Chapter 129
A loud honk pierced Ashley’s ears. He swerved the steering wheel just in time and blinked rapidly, breath hitching in his throat without even realizing it.
Stay calm. Stay calm.
He repeated the words to himself like a mantra and eased his foot off the gas. He had nearly died just moments away from the destination. The thought of Koi arriving at the station only to find his corpse—just imagining it made his stomach churn.
He slowed as he pulled into the station parking lot, quickly parked, and grabbed his things. He’d have to ditch the phone soon too, but meeting Koi came first. Without it, contacting him wouldn’t be easy.
Once inside the station, he scanned the interior, sat down in the first seat that caught his eye, and immediately pulled out his phone to search for train tickets. The one he’d checked earlier still had seats left. He purchased two tickets on the spot.
There was only about an hour left until the agreed meeting time.
Nervous energy surged through him—part fear that his father’s people might arrive at any moment, part excitement at finally reuniting with the person he loved. He kept glancing around the station, unable to stop himself. Time crawled.
*
Koi stood pale and speechless, facing his father. He couldn’t understand what the man was saying—no, he did, but he couldn’t make sense of it. Why was his father suddenly acting like this?
Seeing the confusion on Koi’s face, his father let out a heavy sigh. He opened his mouth, searching for the right words, then shut it again, clenching his eyes shut.
“...Koi.”
His voice trembled slightly as he finally managed to speak.