Chapter 26
Mila
The days blur into weeks, each slipping seamlessly into the next, until time itself seems to disappear around me.
Before I realise it, an entire month and a half has passed since I moved into the Hawkins household.
I’ve kept myself thoroughly occupied with house chores, uni, work, and some much-needed girl time with Sofia, all in an effort to reclaim a sense of normalcy.
Yet it’s my current housemates who have truly helped me stay grounded—anchored in the here and now, especially when my thoughts spiral into a tangled, chaotic mess.
I know the road ahead is long and winding, and I’m prepared for it to get harder before it finally eases, but this house has offered me more than just a safe shelter—it’s given me hope, strength, and the courage to keep moving forward.
When the court hearing wrapped up a week ago, facing Dean again was far tougher than I’d imagined.
He stood there flanked by his family, their blind loyalty painting him as the innocent victim, while I was made to look like a nobody out to ruin his life.
He didn’t appear the least bit affected—just laughed and joked, deliberately ignoring me, as though I were invisible.
If it hadn’t been for Jason and Sofia being there, offering their unwavering support, I probably would’ve walked out and called the whole damn thing off.
In the end, I was relieved when the restraining order was granted, even if it’s only for the next two years.
Honestly, I would’ve preferred to see him rot in jail, but I know his family—they’d throw every dollar they have at the best lawyers in the country just to keep him out of a cell.
Whatever. As far as I’m concerned, I never want to see or hear from Dean again.
I still don’t know if I’m fully ready to go back to my apartment.
Part of me aches at the thought of leaving this safe little bubble—the comfort I’ve come to rely on for the past several weeks.
But deep down, I know I can’t stay here forever.
I can’t keep leaning on others to hold me up.
I need to find my own footing again. And that’s why I plan to talk to Jason tonight.
It’s time to tell him I’m moving back home.
Jake and I decided to surprise his dad with a homemade meal, preparing everything from the butter chicken and naan bread to mango pudding for dessert. I drove myself a little mad trying to get everything just right, but so far, it’s been an absolute hit—Jason’s already on his second serving.
“What have you guys done to me?” Jason whines playfully, rubbing his belly. “At this rate, I’ll have to spend the next five days in the gym just trying to work off all these calories!” “Or you can just sit on the toilet and poop it all out,” Jake says to his dad, stating it like it’s a fact.
I let out a snort, and Jason quickly shoots me a pointed look, making me laugh even louder.
“Thanks for the tip, mate,” he says, reaching over to ruffle Jake’s hair. “But I don’t like wasting good food,” he adds.
“Well, you know what I think?” I ask no one in particular, as I pop a spoonful of mango pudding in my mouth. “I actually dig the whole dad bod look.”
Now it’s Jason who lets out a snort, shaking his head as I flash him a playful wink.
These are the moments I live for—the small jokes, the easy laughter, the bursts of playfulness that flow so naturally between the three of us. It feels so effortless, so right. Almost as if we’ve always been this way—a family.
“Moving on, what else have you two been up to today, besides feeding me until I’m fat and bloated?”
“We were on the computer looking for French bakeries to visit after Mila goes home next week,” Jake says with excitement, oblivious to the fact that he had just blurted out what I was planning to bring up with Jason tonight.
“You’re leaving?” Jason asks, his earlier playful tone replaced with a mix of surprise and what looks like disappointment.
This is not how I wanted to bring this topic up tonight, but I guess it’s too late now. I straighten my posture and clear my throat. “Yeah, I am. In two days actually. Sofia will be coming by to help me move.”
“When were you going to tell me?” he croaks, his voice wavering slightly, as if the words are getting stuck in his throat.
“I was planning to tell you as soon as Jake went to bed.”
For a long minute, the table falls silent. Even Jake senses the tension, sitting quietly with his head down, absently picking at the grains of rice on his plate.
As if sensing the shift in the room, Jason quickly tries to brush it off, mostly for Jake’s sake, but I can tell he’s not very pleased.
“Well, if you’re ready to go back, we’ll be here to support you, however you need.
I’m genuinely proud of you for taking this next step, Mila. And remember, you’ll always have a place here. This is your home too.”
