The smoke between us

𝙎𝙈𝙊𝙆𝙀 𝘽𝙀𝙏𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙉 𝙐𝙎
he was chaos, and I still let him in.

Kai Stratton was never mine to keep.

He was the bad boy everyone warned me about beautiful, reckless, dripping in tattoos and secrets. He had a cigarette for every feeling he couldn't name, a reputation that made mothers shudder, and a way of looking at me like I was the only thing he'd ever wanted.

And for a while, maybe I was.

Until everything fell apart.

Now I'm raising our daughter with the brother who stayed when Kai ran, and Kai? He's back sober, bruised, and suddenly trying to be the dad I always prayed he'd be. But forgiveness doesn't come easy. Not when there's too much history. Too many lies. And too many scars.

And it doesn't help that I still want him. That even after all the mess, the heartbreak, the destruction...

He still feels like home.

This time, love might not be enough.
But the fire between us?
It never really went out.