Page 43 of Pastel Kisses

My phone chimes. Again.

I grit my teeth, my fingers flexing around the device as the screen lights up with another message from Sarah. That’s the sixth one in the last ten minutes.

“Jesus, Jax, she ever let up?” Kamden’s voice pulls my attention from the screen. He’s watching me from across the room, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. His sharp gaze flicks to my phone, and I know he’s reading the stress all over my face.

I let out a heavy sigh, raking a hand through my hair. “No. She doesn’t.”

Kamden pushes off the counter, his brows furrowing in concern as he steps closer. “How are you holding up?”

I exhale through my nose, shaking my head. “I’m making it through.” It’s the truth, but not the whole truth. “But I’m not gonna lie—it’s hard. She’s relentless. And the worst part? I have to figure out how the hell I’m supposed to break this to Dan.”

Kamden stiffens, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Shit.”

“Yeah.”

Avery’s father is a good man. A strong man. And he loves his daughter more than anything in the world. I did nothing wrong—I didn’t even know Avery when Sarah and I hooked up at that damn pre-film party—but none of that matters. The second I sit down and tell Dan that our psycho ex is pregnant with my kid, it’s going to feel like I’m telling him I cheated.

And I didn’t.

But that won’t change the fact that it’s going to gut him.

We’ve spent months at his side, searching for Avery, holding each other together. He’s become family, and now I’m about to drop a bomb that’s going to rip another piece of his world apart.

“I don’t even know how to start that conversation,” I admit, rubbing the tension from my neck.

Kamden’s silent for a long moment, then finally speaks. “You tell him the truth. Straight up. No sugarcoating, no dodging. Just be honest, Jax.”

I nod, knowing he’s right. Dan deserves nothing less.

My phone chimes again, and this time, I don’t even bother looking at it.

“She’s never getting what she wants,” I say firmly, meeting Kamden’s gaze. “She thinks she can worm her way back into our lives, but that’s never gonna happen. I told her already—if this baby is mine, I’ll step up, but that’s it. She doesn’t get me. She doesn’t get my brothers. And she sure as hell isn’t moving in with us.”

Kamden smirks slightly at that. “Damn right she’s not. She’s delusional.”

“That’s putting it mildly.”

Kam claps a hand on my shoulder, squeezing briefly. “We’ve got your back, man. Whatever happens, you’re not dealing with it alone.”

I nod, appreciating the reassurance. Because no matter how much Sarah tries to drag me down, no matter how heavy the weight of all this bullshit gets, I have my brothers.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Avery

Time has become a cruel enigma—each second stretching into an eternity, yet weeks vanish before I can grasp them. The swell of my belly is undeniable now, a living testament to the days slipping through my fingers. I press my hand against the firm curve, a bittersweet reminder of life persisting amidst this suffocating captivity.

Sarah's visits are a twisted ritual, each encounter laced with manipulation and veiled threats. She delights in recounting fabricated tales of the guys moving on, her words dripping with malice. "They're forgetting you, Avery," she’ll purr, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Soon, they'll be mine entirely." Her threats extend to my unborn child, her intentions dark and possessive. "Once the baby arrives," she muses, "it'll seal our bond forever." I’ve heard this exact line on repeat for what feels like weeks.

Sarah is meticulous, never granting me a sliver of freedom. Not giving me a single sliver of opportunity to attempt an escape.

Hygiene has become a distant luxury; she provides only cold water and a threadbare rag, ensuring I remain in a perpetual state of discomfort. My reflection, when I catch it, is a haunting visage of grime and exhaustion—a far cry from the person I once was.

Each day blurs into the next, a monotonous cycle of endurance. Yet, within me, a flicker of defiance remains. I cling to the hope that, despite Sarah's machinations, I will reclaim my freedom and protect the life growing inside me.

Sometime later, Sarah saunters down the stairs like her shit don’t stink—like she hasn't been keeping me chained in this hellhole for months. In her hand, she waves a stack of papers like they're invitations to the goddamn royal wedding.

"Look what I brought you," she sing-songs, holding up the grainy black-and-white images of a random ultrasound. "Sonograms. Cute, right? Thought you might like to see what your baby looks like."

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