25 Chapter 25 BROKEN PROMISES
He smiled softly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks, Mom. Bye, Miss Brenner.”
And his reply: ‘I know. I’ll be there.’
I sat back in the chair, numb and burning at the same time. I’d worried about how our
divorce affected Daniel, worried I’d inadvertently hurt my son.
He was rushing toward me from the parking lot, looking disheveled-messy hair,
wrinkled dress shirt. What the hell had he and Celeste been up to?
He ran his hand through his hair, further mussing it up. “I-I lost track of time. I was with
Celeste and-”
But it was Kieran who had initiated the break. He was the one who broke his promise to
our son.
I pursed my lips. “No. Soon, hopefully.”
I beamed. “Hi, baby.”
I stiffened slightly. “What do you mean?”
Kieran looked like he wanted to argue-like he had a thousand excuses just waiting to pour out. But I didn’t give a fuck.
Daniel was the one thing in the world I didn’t take lightly, and I would be damned if I let anybody, least of all Kieran and fucking Celeste, break my baby’s heart.
I took a deep, calming breath. “Okay, thanks, Gavin,” I said, forcing my voice to be steady.
My heart dropped. Celeste. Of course.
“Mom!”
He shook his head obstinately. “I’ll never forgive him.”
I shook my head. “Oh, no. He just got too caught up with work.”
“It wasn’t like that,” he said, face twisting in frustration. “I didn’t mean-”
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“He cried,” I continued, my voice sharper. “You promised him, and he trusted you; he
believed in you. And now he’s saying he never will again. Do you know what that means?
What that does to a child?”
There was named Celeste.
I pulled out the encrypted phone and video-called Daniel.
The Kieran I knew was honorable, a man of his word.
“I don’t care,” he said. “What’s the point of working hard to make Dad proud if he won’t
even show up?”
My heart lit up with the usual happiness when I was about to see Daniel. “Yes, of course.”
“How is Daniel, by the way?” she asked. “The whole class misses him.”
Kieran stepped forward, his face set like stone. “It won’t happen again.”
Once again, I asked myself if getting divorced was the right thing to do, especially for Daniel. The thought of my baby being affected by Kieran’s and my separation made my
heart ache.
I huffed and forced my legs to move, intending to walk past him. But he caught my arm, turning me around to face him.
‘Daniel’s PTC at six.’
Miss Brenner smiled kindly. “Of course. As you know, we usually have a segment where our students share their thoughts about the academic experience, and since Daniel’s not physically here, could we video call him?”
“If you hurt Daniel like this again, I won’t stay still. I will take him, and we’ll go, and you will never see him again.”
The words caused an inexplicable ache in my chest, but I shoved that feeling aside and focused on my anger. “How far will Daniel fall on your list then?”
“Okay, then. Well, let’s dive deeper, shall we?” She looked through a file in her hand. “Academically, Daniel is excelling. He’s reading above grade level, his math skills are strong, and his writing shows real thought and creativity.”
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25 Chapter 25 BROKEN PROMISES
Pride swelled in my chest like a balloon-and was immediately deflated by the fact that Kieran wasn’t here to hear all the amazing things about our son.
“One thing, though,” Miss Brenner added. “Has Daniel been going through any… changes
lately?”
“He’s doing well, thank you. He has a tutor who comes in every day, so he’s up to date
with his school work.”
“Mrs. Blackthorne?”
“I don’t care what you meant,” I snapped. “All that matters is what happened, and what happened is that you didn’t show up for your son. There was an exhibit of projects. Daniel made the cutest birdhouse. His teacher sang his praises. And you weren’t there. He worked himself to the bone to make you proud-and you couldn’t even show up.”
She smiled. “It shows. He’s also extremely kind and demonstrates a great deal of emotional intelligence for his age. He always raises his hand, helps his classmates, and volunteers to lead group projects. He’s respectful, empathetic, and very self-motivated.”
His eyes widened when he saw me, an apology written all over his face.
The screen went blank.
Because he knew I meant it.
“Honey, please don’t be mad. Miss Brenner is telling me some amazing things about your
school work and-”
She nodded. “Good. I have no doubt that he’ll do well and will be up to speed by the time he returns. Do you have any idea when that might be?”
“I’ll pay more attention to his well-being,” I said thickly. “Thanks for pointing it out.”
“He promised,” he whispered, his voice shaking with too much fury for a nine-year-old. “This morning, after breakfast, he promised he’d come. He said he wouldn’t miss it for the
world.”
She’d had her one-on-one with all the other parents and students in Daniel’s class, and now it was just me and her in the classroom.