Just like that, Jason has shown me once again that kind, honest, and compassionate men still exist in this world.
I offer him a grateful smile. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me these past several weeks. If it weren’t for you guys, I’d probably be in a much worse state. I owe you everything. As much as I loved staying here, it’s time for me to go back, to find my independence again.”
“You don’t owe us anything, beautiful. We’d do anything for you, in a heartbeat.
Right, Jake?”
Jake smiles quietly and nods.
The conversation drifts to lighter topics next such as school, work, and Jake’s so-called new girlfriend, none other than his nemesis, Penelope.
His stories are wild and outrageous, each one more dramatic than the last. When Jason, trying to sound stern, tells him he’s not allowed to date until he’s eighteen, Jake simply shrugs and informs his dad he’s not a heartbreaker.
That one made me laugh so hard my stomach ached.
We’re all sitting back enjoying ourselves when the moment is abruptly interrupted by the front door swinging open and shut, followed by the sound of a very familiar voice, one I thought I’d never hear again.
“Anybody home?”
Jake’s head snaps up at the sound of the man’s words, his eyes lighting up like the New Year’s Eve fireworks. “Uncle Kaden!” he shouts excitedly, then leaps off his chair, dashing out of the room to greet the uninvited guest.
I glance over at Jason, his face a mix of shock and worry, clearly caught off guard by Kaden’s unexpected appearance.
“I didn’t know he was coming over. I swear.” He rushes out, confirming what I already suspected. “I’ll go see what he wants. Be right back.”
I nod, and moments later I hear the low murmur of voices in the hallway. As I busy myself with tidying the table, I strain to catch snippets of their conversation. I can’t make out much, but I catch Jason’s words, “Should’ve called first,” and Kaden’s reply, “I have news,” in his typical baritone.
I’m about to load the dishes into the dishwasher, when I hear footsteps approaching.
Seconds later, Jason steps into the room, an apologetic look on his face, followed by Kaden chuckling as Jake clings to his back like a baby monkey.
The moment I lock eyes with my ex-brother-in-law, my expression hardens, making no attempt to mask my contempt for him.
It’s been months since I last saw him, ever since my sister walked out on him after discovering his affair.
And if I’m being honest, I would’ve been perfectly fine never seeing him again.
The shocked look on Kaden’s face tells me that Jason hadn’t mentioned I was here.
He stands frozen, clearly unsure of how to react to seeing me for the first time since his betrayal was exposed.
Jake slides off Kaden’s back, and he gently tells him to go watch TV while he talks to his dad and me. Whatever he wants to say, I already know it’s nothing I want to hear.
After Jake disappears into the other room, both men slowly turn their attention back to me. It’s Kaden who speaks first.
“Hi, Mila. It’s been a while,” my ex-brother-in-law says hesitantly.
I don’t bother to respond. Instead, I remain rooted in place with my arms crossed, my gaze set into a cold, sharp stare. After a minute of no response, he reluctantly speaks again.
“If I had known Jase was having a guest over, I would’ve called first.”
I scoff and shake my head, completely dismissing his words—and presence. I turn my back to him and carry on with my chores as if he’s not even in the room. The whole time I’m cleaning up, I feel both their stares burning into the back of my head, but neither of them makes any move to say anything.
When I finish with the dishes, I spin around to find two grown-arse men wearing matching nervous frowns, looking at me as though they’re bracing themselves for an impending explosion.
“Relax,” I snicker coldly. “You can talk to Jason, but whatever you have to say to me, Kaden, I have no interest in hearing it.” I steel my spine and start to walk past them, but just as I do, Kaden suddenly grabs my elbow.
“Mila...”
“Don’t touch me!” I snap, yanking my arm free from his grip.
Jason is quick to step in front of me, his glare at Kaden sharp and menacing, as if he’s ready to knock his teeth out.
Kaden takes a step back, raising his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Never lay a hand on her again, do you understand?” Jason warns, his voice cold and cutting.
I rub my arm absentmindedly, not because he hurt me, which, to be fair, he hadn’t, but because his touch on my skin repulses me.
