The courtroom smelled like paper and old wood.
Naya had never been in one before. Not as a defendant. Not as a witness. But today, she sat beside Kian—not as a wife by contract, but as a woman choosing to stand with him.
His ex, Clarissa, sat across the room with her lawyer. Polished. Smirking. Like she'd already won.
But today wasn't about her.
It was about Kian's daughter.
And he was ready to fight.
---
The judge listened as Kian's lawyer laid out the facts—his stable income, clean record, and now, his marriage. Naya's presence had changed everything. The optics. The narrative. Even the judge's tone.
"Mr. Hayes, you claim to be in a committed, stable marriage. Are you prepared to raise your daughter with your current partner?"
Kian didn't flinch. "Yes, Your Honor. More than ready."
"And Miss Grey, do you intend to be involved in the child's life?"
Naya looked at the judge—then at Kian. "Yes. I want to be there for her. This isn't just paper for me anymore."
Clarissa scoffed loud enough for everyone to hear.
But Naya didn't blink.
---
After court, they sat in silence in the car. Kian's jaw was clenched so hard, Naya could see the vein on his neck pulsing.
"You did good," she said, resting a hand on his. "You were honest."
He turned to her slowly, eyes heavy. "I'm scared."
She squeezed his hand. "Me too. But if we lose… we'll figure it out. Together."
That word again—together. It didn't sound fake anymore.
---
That night, neither of them could sleep.
The tension between them was thick, but different this time—not distant, not hesitant. Charged.
Naya walked into the kitchen for water and found him there, leaning on the counter, shirtless, lost in thought.
"I'm not good at this," he said. "Depending on someone. Trusting them to stay."
"Then start with something small," she replied, stepping closer. "Start with this."
She reached up, brushed her lips against his.
It was soft.
Tentative.
Not fireworks.
But a flicker.
A choice.
And this time, he kissed her back.
Longer.
Deeper.
The way you kiss someone you're scared to lose.