Page 26 of November's Bad Boy: Kacen
Leaning back, I stare at the ceiling as if it has answers. "I didn’t want to screw it up."
"You didn’t screw it up because of Natalie. You messed it up because of you."
He doesn’t stop there. His voice softens, but his eyes don’t let me look away.
"You’re not that scared, bitter kid anymore. Unless you choose to be."
The truth of that slices through me. I take it. Let it hit and bruise, settling deep.
He leans forward, elbows on his knees. "You think I don’t know what it's like to carry shame? To wake up every day thinking maybe today I’ll be more than my past? But guess what? Growth doesn’t come from pretending it never happened. It comes from owning it. Staying. Choosing better. Besides, I didn't save your ass all those years ago for you to be miserable and run from love. "
Closing my eyes, all I see is her. Standing in that hoodie. Voice trembling but strong, telling me she didn’t betray me. She was on the verge of tears, and I left anyway.
I blew up, not because of her, but because deep down, I believed I wasn’t worth keeping promises to. That fear my dad instilled all those years ago that I've been trying to outrun.
"I hurt her."
Kingston nods. "Yeah. You did."
"I became Dad for a minute."
"And now you get to decide if you stay that way."
The silence that follows is heavy. It settles on my shoulders like a punishment.
I want to go back and make it right. I want to be the kind of man who doesn’t run when he’s scared.
Taking some time, I think about what I want. Not just in some vague future, but right now. What kind of man I want to be. What kind of life I want. And I think about Natalie. The way she laughed with me in the Merc. The way she looked at me like I was worth the risk.
I stand.
Kingston watches me, unreadable. "You gonna fix it?"
"I have to try."
He nods once, slow and firm. "Then stop running. Stay and fight."
I grab my keys.
Heading to the door, I pause with my hand on the knob. My heart is hammering so loud it drowns out the quiet.
"Do you think she'll even want to hear it?" I ask.
Kingston shrugs, but there’s warmth in his voice. "You won’t know unless you show up."
I nod, stepping outside. The cold hits my skin, crisp and sharp. The kind that wakes you up, forces you to feel. I stand on the porch for a second, just breathing. The world doesn’t stop because I messed up. Which means I still have a shot to make it right.
This time, I won’t slam a door. I won’t walk away.
This time, I’m staying.
CHAPTER 10
NATALIE
The community center smells like cinnamon, cider, and something a little too close to burnt marshmallows. It’s warm, too hot with all the bodies packed in and laughter echoing off the rafters, but no one seems to mind. The place has been transformed. String lights wind around the support beams, tables draped in mismatched cloths, old family platters lined up with every kind of casserole, pie, and carb-heavy miracle you can think of.
Ruby’s outdone herself. Again.
