Chapter 49

RAINA

The second I walked into the house, I felt an ache gnawing at me. It had been days since I’d seen Liam, and the need to hold him, to kiss his forehead and tell him everything would be okay, was overwhelming. I couldn’t sit still. My body hummed with restless energy, my mind a hurricane of thoughts.

Against my better judgment, I grabbed my phone and texted Alex.

“I want to see Liam.”

His response was immediate, almost as if he’d been waiting for me.

“Drop the restraining order, and you can see him whenever you want.”

I scoffed at the message, my jaw tightening. Of course, he would use this against me. Manipulative as always. It was classic Alex.

For a second, I hovered over my phone, debating whether to respond or not. My pride told me to ignore him, but my heart said otherwise. Liam came first. My son needed me, and if this was the price I had to pay, so be it.

Fine. I texted back. But if you act like a stalker again, I’ll put it