Page 184 of Fighting Chance

He blinks. “I missed my girls.”

Blunt.

Honest.

Direct.

And it utterly breaks me that I can’t say that I missed him too. That he takes the joy and warmth from the house with him when he goes.

When he’s here my life is full of a radiance I’ve only ever experienced with him. It’s full of energy and such happiness that when he leaves, my world is suddenly gray, as if Kieran is the color of my vision.

But I’m not like Kieran, I can’t put my heart on the line. Because I never have. I stopped trusting others the day doctors told me that it was all in my head and my friends dropped like flies because they didn’t believe me either.

He smiles but it’s not in his usual cocky manner. It’s full of sadness and reluctant acceptance.

“It’s okay, sunshine.”

I close my eyes at the nickname.

That goddamn nickname.

He stands, forcing my hand to drop from his body and my eyes to open as he crowds my space. “I’ll keep waiting,” he whispers.

That’s when I notice what’s in his hands.

He holds it out to me, the pieces of paper I put together last night on a whim when Emmy asked me to read her a bedtime story.

“Did you write this?”

I take the paper from him, averting my eyes.Oh my god, I’m mortified.I canfeelhow flushed my cheeks are.

“Y-yes,” I force myself to mutter.

“It’s amazing, Layla.”

The honesty strikes me. Snapping my eyes away from the artistic designs of tattoos on his arms and instead to the soulful depth of his eyes, I find such an encouraging smile on his face it makes my heart skip a beat.

“I didn’t know you wanted to write children’s books.”

I wrote this story for Emmy, one about her and her dad, how he loves her and cares for her, how he was searching for someone to pour his love into and found her. She adored it, especially the moments that were about Kieran, the parts I wrote about his bestqualities, all the things I tried desperately to stop myself from falling for.

“Never thought it was something worth mentioning,” I mumble honestly.

“Everything about you is worth mentioning.”

My eyes shutter closed.

“You should ask Bella to illustrate it, help put your work out into the world.”

My eyes snap open at that. “No, it’s just a hobby.” Shrugging I go on. “Besides no one would want to read my words.”

Kieran’s lips suddenly graze my ear. “I want to read your work, don’t stop writing Layla. People deserve to have your light shine in their life too.”

He walks out of the room as if he didn’t just give me the most hope anyone ever has for a dream I’ve kept buried close to my soul.

Chapter 41

Kieran