Chapter 114 Uncomfortable Request

Chapter 114 Uncomfortable Request

Alyssa’s POV

I stared at Killian, my fingers curling against the edge of the table as I asked, “Kayden is okay…right?”

Killian nodded almost immediately, but there was something in his expression that didn’t sit well with me. “He’s fine,” he said, exhaling slowly. “This isn’t about his health.”

I felt relieved, even if only slightly, and I leaned back, studying him more closely. “Then what do you need my help for that has to do with Kayden?”

He hesitated, as if contemplating whether to speak at all.

I had known Killian long enough to recognize that he was not the type to look confused or hesitate.

He was always the playful, outgoing one. But the man sitting in front of me now looked…strained.

He dragged a hand through his hair, his voice dropping. “I need you to help me talk to Kayden.”

My brows drew together instantly. “About what?”

He swallowed, and I could almost see the battle happening behind his eyes. “I need him to forgive me.”

I blinked. I surely wasn’t expecting that.  “Forgive you?”

He nodded once, his jaw tightening. “What I’m about to say…you’re going to be shocked. But I can’t keep it from you if I want your help.”

My heart began to pound in a slow, uneasy rhythm, my attention completely locked on him. “Just say it.”

He inhaled deeply. Then he said, “Elena is pregnant…for me.”

For a moment, I could only stare.

The noise in the bar faded into nothing. The clinking of glasses, the low murmur of voices, even the faint music in the background all blurred into silence as I stared at him, trying to process what he had just said.

“I…don’t understand,” I whispered. “Which Elena?”

Killian gave a hollow, almost humorless breath. “Kayden’s sister.”

My throat went dry. “What?”

He nodded, his eyes holding mine now, unflinching. “It’s true. Elena and I…we’ve been together. For over two years.”

The words hit me like a physical force.

“Two years?” I repeated, my voice rising despite myself. “No one knew?”

“No one,” he said quietly.

I leaned back, shaking my head slowly as disbelief flooded through me. “Kayden will kill you if he finds out.”

A flicker of pain crossed his face. “He already knows.”

My breath caught.

“He found out,” Killian continued, lifting his hand to his face and pointing to a faint scar across the bridge of his nose that I had noticed earlier. “And this is what I got for it.”

I stared at the mark, my chest folding.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I said honestly. “That’s betrayal, Killian. You’re his best friend.”

“I know,” he said quickly, frustration bleeding into his tone. “I know that. You don’t have to remind me. I’ve been living with it every single day.”

He leaned forward again, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “I don’t want to lose him as my friend, Alyssa. I don’t. But I also…can’t walk away from Elena. I need him to accept us.”

I exhaled, rubbing my temple as I tried to steady my thoughts. “That’s…not something you can fix easily.”

“I know it’s hard,” he said. “That’s why I need you.”

I laughed softly, the sound lacking humor. “Firstly, I think you’ve overhyped my importance to Kayden, and Secondly, Kayden and I are not even in talking terms.”

His gaze sharpened. “Kayden listens to you. You matter to him more than he lets on.”

I couldn’t comprehend that.

“You once told me to stay away from him.” I reminded him. “You believed he was into Louisa. So what changed?”

Killian winced. “I did that because I thought you’d get hurt. You seemed…fragile, and I didn’t want you caught in something messy. I didn’t fully understand how much Kayden felt about you back then.”

I swallowed.

“Well,” I said after a pause, pushing my chair back slightly as I stood, “that doesn’t change anything. I’m not helping you talk to him.”

“Alyssa—”

“I said no.”

I didn’t wait for him to respond. I grabbed my bag and walked out, the weight of everything he had said pressing down on me as I stepped into the open air.

The moment I got into my new car, I exhaled deeply, gripping the steering wheel as my thoughts spiraled.

Killian and Elena.

It still didn’t make sense. She was 3-5 years older, and yet…They had been together for two whole years without anyone knowing.

My phone rang.

My heart skipped, and for a second I thought—hoped—it might be Kayden.

But when I looked at the screen, my chest dipped.

Mr. Bennett. My father.

I answered anyway. “Hello?”

“If you are not busy, I need you to come to the station right now,” He said, voice edged with urgency.

My stomach tightened. “Which station?”

“Calderon Central Police Station.”

~

By the time I arrived and I was delivered the context of what the matter on ground was, sweat was already trickling down the back of my neck.

I sat in the interrogation room, trying to steady my breathing as I stared at the men across from me.

My father. My uncle-Patrick. And…him. Sean’s father.

I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to be steady as the officer asked me to give my statement.

“He forced himself on me when I was fifteen.” I simply said, and strangely- it felt easier to say.

“Liar!” Mr. Michael snapped immediately. “That’s a lie. I’ve never even seen her before.”

My guts twisted, but I didn’t look at him. I turned to my father instead. “This is why I didn’t want to come forward. I knew he would deny it.”

Then I shifted my gaze to my uncle.

“Uncle Patrick,” I called, my voice trembling. “You were the first person I told. It happened in your house. He came over and asked me to help clean the guest room…”

I forced the words out. “…and that’s when he did it.”

An expression that was similar to guilt rested on my uncle’s face. I could remember that he knew about it that year. He saw the blood. But easily covered his friend.

And my adopted father who I had thought was my actual father back then and blamed me for wearing a revealing dress that wasn’t even revealing.

And just like that, I had started to wear unattractive clothes.

My father turned to my uncle, his voice gathered but laced with authority. “Tell what you truly know.”

Uncle Patrick’s jaw clenched. He wasn’t my actual uncle any longer. It was my adopted father he was related to.

“If you lie and I find out later that you lied- because I will see to the end of this case, you will lose your job. But if you tell the truth now, I will make sure justice is served.”

For a moment, no one spoke. Patrick’s eyes connected with me and I didn’t look away. I was silently daring him to lie.

He exhaled and said quietly, “She’s telling the truth.”

“No!” Mr. Michael shouted.

I didn’t care about that any longer. Relief flooded my chest. Finally,

Minutes later, I found myself outside, my head resting against my father’s chest as tears streamed down my face.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his hand gently wiping my tears. “He will be sued. I promise you that.”

I nodded weakly.

After a moment, I lifted my head slightly. “How did you even find out?”

“Kayden told me last week. I’ve been working on getting Michael here since then.”

My heart flipped.

Kayden…

He had done this.

My father’s voice broke through my thoughts again. “His father mentioned this morning that he’s leaving town,” he said. “For good.”

My breath caught. “What?” Kayden was leaving town?

Before I could process it, my phone rang again.

I was going to ignore the call, but when I stared at the screen and saw who it was, I couldn’t. I picked it up.

“Miss Alyssa?”

“Hello, coach,”

“The suspension has been lifted. Kayden can return to the team and take back his position as quarterback anytime.” Kayden’s coach informed me

A smile broke through my tears.

Relief flooded my chest.

But it lasted only a second.

Because one thought overpowered everything else.

Kayden was leaving.

And I couldn’t let that happen.