I pull into the parking lot of the 'bright blue building' as Kai calls it because of the bright walls you could clearly see as you drive by. But now, I knew it as Roman's building since that's who owned it. I was hopeful that he was here, but I wasn't sure and even if he wasn't, there were tons of cars in the parking lot, which meant there were people that could probably call him for me. I knew my phone was broken, so I didn't even check it as I left the apartment. There was no point to that.

I rush out of the car once I park and turn off the vehicle. I slowly open the backseat door since Kai was passed out in his car seat, clearly exhausted from all the things that had happened. My head was still throbbing painfully and it made it hard for me to drive, but it wasn't that long of a trip here, so I felt comfortable to do it. I swing my backpack over my shoulder before carefully getting Kai into my arms. He woke up, but thankfully with me rocking him a bit, he fell back asleep a few moments later. I throw the blanket over him to block him from the rain falling. I make sure to grab his stuffed animal before practically running to the door to the office building.

As soon as I get into the building, I uncover Kai's head to see that he was still sleeping peacefully. Now that we were in the building, I could hear people talking since there were a few groups waiting next to the receptionist's desk. When the receptionist sees me standing there with a kid in my arms, she looks a bit confused but hid it well with a smile. "Hello, sir. How can I help you?"

"Uh, I need to see Roman Hartley. It's an emergency," I tell her, hoping she won't ask any questions, but of course, it wouldn't be that easy. He was the CEO of this place, so there were probably people trying to see him all the time that weren't supposed to be here, so they must have to be wary of everyone who asks for him. The receptionist gives me a polite smile before glancing at my son, making her falter a bit.

"Do you... do you have an appointment?" She asks.

I shake my head as I start to bounce up-and-down a bit since Kai moves around a bit in my arms from the loud noises in the room. My head was pounding again and I have to hold in my groan because the talking in the room was just making it worse. "No, I don't, but it really is an emergency. Um, can you just call him or something and tell him that Levi Whitehouse is here? Please."

I practically beg her. I could see her debating in her head whether to tell me to just leave or if she would give in to my pleas. I knew I looked like an absolute crazy person, soaking wet from the rain, and I probably looked terrible because I was stressing the fuck out. The woman lets out a sigh before giving me a friendly smile and picking up the phone. We both wait there for a few moments as it rings on the other line before she sits up slightly, probably from Roman answering. "So sorry to bother you, Mr. Hartley, but there's a man at the front desk for you. He says it's an emergency."

I look around at all the people in the room, who were staring at me while whispering with whoever they were with. Obviously, I did look like a crazy person, but I didn't care. All I cared about was getting up to Roman and having him call Aria, so he would come and help me figure out what the hell to do. I was super stressed and in so much pain at the moment that I didn't care who was watching me or whispering behind my back. They can talk all they want, it didn't matter.

"He says his name is Levi Whitehouse," the receptionist says into the phone after waiting a moment to let the man speak on the other line. She waits for a few moments before her smile drops and a confused look comes onto her face as she glances up at me. "uh, yes, sir. I'll bring him right up for you."

A few moments later, she hangs up the phone before motioning for me to follow her. We walk to the elevator before waiting for it to arrive for us. She keeps glancing at me, probably wondering who the hell I was and why Roman was allowing me up. When we step into the elevator, she hits the button that said we would go to the 55th floor.

We wait there in awkward silence as we ascend up to the floor I was looking for. After a few moments of me bouncing Kai up-and-down to make sure he stays asleep, the doors slide open to reveal Roman standing there with a confused look on his face. I immediately see Arabella, his wife and Aria's sister, standing right next to him, looking just as confused as her husband.

Arabella hesitates when she sees the bundle in my arms before she steps forward to motion for me to leave the elevator. My nerves were starting to hit an all-time high because this was new territory to me. I didn't know how these two would react to what I was about to tell them and from meeting my son that would probably wake up within the hour. I slowly step out of the elevator, staring into Arabella's eyes, who now looked very worried for me. "Levi, are you okay?"

I go to say something, but close my mouth due to the lump in my throat. I feel my eyes start to water and I shake my head, trying to not cry since there were more people in the room with us. Roman's eyes go soft and he reaches out, setting his hand on my shoulder before nodding his head. "It's okay, we got you. Come on."

He ushers us towards the far wall where his office was. He opens the door before motioning for me to walk in. I immediately recognize the room since this was where I hung out with Aria and his friends the one time I came here. I look over at the huge sectional that we had sat at and glanced at Arabella to see her already walking towards it. I follow her before she motions to Kai and points to the couch. I didn't want to let him go, but I guess I should lay him down so he could actually sleep without being moved around that much. I notice that Roman was now talking on the phone with someone and I just hoped it was my boyfriend.

