Folding For You

Chapter 40: Killian

I knew it was a reckless move to kiss Sabrina like that, right out in public with the world watching, but to hell with it. After the day I'd had, I needed that moment.

Seeing and feeling her grounded me and gave me something tangible to hold on to amidst everything spiralling out of control.

Karlton's situation was still uncertain, hanging over me like a weight I couldn't shake, but there was nothing else I wanted more than to be right here, held up by the only steady force in my life—Sabrina.

My mind, as usual, was already strategising the following steps, no matter how exhausted I felt. My body was on the verge of breaking down, but my brain kept churning, working angles, planning contingencies.

If Karlton's recovery stretches out... hell, I might end up stepping into his role. The thing I'd been fighting to avoid, clawing my way out of, was coming back to bite me hard.

It wasn't just the work. It was the dark side of my family, the deeply rooted problems, the skeletons no one wanted to deal with. But if I took over, I'd have to face it head-on. And I'm not some miracle worker.

Purging the mess from Grandpa's era and beyond is possible—I know that. But to do it, I'd need a rock-solid team. People I could trust implicitly. And trust, these days, is in short supply.

Derek. I need Derek. With all this dropping on me, I'm sure he's losing his mind, probably trying to reach me, thinking I've gone AWOL.

And, of course, my phone died on me at the worst possible moment. Just like the rest of my motivation lately. The idea of managing the hotel business on top of everything else? Forget it. I needed to shove all that noise out of my head.

And then I realised, amidst the chaos, I was still holding Sabrina close, wrapped up in her warmth. She pulled back just enough to look at me, her eyes soft and steady. "Baby, you want to go somewhere quiet?"

I took a deep breath, my mind slowing down for the first time in hours. Yeah. Somewhere quiet, somewhere with just her. Right now, that was all I needed.

I led Sabrina to the end of the hospital hallway, away from prying eyes and Kaleb's hormone-fueled fan club. We'd been clinging to each other since I got here, but now I loosened my hold just enough to look at her properly. "You okay, Dimples?"

She looked up, surprised. "Me? I should be asking you. How are you holding up, baby?"

I let out a sigh—one of many lately, it seemed—and took in her face, her sweet face looking exhausted, her eyes red and puffy. She'd probably been crying half the day. I brushed my fingers over her chapped lips. "More alive, now that you're here."

Then I kissed her, long and deep, letting the day's weight melt away momentarily.

"Oh..." She rummaged through her tote bag and pulled out my phone charger, smiling as she handed it over. "Your charger, baby. Here, charge your phone. Wait, no." She swapped it for her power bank. "Use this instead."

She was unstoppable. I couldn't help but grin, shaking my head as I plugged in my phone like she'd ordered. A few minutes later, my phone came back to life.

"Dimples," I said, looking at her with admiration.

"Yeah?" she looked up, giving me that warm, steady gaze I'd come to love.

"Thank you... for all this. For everything you do—not just today. Thank you."

She wrapped her arms around me, nearly crushing my phone and power bank in the process. "I love you. I love you so much, Killian."

I kissed her again, softer this time. "I love you too."

And then the notifications started flooding in—Derek, Dad, Cece, Donovan, James. Some clients even asked if I was alive. I couldn't handle it. Not right now. Not with Sabrina in my arms.

"I'll put it on airplane mode while it charges," I said casually, acting as if it was for efficiency when I wanted a moment of peace with her.

"Yeah, I heard that's the best way to charge it!" She nodded, rummaging in her tote bag again. I half-laughed to myself, wondering what she could be looking for now.

She pulled out a Tupperware container and opened it to reveal chicken croquetas. "It's cold, but I thought you might want some." My chest swelled at the sight, and my heart felt fuller than in a long time. This woman thought of everything.

Right here, I promised myself I'd propose to her when Karlton opened his eyes. I'd give her the best wedding, build her the best home, and give her—and our future family—the world. I was so damn in love with her.

I was speechless and lost when Sabrina reached over and lifted a croqueta to my mouth. It was cold, but it tasted like heaven.

"Oh, yikes!" She was back in her bag, pulling out a tiny container with sauce. "Apparently, you like this too?"

I grabbed another croqueta, dipping it into the Smoked Pimenton Aioli, savouring the flavour. "Damn, baby. I am fucking famished."

I watched as Sabrina dug into her bag again, and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, smirking. "Baby, what could you possibly have left in there..."

Before I could finish, she pulled out a water bottle, twisted the cap, and brought it to my lips, nudging me to drink. "Drink water," she said softly, her tone between sweet and stern.

I took a sip, feeling the cool water hit my throat, and it was like a balm. She'd thought of everything. I felt like a kid, being cared for purely for a moment. It hit a part of me I didn't even realise was missing. My inner child was practically grinning. This kind of love held you together, even when the world was falling apart.

"Kills. We gotta go. The doctor wants to see us. Dad is here, by the way," Kaleb called out from a distance.

"Is Mona here?" I asked, half-expecting the answer. My stepmother, Mona, had been jet-setting across Europe like she was running from something. Ever since Kaleb had let slip about Dad's affair with Cece, I had a feeling she'd finally found her reason to disappear.

Sabrina looked at me wide-eyed. "Mona? Who's Mona?"

I gently gripped her chin, drawing her focus back to me. "Oh, right. You're still an inactive Scrollie user. We'll talk about it later." I gave her a quick, reassuring smile. "Mona's my stepmom."

Her eyes grew even more expansive, processing. "Stepmom? But... Cece?" She paused, realisation dawning, and covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh..."

I smiled, kissing her forehead. "I'll fill you in later." With that, I reluctantly let her go, heading over to meet Kaleb.