Chained by our past

Chapter 9

For the first time in years, Isla Calloway felt like she was losing control.

She sat at the kitchen counter, staring blankly at the laptop in front of her. The spreadsheet filled with company projections blurred in her vision, numbers that usually commanded her full attention now meaningless against the storm raging in her mind.

Lucas Reyes was becoming a problem.

Not in the way she had originally feared—he hadn’t gone to court, hadn’t made threats, hadn’t tried to rip Leo from her life with legal power plays. No, it was something worse.

He was getting comfortable.

And worse than that? Leo was getting comfortable with him.

Isla had expected pushback from her son, expected questions, confusion, hesitancy. But Leo had taken to Lucas like he had been waiting for him all along.

And Isla?

She didn’t know how to handle it.

A soft knock at the front door snapped her out of her thoughts.

Her stomach clenched.

Lucas.

She exhaled slowly, smoothing her hands down the fabric of her silk blouse before opening the door.

Lucas stood there, dressed casually in dark jeans and a fitted black sweater, holding a small bag in one hand.

"Morning, Calloway," he said, that familiar smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

She arched a brow. "You're early."

He shrugged. "Figured I’d bring breakfast. Leo up?"

As if on cue, Leo’s excited voice rang from behind her.

"Daddy!"

Isla flinched at the word, even as Leo raced past her, straight into Lucas’s waiting arms.

Lucas chuckled, lifting Leo effortlessly. "Hey, buddy. You ready for our big day?"

Leo nodded enthusiastically. "Are we really going to the park?"

"Of course," Lucas said. "And I might have brought a surprise." He reached into the bag, pulling out a small toy dinosaur.

Leo’s entire face lit up. "A T-Rex!"

Isla felt her chest tighten.

Leo was happy.

Too happy.

She should have been relieved. Instead, she felt like the ground beneath her was shifting.

Lucas looked at her then, his expression knowing.

"You coming with us?"

Isla crossed her arms. "I have work to do."

Leo pouted. "Mama, please?"

Her resolve weakened.

She shouldn’t. Spending time together as a ‘family’ blurred the boundaries she was desperately trying to maintain.

But then Leo looked up at her with those green eyes—Lucas’s eyes.

And she knew she was losing this battle.

An hour later, Isla found herself at Central Park, walking alongside Lucas as Leo ran ahead, chasing a squirrel like it was a prehistoric beast.

It was…normal.

Too normal.

The easy laughter, the warmth in the crisp autumn air, the way Lucas fit so effortlessly into Leo’s world.

It was dangerous.

Because it made Isla forget.

Forget that Lucas wasn’t permanent. Forget that this wasn’t real.

Lucas walked beside her, hands in his pockets, his gaze shifting between her and their son. "He’s amazing."

Isla swallowed. "He is."

Lucas glanced at her. "You did a good job with him."

Something about those words—so sincere, so unexpected—made her chest ache.

She wasn’t used to praise. Not from Lucas.

She wasn’t sure what to do with it.

So, she said nothing.

They walked in silence for a moment before Lucas spoke again, his voice quieter this time.

"I missed so much."

She looked at him then, really looked at him.

And for the first time, she saw the regret in his eyes.

Not anger. Not frustration.

Regret.

A lump formed in her throat.

But before she could say anything, Leo came running back, breathless and beaming.

"Look! A feather!" he held it up like it was the most valuable treasure in the world.

Lucas grinned. "You think it’s from a dinosaur?"

Leo nodded enthusiastically. "A pterodactyl!"

Lucas laughed, ruffling his hair. "Good theory, buddy."

Isla watched them, her chest tightening.

Lucas was good with him. Too good.

And she hated that a small part of her…liked it.

That evening, back at Isla’s penthouse, Leo was fast asleep in his room after an exhausting day.

Isla stood by the kitchen counter, pouring herself a glass of wine when Lucas’s voice cut through the silence.

"Move in with me."

The wine bottle nearly slipped from her grip.

She turned, staring at him. "What?"

Lucas leaned against the counter, completely serious.

"I want you and Leo to move in with me."

She blinked. "Are you insane?"

"Think about it," he said. "Leo deserves to wake up with both parents in the same home. He shouldn’t have to feel like he’s being shuffled between two worlds."

Isla exhaled sharply. "That’s not happening."

"Why not?" Lucas pushed. "It makes sense. It’s better for him."

Her pulse raced. "It’s too soon. We barely—"

"Is it about Leo?" Lucas asked, his gaze sharp. "Or is it about you?"

Her stomach twisted.

Lucas took a step closer, his voice dropping lower. "Are you afraid of what happens if we start acting like a family?"

Her heart skipped a beat.

She should have pushed him away. Should have shut him down.

But she hesitated.

And Lucas saw it.

His gaze darkened, his voice softer now. "I think you’re scared, Calloway."

Isla’s breath shook. "I’m not scared."

Lucas tilted his head, his lips curling into that slow, devastating smirk.

"Then prove it."