When I look up at Jason, his jaw is clenched tight and his hands are balled to fists, turning his knuckles white.
For a small moment, a flicker of guilt hits me square on the chest, knowing I’m coming between two best friends.
They’ve probably never been physical with one another, and I’m not about to witness it now.
I gently squeeze his forearm, offering silent reassurance that I’m okay, and watch as he slowly eases his tense shoulders.
He steps beside me, and I redirect my focus on Kaden, who’s now glancing between Jason and me with a look of curiosity and interest.
“Look, Kaden,” I start, letting out a deep sigh, “you can stand there and pretend we’re still one big happy family, but we’re not.
Not anymore. You made sure of that. I’ll never be able to look at you the same way again, and I’ll certainly never see you as the caring husband my family once trusted to love and protect my sister. ”
He looks down at his feet, his posture shrinking under the weight of guilt and shame.
But no amount of hiding can undo the lies and deceit he had carried for months. He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness. Not now, not ever.
“The fact you went on to parade your relationship with your mistress the moment your wife left, only proved how little you respected and cared about my sister. So, I’m sorry, Kaden.
I’m sorry that I’m repulsed just standing in the same room as you.
And I’m sorry that I can’t find it in me to ever forgive you. ”
“I understand. And I’ve accepted that I’ll never earn your trust and forgiveness again.
But I just want you to know how deeply sorry I am anyway—for what I’ve put your whole family through this past year.”
My only response is a nod, because what else is there left to say.
We were more of a family to him than his own ever was, and that’s not something you can just easily let go of.
A small part of me does feel a little sad for him, and judging by the look of pity in Jason’s face, I can tell he feels the same way.
But then, I quickly remind myself of all the pain he caused Skylar, and that anger flares up inside me once again.
“I know I deserve every ounce of hate from all of you,” Kaden continues, “but believe me when I say, there’s no one in this world who hates me more than I do.” He pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head, trying to fight back the tears threatening to spill down his face.
It’s Jason who speaks this time, seemingly torn between consoling his best friend and standing up for my sister.
“I don’t hate you, mate. But I won’t lie and say you haven’t disappointed me in some of the choices you’ve made.
You can’t erase the past, but I hope you’ll use it as a lesson to grow. To become a better person one day.”
Kaden sniffs, then slowly nods. “I will. I’m going to do everything in my power to do better, be better. That’s why I came here tonight. I have something to tell you, and it’s up to you, Mila, if you want to hear it. I just don’t want to hide anything anymore.”
I shrug my shoulders, uncaring, but gesture for him to continue.
He inhales sharply, then lets out a heavy sigh. “There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to go out and say it... Lucia’s pregnant.”
Jason and I immediately lock eyes, both of us momentarily stunned and speechless.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Kaden says, breaking the thick, uncomfortable silence.
“You think I’m a complete idiot, and I deserve to be trapped to a life of misery with a woman I’m starting to resent each day.
But none of that changes the fact I’m going to be a dad soon.
Even if it doesn’t work out between Lucy and me, I’m going to try my damn hardest to be the father my baby deserves and would be proud of. ”
A faint smile tugs at the corner of my lips, but I quickly shake it away before my ex-brother-in-law can mistake it as me caring.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way,” I say, my voice steady yet firm, “even though you were a shit liar and a terrible husband, there’s still a part of me that actually believes what you just said.
” I pause, letting the words sink in before I add, “But this is the end of the road for us. This is the last time we’ll ever speak to one another.
So if there’s nothing else, I wish you all the best and goodbye, Kaden. ”
His expression falters, as though I’ve just crushed the last bit of hope he had. But still he forces a sad smile. Without another word, I turn my back on him and walk away.
Once I’m safely in the comfort of my bed, I finally allow the tears to fall, quietly crying into my pillow.
Kaden had been such a big part of our lives for over a decade, and it’s difficult to just switch off all the memories we shared.
As much as I’ll miss him as my overprotective older brother, I can’t ignore what he did.
It’s for the best that I remove him from my life. Because if there’s one lesson I’ve learned recently, it’s that men who deliberately hurt and betray the trust of the woman they claim to love, are unworthy of, and undeserving of, any more chances.