Page 124 of My Only

I could feel it.

Something was wrong.

“Baby…” I said softly. “Why you just sitting there all quiet?”

Still no words.

Just those sad, tired eyes staring straight through me.

And in that moment, I realized… she was done.

I swallowed.

Hard.

Tried to read her expression.

Tried to understand how we got here.

“Ayla… why are you still up?—”

“Where were you?”

Her voice was low.

Weighted.

Angry.

My jaw tightened.

My throat closed.

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

Nothing came out, because if I told her I was in Long Island with my dad getting my ass handed to me, I’d have to tell her why. She knew all the stories about The Green Room. She knew my dad only brought me there whenever he needed to humble me, bring me down to size, as he put it. And if I told her he brought me there because he found me at Vernon’s with Harper… I just knew I wouldn’t know peace that night.

A sharp, bitter scoff left her lips. “Were you out with Harper, Hassani?”

Fuck.

I shut my eyes.

Hard.

So much for leaving that part out.

“You lost the game… don’t lose your wife.”

My father’s voice slammed right into me.

Like a brick to the chest.

“Ayla—”

“Yes or no.”

She cut me off.

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