Chapter 9
Kia
By the time the elevator doors slide shut, my cheeks feel like they’re on fire. I lean against the mirrored wall, letting my head rest against it while I replay the last ten seconds on a loop.
Text me when you get back. Just so I know you made it home safely.
The words burrow in my chest, warming parts of me I didn’t realize had gone cold.
As the elevator descends to the lobby, I’m not counting floors or fighting nausea. My body feels tired in a good way. It’s fatigued from a full day of activity instead of wrung out by anxiety and crying in the bathroom.
Elody’s giggles echo in my thoughts, her face sticky with sauce and pride from helping cook the meal.
My lips curve before I can stop them. She’s a sweet kid.
I have no idea how long this babysitting gig will last, but I know one thing—it’ll give me something to focus on other than the way my life has fallen apart.
A few moments later, the doors open into the lobby, and cold air rushes in.
A clerk at the desk nods as I pass by, heading toward the revolving door that leads to the street.
Chicago is a glittering mess of headlights and early winter darkness.
I tug my coat tighter around myself and then flag down a cab.
Once inside, the heater kicks on, and I rattle off Oliver’s address before sinking back against the seat as the city slides by in a blur of neon signs and bundled-up pedestrians.
As soon as my phone buzzes in my pocket, dread crashes over me, and I force myself to look at the screen.
Unknown number.
My stomach clenches. It’s late enough that my brain doesn’t bother pretending this could be anyone else. I can practically hear Collin’s voice in my head.
You need to take care of this situation, Kia.
Instead of opening the message, I block the number, and the thread disappears.
All I want is for him to get the hint and move on with his life. I’ve already promised not to come after him for child support or help. As far as he’s concerned, we no longer exist.
I press my palm to my belly, my fingers splaying instinctively over the small bump. “I’ve got you.” At this point, I don’t know who I’m trying to convince.
Myself or the baby.
Maybe both.
The cab turns toward the lake, and high-rises glow against the dark sky. I tip my head back against the seat and stare out the window. Maybe Evelyn’s right and the smartest thing I can do is to take a step back and assess the situation.
The truth is, I left school because it felt like I was drowning. Every day became heavier than the last. Expectations were pressing in from all sides until breathing became impossible.
For the first time since stepping off Oliver’s elevator with my duffel slung over my shoulder, I don’t feel that way.
Sitting at Laiken’s table tonight and watching Elody lick sauce off her fingers before arguing for extra bedtime stories steadied me in a way I hadn’t realized I was desperate for.
While at Laiken’s, I wasn’t the girl who messed everything up and ran away.
I was just… there.
Useful and needed.
The cab pulls up to Oliver’s building, and I pay the fare before stepping onto the sidewalk.
The wind slices straight through my coat, chilling me to the bone.
Inside, the lobby is warm and quiet, a welcome contrast. I cross the marble floor and move into the elevator, using the keycard for the penthouse.
As the car rises through the building, I study my reflection in the polished metal. My cheeks are flushed and my hair is falling loose from my knot. My eyes look a little less hollow than they did this morning in the bathroom mirror.
It helped. Having a purpose is exactly what I needed.
For the first time in weeks, the future doesn’t look like a blank wall. Instead, it looks like mornings filled with playing, grocery lists, and preschool schedules. It looks like saving quietly and preparing for the day I can stop keeping this baby a secret.
One step at a time.
That’s exactly what this is.
The elevator doors slide open, and as soon as I step out, I notice the penthouse is shrouded in darkness.
It’s usually brightly lit with the city beyond glowing through the windows.
Ever since Rina moved in, there’s been laughter, constant chatter, and noise filling the space, making it feel alive and lived in.
Tonight, the only light comes from the skyline. But the moment that thought crosses my mind, I notice a faint flicker from deep inside the living room.
A candle maybe?
My steps falter as I squint.
Wait… are there a few of them?
I’m just about to call out when music that’s low and sultry catches my attention. I take another cautious step forward as a moan threads its way through the music.
It’s followed by a rough grunt.
I freeze.
Oh no.
Before I can retreat, another breathy sound fills the air.
“Oliver… yes, right there—”
Oh God.
My brother and his girlfriend are having sex in the living room.
There’s no time to look away as Oliver rises from the couch with Rina’s legs locked around his waist. I catch a glimpse of his naked backside as he carries her toward the window.
My eyes!
My eyes!
For the love of all that’s holy—my eyes!
I stand there clutching the strap of my bag like it might shield me from further auditory and visual trauma.
Options race through my head.
I could sprint to my room and pray they’re too distracted to notice. Based on what I’m seeing and hearing, that scenario seems likely.
Or I could carefully back into the elevator and pretend this never happened. Although that will be hard.
No pun intended.
More porn-soundtrack noises cut through my mental gymnastics, and heat floods my face until it feels like my cheeks are on fire.
“I’m going to need bleach for my ears,” I mutter.
Unfortunately, the hallway to my room would require passing directly through the splash zone.
And I’m not about to do that.
I take one cautious step in retreat. Another moan confirms I’m making the right decision by getting the hell out of here.
With a spin, I lunge for the elevator button, jabbing it half a dozen times.
“Come on, come on,” I whisper, glancing over my shoulder, as if Oliver and Rina might pop up and say hello any second.
As soon as the doors open, relief rushes through me, and I dive into the car. The second the metal slides shut, the sex noises are mercifully cut off.
Silence has never sounded so amazing.
With a racing heart, I sag against the wall, my bag clutched to my chest. After a beat, the absurdity of the situation catches up to me, and laughter breaks loose before I can stop it.
Of course, the very first day I start to feel even remotely like myself again, the universe decides to greet me with a very pointed, live-action reminder that everyone else is getting laid.
Except me.
The pregnant yet aggressively celibate one.
I scrub a hand over my face, another bark of laughter slipping out.
As the elevator descends, the chuckles fade and something quieter takes its place.
My brother has finally found his other half.
Not only is he happy, he’s content in a way I’ve never seen before.
And from all outward appearances, so is Rina.
I love that for them.
I really do.
But there’s a small, selfish part of me that wishes that kind of contentment and belonging didn’t feel so far out of reach for me.
The elevator slows as I press my hand to my stomach again.
“One thing at a time,” I whisper. “Job first. Baby. Then… I guess we’ll see.”
The plan is simple. I’ll grab a hot chocolate and walk around for a bit. Kill enough time until it’s safe to return to the penthouse without risking further mental scarring.
For now, I lean my head against the cool metal wall and let the steady descent of the elevator rock me as a quiet hum fills the space. In a penthouse on the top floor, my brother is living his best life by taking care of the woman who changed everything for him.
And a few miles away, there’s a little girl asleep in her bed, clutching her favorite doll, dreaming up fairy tales where everything works out. Stories with happy endings and no complicated middle. Where fear or hard choices don’t exist.
I close my eyes and breathe through the ache that presses behind my ribs.
Wouldn’t it be nice if life were that easy?
As the elevator keeps moving, I remind myself that even fairy tales have chapters no one talks about—the quiet ones, the lonely ones, the parts where you have to keep going without knowing how the story ends.
For now, that will have to be enough.