Mom’s voice made me stop. When I turned around, she was in the doorway with that ancient coffee mug she refused to throw away, even though Dad bitched about the chip in it constantly.
“What’s up?” I bounded back up the steps, probably looking as jumpy as I felt.
She started fidgeting with her sweater—never a good sign. That little wrinkle showed up between her eyebrows, the one that always meant trouble.
“Where are you off to?” Her voice was too careful. Way too careful.
“Heading to the resort. Gonna see if they’ll take me back.” The keys dug into my palm. “Need to start somewhere.”
Mom pressed her lips together, definitely picking up on my nervous energy. “Don’t you think you’re pushing too hard? You just got home yesterday, sweetheart.”
The guilt hit me like a punch to the gut. “I need a job, Mom. Gotta pay you and Dad back for rehab.” Three months in Harbor Hall wasn’t cheap, no matter how you looked at it.
“Oh, honey, that’s not necessary.” Her voice went all soft, the way it did when she was about to let me off the hook for something.
“Yes, it is.” I squared my shoulders. “That wasn’t your mess to clean up. It was mine.”
Something changed in Mom’s face then. She took a long drink of coffee, holding that mug like she was scared to let go.
“Chase, we didn’t pay for rehab.”
“Then who did?”
But I knew. Even before she said it, I knew.
“Elena.”
Elena.Elena, who might be carrying my kid. Elena, who I’d hurt over and over. Elena had paid for my rehab.
“Fuck,” was all I could manage.
Mom smiled. “I’ll let that one slide because I think you needed it.”
I slumped against the railing, running a shaky hand through my hair. The cold air wasn’t helping clear my head for shit. Elena had paid while she was pregnant. While dealing with her own mess. While everything in her life was falling apart.
The debt wasn’t just about money anymore. This was bigger. Way bigger.
And I had no fucking clue what to do with that.
Chapter Twenty-Six
ELENA
Now, December 2024
Consciousness seeped into my being.
The first sensation to register was the baby pressing against my bladder and the overwhelming need to pee. With all the grace of a beached whale, I flopped out of bed and padded to the bathroom where I peed for approximately seventeen minutes.Unreal.
After I flushed and washed my hands, I peered into the mirror to take stock of my appearance. My eyes were puffy from unleashing the torrent of tears I’d kept bottled up for months, but the ever-present circles under my eyes were gone and my cheeks had more color than usual. Some might’ve said I was finally glowing.
It was as if a weight had been lifted now that Chase was home and knew about the baby. There was so much more todiscuss, to figure out. But he was home, and he’d tucked me safely into bed.
I unplugged my cell from its charger on my bedside table and took it to the couch, where I nestled under a plush blanket. Flutters in my stomach told me baby girl had the hiccups, and a smile stretched across my face. For months, I’d survived by staying ahead of every moment. Now, for the first time, I let myself linger in one. With one hand, I rub gentle circles over the swell of my belly. With the other, I unlocked my device to find several texts.
It was after eleven—I’d slept nearly ten hours after Chase went home.
The first thread I opened was the group chat with the girls—Tessa, Natalie, and Charlie.
