his number or anything dramatic—I just chose silence.
I told myself it was for the best. No more confusion, no more wondering what every gesture or word meant. In reality, every time my phone buzzed, a small part of me wondered if it was him. And when it wasn’t, I couldn’t help feeling… relieved? Disappointed? Maybe a bit of both.
Elaine, of course, couldn’t keep her mouth shut for more than a day. By the time I got to work the next morning, everyone knew about Xavier, Ralph, Lennon and Hunter being my biological brother. The gossip spread like wildfire.
“They’re what?” Li