Arabella helps me carefully lay Kai down on the couch without startling him. Once his back is against the soft cushions, he turns onto his side, gripping Alfie in his arms like he never wanted to let go. My eyes soften before I go to put the blanket over him, but Arabella shakes her head. "Let me get him a dry one."

I nod my head since the blanket I had with me was covered in rainwater and probably wouldn't be the most comfortable for my son. Arabella grabs a furry blanket before coming back over and carefully laying it over my son, tucking it around his body as an instinct. Once she sees that he looks comfortable, she smiles slightly before linking arms with me and pulling me over to Roman's desk. She settles me in one of the chairs in front of the huge desk before sitting in the other chair, glancing up at her husband.

"...we will. Just hurry up, I don't know what's going on," Roman says in a soft voice and I realize that he was definitely talking to Aria. He says a few more words before hanging up the phone and settling it on his desk. His eyes travel up to me with a worried expression, which gets even deeper when he sees me rubbing the back of my head. "are you hurt?"

I freeze a bit before dropping my hand into my lap. I look down at my hands, trying not to cry in front of them right now. That would probably worry them even more than they already were. "Uh, just a bit."

Arabella instantly stands up before coming behind me. She carefully tilts my head forward before softly touching the tender skin there that was still throbbing painfully. I glance up at Roman to see him sitting on his desk in front of me with an even more concerned look on his face. When he sees my apprehension, he gives me a small smile. "She was an EMT, so don't worry."

I nod my head before letting Arabella do what she was doing. She was carefully poking my skin while running the pads of her fingers over the part that hurt like a bitch. I wince lightly when she puts too much pressure on it and she immediately pulls her hands away. She walks over to the fridge that was in the kitchen area, which I didn't even know was in here since it was in a little nook area that you couldn't see unless you stood right in front of it. She pulls out an ice pack from the freezer before handing it to me with a small smile. I place it on the back of my head, feeling immediate relief while she sits on the desk next to her husband.

"What happened?" Roman asks, keeping his voice quiet to not wake up Kai.

I don't even hesitate, I just spill the entire story to them, continuing to stare down at my hand because I didn't even want to see their faces or reactions. They would probably think I was weak or something because I didn't get him out sooner. I mean, they were both very muscular and were clearly strong, so they would've been able to get Beckett out of there way faster than I could've. "...and my parents are away and my best friend that helps me raise Kai is in an important meeting and my phone was broken and I didn't know what to do so I just came here. I'm so sorry to be bothering you and-"

"Hey," Roman interrupts me in a soft voice. I find the courage to look up at them, seeing that they didn't look disappointed or anything after all that I just told them. They just looked worried for me and were waiting for me to finish until I started rambling. "don't worry about it. You're in trouble and we're here. We're going to help you. Aria's on his way and should be here soon, so don't worry."

"I'm so sorry," I whisper before I breakdown, starting to sob into my hands. The ice pack falls onto my lap, making me jolt from the coldness pressing against my leg. I push it away from me before continuing to hide my face in my hands as sobs wrack through my body. I make sure I'm not too loud to wake Kai, but I couldn't help it when some noises leave my lips because there's a heavy pressure on my chest, telling me that I'm way too overwhelmed and stressed.

"Oh, honey," Arabella whispers before walking over to me and wrapping her arms around my shoulder. She sits on the arm of the chair while rubbing my back, holding me while I cry. "it's okay. You're okay now. You did absolutely everything you could and you protected your son. You did that, Levi, so be proud of that."

I definitely felt a bit better when I hear that she doesn't think I'm a disappointment for even allowing the man into the apartment. I should've found a way to get him out straight away and not let him hurt me, but I don't think I would've been able to do it. I'm weak and he was clearly very, very muscular. I'm brought out of my thoughts by Arabella grabbing the ice pack from my lap and carefully pressing it against the back of my head. I let out a gasp at the cold feeling, but it stops the throbbing in the back of my head, so I welcome the bitterness of the ice.

We sit just like that. Roman sits on the edge of his desk, probably watching us while Arabella continues to sit next to me with the pack pressed against my head. I had stopped crying at this point, but the pressure on my chest was still there, making it hard to breathe at moments. My chest was heaving and I knew my breathing was loud in the office, but neither of the people next to me pointed it out.

After a few minutes of us sitting like that, I hear Roman moving before he kneels in front of me. "You did all that you could and I know that that was a lot. You protected Kai and made sure he was safe, so good for you, Levi. Once Aria gets here and you've calmed down a bit, I'll call the police so they can take your statement."

I nod my head before clearing my throat. "There's... there's a card in my wallet that has the number of an officer that I met with before."

