Chapter 115 One Hundred And Fifteen
Antonia didn’t sleep that night.
She lay in bed staring at the ceiling long after her son had drifted off beside her crib, the faint hum of the ceiling fan doing nothing to quiet the storm in her head.
Everything had changed in a matter of minutes.
One knock.
One face she hadn’t expected.
One confrontation.
And then Kennedy’s tone.
That tone.
She reached for her phone at 8:12 a.m.
There was only one person she could talk to without feeling judged.
Helen.
Her older sister answered on the third ring.
“Good morning,” Helen’s voice was warm but alert. “You don’t usually call this early. What happened?”
Antonia exhaled shakily. “It’s a mess.”
There was a pause. “Kennedy?”
“And Austin.”
"Austin?"
"Yeah..."
Silence.
Then, very calmly: “Start from the beginning.”
Antonia sat up in bed, pulling the duvet around her like armor.
“He called yesterday morning,” she began. “Kennedy. Said he was coming over. He sounded… different. Soft. Like before.”
Helen made a soft noise of understanding.
“I was actually excited,” Antonia admitted quietly. “I cleaned. I changed outfits three times. I felt ridiculous.”
“You still love him,” Helen said gently.
Antonia swallowed. “I thought maybe we were finally finding our way back.”
“And?”
“And when the knock came… it wasn’t him.”
Helen went silent.
“It was Austin,” Antonia whispered.
“What?” Helen’s voice sharpened instantly. “How did he find you?”
“I don’t know!”
“Antonia—”
“I swear I don’t know.”
She stood and began pacing slowly across the room.
“He just showed up. Said he ‘needed clarity.’”
She recounted everything—the words exchanged, the tension, the accusation about unfinished business, Kennedy grabbing Austin by the collar.
Helen listened without interrupting.
“And then Kennedy left,” Antonia finished quietly.
“He left left?”
“Yes.”
“How long did he stay?”
“Not even an hour.”
Helen was silent for a moment.
“And when he left…?”
Antonia’s throat tightened. “He didn’t believe me.”
Helen sighed softly. “What exactly didn’t he believe?”
“That I didn’t tell Austin where I live.”
“Did you?”
“No!”
“I know,” Helen said quickly. “I just needed to ask.”
“He kept asking how Austin found me. Like it was impossible that he could have figured it out on his own.”
“Well…” Helen hesitated.
“What?”
“Austin isn’t exactly incompetent.”
“I know that.”
“And you did disappear on him.”
Antonia stopped pacing.
“You think this is my fault?”
“No,” Helen said gently. “I think all three of you are tangled in something that was never properly resolved.”
Antonia sank back onto the bed.
“I hate how quickly everything changed,” she whispered. “One minute I was smiling because Kennedy was coming. The next… I felt like a suspect.”
Helen’s voice softened. “Men and pride are a dangerous combination.”
“I didn’t expect that from him.”
“You didn’t expect jealousy?”
“I didn’t expect distrust.”
There it was.
The word hung heavy between them.
Helen took a slow breath. “If Kennedy cares, he’ll cool down and come back.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then you have your answer.”
\----
Across town, Kennedy was indeed thinking.
His office was silent.
Too silent.
He sat behind his large mahogany desk, untouched coffee growing cold beside his laptop. The blinds were partially drawn.
He hadn’t slept either.
The image replayed in his mind over and over—
Austin standing at her door.
Comfortable.
Provoking.
The way Antonia had stepped between them.
The way she had defended him.
The way she had hesitated.
That hesitation.
His jaw tightened.
He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
Was he overreacting?
Or was he finally seeing what had always been there?
He hated how reactive he’d felt.
Hated that Austin had baited him and he’d taken it.
Still reactive.
The words echoed.
A knock on his office door interrupted his thoughts.
“Sir?”
He straightened slightly. “Yes?”
“Your ten o’clock has been postponed.”
“Fine.”
A brief pause.
“And… you have a visitor.”
He frowned. “Who?”
“She didn’t give a last name. Just said Sofia.”
His body went still.
Sofia.
He hadn’t heard that name spoken in months.
“What does she want?” he asked evenly.
“She said it’s personal.”
Of course it is.
He stared at the desk for a long moment.
“Send her in,” he said finally.
A minute later, the door opened.
And there she was.
Sofia stepped into the room like she had never left his orbit.
Impeccably dressed. Controlled. Elegant. A soft smile playing on her lips.
“Kennedy,” she greeted smoothly.
He didn’t stand.
“Sofia.”
She closed the door behind her gently.
“It’s been a while.”
“Not long enough,” he replied coolly.
She laughed softly, unoffended.
“I see you’re still charming.”
“What do you want?”
Direct.
No warmth.
Her eyes flickered briefly with amusement.
“I was in the neighborhood.”
“That’s unlikely.”
She walked toward the chair opposite his desk without waiting to be invited and sat down gracefully.
His gaze sharpened.
She studied him carefully.
“You look tired.”
“I’m busy.”
“With work?” she asked lightly.
His jaw flexed. “Say what you came to say.”
She leaned forward slightly.
“I was hoping you could go out with me for lunch.”
His expression didn’t change. “Really?”
“Is that such a bad idea?” she asked gently. “We are still friends, aren't we?”
He stared at her.
"I don't know what we are."
"Well, lunch with me won't hurt."
Kennedy leaned back in his chair slowly, his eyes narrowed slightly.
“Are you coming?” she asked quietly, “let's catch up a little.”
She tilted her head.
“Okay.” He finally agreed.