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I shook my head, cutting her off. “I’m not the one who needs to hear that. I showed up.”
“Well, for the past few days before he left school, he seemed more… withdrawn. Children are sensitive and are very attuned to their environment, and changes within that environment can affect them.”
I should have saved myself the mental energy-the parent-teacher conference was nearly over, and Kieran still hadn’t shown up.
This man, who kissed his ex while prancing around with her sister and then broke promises to his son…
I couldn’t help it-I laughed. It was either that or scream in the parking lot of an elementary school.
Kieran.
I gathered my things. “Thank you, Miss Brenner. I think we’re done for the night.”
I stared at him, feeling like I was looking at a stranger.
up with I set up the phone between us, and my heart skipped a beat when the screen lit his bright, expectant face.
Kieran looked like I’d dropped a flash grenade in front of him, and for once, he was silent -no comeback.
“You say that now. But what happens the next time Celeste calls? What happens when you two eventually get married and have a child?”
I stared down at the text I had sent Kieran this afternoon after Miss Brenner’s phone call.
“Dan-
My heart completely broke at the tears spilling down his cheeks. “Danny-”
His gaze shifted, and he waved, his smile widening. “Hi, Miss Brenner.”
I pulled out my phone again and called him for the fifth time. Straight to voicemail. No message. Just that cold, empty beep.
But Daniel had already stopped listening. His chin trembled slightly before he looked
25 Chapter 25 BROKEN PROMISES
away. “He’s a liar,” he muttered, angrily swiping at his cheek.
“Hello, dear. It’s good to see you. Everyone misses you in class.”
“Sera-wait-I’m sorry.”
I didn’t know him.
“Hey, Gavin,” I said, keeping my voice steady.
But
my anger wasn’t important right now.
There was a pause, just long enough to set me on edge. “Yeah,” he finally answered.
“He’s… out. With Celeste.”
I ended the call and stuffed my phone back into my purse before I threw it across the
room in frustration.
“Yes.” I took a deep breath. “Let’s.”
“Right.” She nodded. If she could sense my sour mood, she made no indication. “Well, shall we begin?”
I glared at him, fury rising like wildfire. “You’re sorry?”
I choked back a rogue sob. “Oh, baby. I’m proud.”
His jaw clenched. “Don’t say that.”
I reached for words, anything to patch the wounds I could already see forming. “He didn’t mean to break his promise. He just-” I sighed. “Things came up.”
He chose Celeste over Daniel.
My next smile was genuine. “He’s really a brilliant boy. He always pushes himself.”
“I will. Because it’s the truth, and someone has to say it. You already made your choice. But I swear to you, Kieran-“I stabbed a finger in his chest, and his eyes darkened.
I guess Celeste was more than the world.
“Mrs. Blackthorne-”
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SERAPHINA’S POV
Daniel’s teacher sighed. “Children look up to their parents and-”
The words tasted bitter in my mouth. I didn’t want to have to cover for Kieran like this. He
should have shown up for his son.
I couldn’t sit in that uncertainty any longer, so I called Gavin. If anyone knew where Kieran
was, it’d be him.
Like the rest of Kieran’s pack members, I didn’t have much of a relationship with Gavin, but unlike the rest of them, he’d never shown hostility to me-at least not outwardly.
But the door stayed closed. His seat next to me remained empty. And every tick of the clock only made the hollow pit in my stomach grow deeper.
Miss Brenner had asked me for the sixth time if my ‘husband’ was coming, and I’d told her: “He’s just running late; five more minutes” six times.
My heart cracked at the way his voice wavered. “Sweetie, he had to work. He’s really sorry he missed this.”
“Of course you were with her. You weren’t just late, Kieran. You chose not to be there.
You chose her.”
I kept glancing at the door, waiting-fucking praying-he’d walk in at the last second, his usual scowl in place, ready with an apology.
“Oh. I hope there’s no problem?”
My steps faltered as I walked out of the school-and saw him.
I gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry for keeping you waiting, but it turns out that my-“I caught myself. “Daniel’s father won’t be able to make it.”
I looked up and forced a smile when Miss Brenner smiled down at me and asked the same question for the seventh time. “Can we expect Mr. Blackthorne soon?”
I’d dreaded seeing him again after the kiss, a knot of unease and discomfort pulling at my
stomach.
What was important was the way Daniel’s face crumpled with confusion and hurt.
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25 Chapter 25 BROKEN PROMISES
“I miss them-” His gaze shifted to the space beside me, and his smile froze. “Where’s
Dad?”
“Sorry to bother you. Do you know where Kieran is?”
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