Page 331 of Kentrell

As soon as the doors closed behind us, he pulled me back into him like the gap between us had been too long already.

Resting his chin on top of my head, holding me tight against his chest, like this was just… us now.

Our normal.

I smiled into the warmth of him, letting myself melt into the moment even though my nerves were starting to bubble again.

Higher and higher the elevator climbed.

And by the time it dinged at the top floor…

When the doors slid open and we stepped right into the home…

My breath caught.

I froze mid-step, my eyes locking on the two people sitting on the couch like they’d been waiting all morning for this exact moment.

“Mom?” My voice cracked right down the middle, confusion lacing every syllable as I blinked at her.

There she was. Zora. Sitting stiff… hands knotted in her lap like she didn’t know what to do with them.

But what really made my stomach drop?

Darius.

Sitting right beside her.

Elbows on his knees. Face buried in his hands like he was fighting for air… like this was some private war he’d been losing long before we walked in the door.

I instinctively tried to pull myself out of Kentrell’s arms, needing space, needing clarity… needing to see Darius’s face.

Needing to make sense of why he was even here.

Whatwasthis?

Why the hell washehere withher?

My pulse was climbing… breath hitching… my heart starting to beat way too fast for me to control it.

“Be cool, Zoe.”

Kentrell’s voice cut low into my ear, steady and grounding.

His arms stayed locked around my waist like he already knew what kind of reaction was loading in me.

I swallowed hard… eyes still darting between my mother and Darius.

Every emotion under the sun creeping up my throat…

And just like that…

I knew this wasn’t gonna be a regular homecoming.

Not at all.

I stood there, still caught in the tight circle of Kentrell’s arms… staring at Darius like my brain refused to accept what my eyes were showing me.

Slowly… like the weight of the room was too much for him… Darius lifted his head.

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