Chapter Sixty-Six: The Conversation He Can’t Avoid
The silence in his room stretched, deep and suffocating.
Kian barely moved.
Barely blinked.
His mind tangled between the past and the present, between Chloe and the life she carved without him, between the way Carter nestled against him like they were real father and son—and the jealousy cutting deeper every time Kevin's name surfaced.
The night pressed against him.
The storm outside mirrored the one inside him.
Sleep never came easily.
Not for six years.
Not since he let her go—only to chase after her, only to end up wrecked, only to learn the hard way that some things could never be undone.
His fingers curled against his sheets.
The accident.
The aftermath.
The scars no one ever saw.
Then—movement outside his door.
A familiar presence.
A knock, firm but patient.
Kian exhaled slowly. "It's open."
Terrence Ashford stepped inside, posture straight, expression unreadable—but his eyes?
They held understanding.
Kian didn't speak.
Didn't move.
His grandfather didn't need words to know.
The tension was thick enough.
The frustration lingering in the air.
Then—quiet, steady.
"You saw Carter."
Not a question.
Not an assumption.
Just a truth Terrence already knew.
Kian's jaw tightened.
He didn't nod.
Didn't confirm.
Didn't need to.
Terrence inhaled slowly, settling into the chair across from him.
"And how does it feel?"
Kian exhaled sharply. "Like hell."
Terrence's gaze stayed firm. "Because it wasn't you."
Kian clenched his fists.
Because his grandfather wasn't wrong.
Because Kevin was the one connected to Chloe, because Carter was the proof, because Kian had no place in what she built.
And that stung.
More than anything.
Terrence adjusted his cuff lightly, thinking.
Then—calm, deliberate.
"I never blamed Chloe for what happened to you. And I won't blame her now."
Kian stiffened.
Terrence continued.
"She was young when you loved her. A child in many ways. You always knew that."
Kian exhaled sharply. "I still loved her."
Terrence nodded. "And you still do."
Silence settled between them.
Then—the hesitation Kian wasn't expecting.
Terrence's voice was slower this time, thoughtful.
"She has a son now."
Kian inhaled sharply. "I know."
Terrence studied him carefully.
"You care for him."
Kian's throat tightened.
"I do."
Terrence nodded once.
Then—he pressed forward.
"But Carter isn't yours. And Chloe was once married. And if you choose to be part of her life again, you must carry everything that comes with her—including the weight of what she had before you."
Kian barely blinked.
His grandfather continued.
"You never had parents, Kian. Not really. They were alive, but never present. And I don't doubt your ability to take responsibility, but I do worry—I worry that you might wake up one day and regret stepping into something you weren't ready for."
The words hit deeper than expected.
Kian's breathing slowed.
Terrence pressed on.
"I know you love Chloe. I know you care for Carter. But this isn't just about love. It's about commitment. It's about whether you can truly step into this role and never look back."
A warning.
A truth.
A moment that held more weight than Kian was ready for.
And he knew—this wasn't just about Chloe anymore.