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Chapter 85: Ayla 288 Vouchers Chapter 85: Ayla Theo held the door to our apartment open for me and I walked in, careful not to brush against him. I paused two feet inside our home. It felt wrong now. Foreign and cold. I wondered if it would ever feel warm and welcoming again. I knew it would never feel the same.

The door shut behind me and Theo’s hand went to the small of my back. I tensed and he pulled it away. It was just a force of habit. Why else would he touch me? Why would he want to touch me anymore?

I pushed the thoughts from my head. I knew it was the grief talking. Mina had spent the day by my side. Admittedly, I didn’t speak much. One of the times I did was to say that Theo would never forgive me. That he’d never look at me the same.

It didn’t help that I didn’t want him to.

His touch just reminded me of every other touch. And what they led to. And what we lost.

I was such a mix of contradicting emotions that I couldn’t make sense of it all. In my head, I knew I needed to grieve. I needed to mourn. But my heart didn’t know how. When my father died, I had a purpose. I had something to keep me going every day. I knew what my father would want. I had his memory to guide me through it all.

But I never got the chance to know my child. I didn’t know what my pup would have wanted me to do.

“Ayla,” Theo’s voice made me jump, pulling me out of my reverie.

I was standing in the middle of the living room. I was suddenly aware 0.00%

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O r 07.0 Chapter 85 Ayla 288 Vouchers of the warmth of Theo’s hand on my arm. I shifted away. His hand fell away and he took a step back. I didn’t look at him. I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t stand the hurt that I saw there. Pain that I caused.

“Ayla,” Theo repeated. “I... I understand you’re not... but when you are, I’m here. I’m ready to talk when you are. You should get some rest.” He stepped in closer and gently kissed my temple, making my breath hitch. “I love you.”

I didn’t know why, but it felt like he was saying goodbye. Before I could read more into the feeling, there was a knock on the door.

Panic took over.

“Who’s here?” I asked. “Tell them to go away. I’m not... I can’t see anyone...”

“Shh,” Theo said. “Ayla, it’s okay. I’ve told everyone to stay away for now. However, I think you’ll want to see who’s here.”

He went to open the door. I desperately wanted to stop him, but that would require touching him. And I couldn’t bring myself to do that. So, I worked to steady my breathing as he opened the door. But I stopped breathing altogether when I saw who walked in.

I locked eyes with my mother. Behind her was Kylee.

My chin trembled, and we threw ourselves into each other’s arms. My breathing came back in great so bs. I hadn’t realized how much I needed her. How much I needed my family. My knees buckled and we sank to the floor. I don’t know how long we sat there, crying as we embraced each other.

“What are you doing here?” I asked when I finally pulled away. “How did you know?”

Ma brushed at my face and hair. “Theo called. He said you needed us.

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O ر 07:07 Chapter 85: Ayla 288 Vouchers We weren’t going to let you down again, my darling girl.”

“He did?” I looked over her shoulder, but Theo wasn’t there.

He had left.

“Yes,” Ma said. “He insisted we both come home.”

“Come home?” I asked. “You’re back for good?”

“Well, only if you’ll have us,” Ma said.

“We just want to be here for you, Ayla,” Kylee sniffled. “We’ve missed you so much.”

We hugged each other again. It was the first thing that felt right. They were different. I could feel it. So much had changed between us, but I knew they were good changes. We looked each other over. Holding on for dear life. My heart and body still felt heavy, but the weight seemed a little easier to bear.

Eventually, Ma picked me up off the floor and led me to my bedroom. She retrieved a nightgown from my dresser and helped me change. I could smell something cooking from the other room. Apparently, Kylee was making dinner. Ma was going on about how far she had come since they moved to Blue Fang territory.

I could see the changes in them both. I was proud of them.

Kylee came in with a tray of food and we all sat and ate in the bed. When we were done, I watched as Kylee fussed about the room, picking things up. It was a mess from our sudden departure the night before. She had come a long way. She was so different that I couldn’t help the pit forming in my stomach.

Why had Theo insisted she come home?