chapter thirteen

I had just finished putting India down for her nap when I walked into the living room to find Arthur sitting on the couch, a serious expression on his face as he leaned toward Kayla.

The two of them were talking, but I couldn't quite catch all of it from where I stood in the hallway. Kayla's voice was soft, calm, like she was trying to be reassuring, but I could tell by the way Arthur was leaning forward that he was all ears.

I hadn't expected this—Arthur pulling Kayla aside and asking her about Eliza. Of course, I didn't know the details of what they were talking about yet, but I couldn't ignore the fact that it looked like my brother was showing more interest in Eliza than usual.

The way he was looking at Kayla, asking her all those questions... it had me curious. My older brother was usually so carefree, always throwing out playful comments or cracking jokes, but there was something different about him today. The guy wasn't stupid. I could see it in the way he was trying to gauge Kayla's response, maybe trying to figure out if pursuing Eliza was a bad idea or a risk worth taking.

I crossed the room slowly, not wanting to make my presence obvious just yet. But as I got closer, I caught a few more words in the conversation.

"I'm just saying," Arthur was saying, his voice a little lower than usual, "Eliza can be a tough nut to crack. But I think there's more to her than the tough exterior. What do you think?"

Kayla shifted a little in her seat, the expression on her face growing more thoughtful. "I won't lie," she began, her voice steady but careful. "Eliza's not an easy person to get close to. She doesn't let many people in, and she can be stubborn as hell. But she's loyal—loyal to a fault. And, yeah, she's tough. I think she has to be. But that doesn't mean she's not... sensitive."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking over to me for a split second. I didn't move, but I could feel his awareness of my presence growing.

"Sensitive?" Arthur echoed, clearly skeptical. "Eliza? That's hard to imagine."

Kayla nodded, her face serious. "Yeah. She puts up a wall, Arthur. A really big one. And that's the thing—you have to be careful with her heart. She's not going to show it, but she feels deeply. And if you push too hard or too fast, she's going to shut you out. So, if you're really interested in her, you need to be careful. It's not a game with her."

Arthur leaned back on the couch, mulling over what Kayla said. He ran a hand through his hair, and for a moment, I saw something flicker in his eyes—maybe surprise, maybe curiosity. Whatever it was, it made me even more certain that there was more going on between him and Eliza than I'd noticed before.

"You're serious, huh?" he said, half-smiling. "You really think I'm going to hurt her?"

Kayla's expression softened. "I don't know you well enough to say for sure, but I do know Eliza. And if you don't take things slow and respect her boundaries, you'll never get close to her. But if you do, you could end up being the one person she'll let down her guard for. You just need to be patient."

Arthur's smirk faded slightly, and for the first time since I walked into the room, he seemed... thoughtful. The usual cocky confidence he always wore seemed to waver just a bit. He wasn't a fool. If Kayla was saying all this, he knew it meant something. He respected Kayla's opinion—hell, we all did.

"I'm not trying to break her heart," Arthur said with a bit more sincerity than I'd expected. "I just don't want to get it twisted, you know? Eliza's not an easy woman to get close to, but if she's someone I want to know better, I'm not going to be the one to make her regret it."

Kayla gave him a small smile, and I could tell that she was relieved by his response. It was good that Arthur wasn't playing around with Eliza's emotions. I knew my brother could be a pain in the ass sometimes, but he wasn't the type to intentionally hurt someone—especially not someone like Eliza.

"You'd better be careful, then," Kayla said with a teasing glint in her eye. "Eliza's not someone you just chase after. She doesn't play by the same rules as everyone else."

Arthur chuckled, but there was something different about his tone now. "I'm not worried about that. If anything, I might be the one who ends up getting tamed by her." He gave me a sidelong glance, a grin tugging at his lips. "Isn't that right, Zilla?"

I couldn't help but laugh at that. Arthur had this way of making everything sound like a joke, but I knew exactly what he meant. Eliza was stubborn as hell, and I had a feeling that my brother, as confident as he was, might just find himself tangled up in her web before long.

"Well, if anyone's going to tame Eliza, it might just be you, man," I said with a smirk. "She's got a way of getting under your skin."

Arthur rolled his eyes but laughed anyway. "Maybe. But I'm up for the challenge."

Before I could say anything more, a sharp cry interrupted us from the other room. My heart immediately clenched. India.

I shot up from the couch without thinking, my focus shifting immediately to the sound of my daughter crying. I didn't even glance back at Kayla or Arthur as I jogged down the hallway, trying to keep the panic out of my chest. I knew she was fine—just probably hungry or uncomfortable—but the sound of her crying always got to me.

I pushed open the door to her room and immediately went to her crib. India was wriggling and letting out a loud wail, her little face scrunched up in distress. My heart dropped at the sight of her, and I leaned down to scoop her up into my arms.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, little one," I murmured softly, brushing my hand over her tiny back as I cradled her against my chest. I had no idea what had set her off, but I wasn't going to waste any time figuring it out. I gently rocked her back and forth, making soothing sounds, hoping to calm her down.

After a few minutes, her cries started to settle, and her body relaxed against mine. I glanced down at her, feeling a rush of love and protectiveness flood through me. This little girl—she was everything to me. I hadn't even realized how much I'd fallen for her until moments like these, when she was in my arms and everything else in the world seemed to disappear.

I sat down in the rocking chair by her crib and continued to rock her gently, waiting for her to fall back asleep. I didn't know how to explain it, but the feeling of holding India, the responsibility I felt for her, it grounded me. No matter how crazy things got with Eliza, with my family, or with Kayla and my own life, everything made sense when I was with India. She was my anchor.

I heard Kayla's footsteps in the hallway, and then the sound of the door opening slightly. She stood there for a moment, just watching me and India, her gaze soft. I hadn't expected her to come in—she was probably giving me some space—but the way she was looking at me made my chest tighten.

"How's she doing?" Kayla asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I looked up at her and smiled softly. "Better now. Just needed a little attention."

Kayla took a step closer, her eyes flicking between me and the baby. There was something about the way she looked at us—almost like she was seeing us for the first time. Her expression was a mix of awe and affection, and I couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by it.

"She's really starting to look like you," Kayla said, her voice tender. "It's crazy."

I nodded, running my fingers over India's soft hair. "Yeah. It's wild how connected I feel to her. Even when she's crying like that, it just feels... right."

Kayla smiled and sat down on the edge of the crib, watching me with a quiet understanding. "You're doing a great job, Zilla. She's lucky to have you."

I was about to say something when India let out another small sound, just a little whimper this time. Kayla immediately moved to check on her, and I watched as she carefully adjusted India's blanket and whispered soothing words. It was a simple gesture, but it made my chest tighten again. Seeing Kayla care for India—like she was already a part of our family—felt right.

I looked over at her, feeling a rush of gratitude. "Thanks for being here, Kayla," I said softly. "I know this isn't easy. But you've been incredible."

Kayla's eyes met mine, and her smile was soft and genuine. "I'm happy to be here, Zilla. India's lucky to have you as a dad. And she's lucky to have us all."

It wasn't a promise, but it was something close. And in that moment, I knew that no matter how complicated things got—no matter what happened with Eliza, or with my family—I had Kayla by my side. And with that, we were going to figure it all out.