Page 139 of The Chaos She Brings
She’s leaving me.
That’s it.
Of course she is.
Why wouldn’t she?
I’m not enough.
“Kai?” Carina’s voice sounds distant as I take a step back.
She can’t leave me.
Not now.
Not after everything.
I don’t wait for another word. I turn and bolt out of the office.
My dumb not-fully-mended-leg means we took the tube in since I can’t drive yet, but I’m not waiting for that. Within minutes, an Uber pulls up, and I jump in, barely registering the driver’s attempt at small talk.
As soon as the car pulls up to my house, I’m out, sprinting (I may be exaggerating my speed) to the front door. It slams against the wall as I burst inside.
“Tess!” I call, desperation clawing at my throat.
No answer.
I search the bedroom first.
Her things are still here. A small mercy.
I exhale sharply, forcing down the worst of my panic as I hurry back downstairs—only to freeze in the doorway of the living room.
Tess is sitting on the couch.
“Hey… did you not hear me calling for you?”
Her head snaps up like she’s only just realising I’m here.
She’s pale, bloodless.
She looks at me, then back at the coffee table, her wide, unblinking eyes fixed on something in front of her.
A cold prickle runs down my spine.
I take a step closer. Then I see it.
My breath catches.
“Is that—” I clear my throat, my voice hoarse. “Tess… are you—”
Her voice is barely a whisper. “Pregnant? Yeah.”
Her face crumples. A sob wrenches from her throat, and she buries her face in her hands, shoulders trembling.
I’m at her side in seconds, pulling her off the couch and into my arms. “It’s okay,” I murmur, stroking her hair.
“No, it’s not.” Her voice is muffled against my shirt.
