Dancing with a stranger

Chapter|17 ✨

I didn't know where we were going, but it felt right. Hours passed in silence, broken only by the hum of the tires on the road. Eventually, we stopped at a small gas station in the middle of nowhere. Kian handed me a sweatshirt and a pair of shorts that were far too big. I changed in the cramped bathroom while he filled the tank.

Standing in front of the mirror afterward, I stared at my stomach, thinking about everything—the chaos, the lies, the choices I had no control over. My phone buzzed. It was my father. Rage and fear surged through me. Without hesitation, I pulled out the SIM card and smashed the phone against the sink. Picking up the pieces, I dropped them into the trash and walked out.

I grabbed a few snacks and a bottle of Gatorade for the road. The clerk at the counter gave me a strange look—after all, it was nearly one in the morning, and I was wearing what had been a massive wedding gown. Now, in Kian's clothes, I smiled and whispered, "Everything's perfect," before heading back to the car.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked, my voice quiet.

"I'm taking you somewhere they can't find you," he said simply.

We pulled up to a small, beautiful house surrounded by trees, nestled on a lake. I was in awe.

"This is one of many of my family's safe houses," he explained.

We got out, and he grabbed a bag from the trunk. He took my hand and guided me up a path of stepping stones. A keypad beeped as he entered a code, and the door swung open.

The house was a one-story, fully furnished sanctuary—a step back in time. Paintings hung on the walls; one room had a fireplace with delicate figurines on the mantle. The living room couch was blue with a floral pattern, the kind of place that felt like it belonged to someone's grandmother.

Kian disappeared for a moment as his phone rang, and I wandered through the rooms, taking it all in. Eventually, he poked his head in. "Follow me."

He led me to a bedroom with a double bed, a golden-framed headboard, and a floral quilt. It looked impossibly cozy. I sank onto the bed, the exhaustion pressing down on me.

Kian joined me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. I snuggled into him, letting his warmth anchor me. My mind wandered, spinning with everything I'd just left behind.

We talked for hours as the sun rose, getting to know each other better. But a secret lingered, heavy and relentless: I was pregnant with his child. The weight of it gnawed at me. The warmth of his body was grounding, yet the chaos of the world I had fled still clung to me.

His hand rested steadily on my back, pulling me closer. For a moment, I allowed myself to forget the world outside. I traced my fingers along the lines of his jaw and leaned in to kiss him softly, as if the motion could erase the storm inside my head. Pulling away, I whispered, "I don't know what's next... but I know I can't go back."

His eyes opened, meeting mine with quiet understanding. "You don't have to go back. Not if you don't want to."

But that was the problem. I didn't know what I wanted. One life was raw and unguarded with him; the other was tied to Steele, my father, and years of expectations.

"I'm scared," I admitted, my voice barely audible.

He didn't reply at first, just pulled me closer, threading his fingers through my hair. "I know," he murmured. "I'm scared too. But we'll figure it out."

We stayed like that, letting silence stretch between us, thick with everything unsaid. Morning light spilled across the room, soft and golden. For the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to just be—in the moment, with Kian, away from the weight of the world.

The truth remained buried inside me, a secret I couldn't keep forever. But for now, I held onto him, letting the chaos fade, if only for a little while.