Roman nods his head before giving me a sympathetic smile. He stands up, grabbing my backpack before searching through it for my wallet. He searches through the leather, worn-out patch of fabric for the card that has Officer Daniels number on it and once he finds it, he sets it on his desk to prepare for when he called him.

I hear something behind us and I turn to see the office door opening before a distressed looking Aria rushes into the room. He freezes when he looks at the couch, seeing Kai sleeping there before his face flushes and his brows furrow and I can tell that seeing my son here worried him even more. He probably didn't expect my son to be here because I don't think Roman had told him about that part since he was rushing.

Aria tears his eyes away from the sleeping three-year-old to find me. He sees Roman first before glancing at Arabella who had also turned to look at her brother. When we make eye contact, he doesn't think for a moment before instantly rushing towards me. Arabella slides off the arm of the chair before standing next to her husband.

Before I could even think about what's happening, Aria grabs my hands and pulls me out of my seat. It makes my head throb again since I was pulled into a standing position way too fast, but I don't have time to think about that. He plops down in the chair I was just sitting in before pulling me into his lap. He embraces me as my chest starts to get heavier and my eyes burn with that familiar feeling of tears. I hide my face in his shoulder, not wanting to show him how weak I was right now.

"What happened?" Aria whispers, but I could tell he wasn't talking to me since it was clear that I couldn't talk at the moment.

For the next few minutes, Arabella repeats the story that I had just told her with the best of her abilities since she was definitely stumbling while I told her. The whole time she repeats it, Aria is running his hands up-and-down my back to help calm me down. By the time she finishes retelling the story, my sobs had died down and I had to listen to what was being said.

"Oh, my god," Aria whispers before tightening his arms around me, kissing the side of my head. He keeps holding me in his strong arms before he pulls back to look at my face. He cups my cheeks in his hands while giving me a worried smile. "are you okay?"

I shrug my shoulders, not knowing what to say because I didn't even know if I was okay at this point. My chest hurt from the pressure and my head was throbbing painfully. But I was more focused on my son and making sure he was okay. I couldn't really think about me right now. Arabella speaks up for me since it was clear that I wasn't talking yet. "The back of his head hurts from hitting it on the coffee table. That's what the ice pack is for."

Aria immediately grabs the ice pack that sat on the arm of the chair before lightly placing it against the back of my head. I jolt in shock again before relaxing into his arms when the frigid cold pack brings down the throbbing once more. Aria gives me a concerned look before brushing his thumb against my cheekbone to get my attention. "I'm so sorry, Levi. You didn't... you don't deserve this."

"It's not a good idea to go back to your apartment. It's clear that he's trying his hardest to get to you, so you should find another place to stay for the next few days," Roman tells me with a simple nod of the head.

"I... I'll probably just go to my parent's house. They'll come back as soon as I tell them what happened," I whisper, hating how sad and pathetic I sound. Even Aria noticed how pitiful my voice was because he tightens his grip on my waist the second I open my mouth. I look down at him to see his expression get even more concerned.

"That's a good idea," he says with a nod of the head, continuing to press the ice pack against my wound. I was starting to feel better physically, but mentally? I was fucked. I didn't know when all these bad feeling would go away. The sadness and the anxiousness were bad, but the guilt was definitely the worst. Even though Arabella and Roman both told me I did all I could, I still felt like I should've done more. I shouldn't have opened the door because of the persistence, but I wasn't thinking. Fuck! I wasn't thinking.

"I'm... I'm so sorry for just showing up and messing up your days. I just... I didn't have anywhere to go and-" I say, looking between the three people watching me, but focusing mostly on Aria because this was probably going to mess with him the most. Sure, Roman and Arabella were worried, but Aria was definitely worried the most because, you know, we're dating.

"Don't," Aria interrupts me, shutting his eyes for a second before looking back up at me. "don't apologize. This is not your fault. We're all more than happy to help you through this."

I look up to see Arabella and Roman nod their heads in agreement to what he said, looking genuine. I feel my chest get lighter with gratitude for all of these people because, without them, I didn't know where I would be right now. I would probably just be sitting in my parent's empty house without a phone to communicate with them that I wasn't okay and I needed them. I probably would've passed out by this point on their living room couch without even thinking of calling the police. But instead, I had found a comfortable place for my son to sleep while I got the support that I needed right now.

Speaking of my son... "Daddy?"

I instantly shoot off of Aria's lap and rush over to Kai, who was now sitting up on the couch with the blanket pushed off of his tiny body. He had a death grip on his stuffed animal while his free hand wiped at his sleepy eyes. I plop down on the spot next to him and he immediately crawls over to me to get comfortable in my lap. I hold him tightly to my body, running my fingers through his hair as he settles his head on my shoulder. "I'm here."

I shut my eyes as I take in the feel of my son against my body. We stay like that for a few minutes until I hear footsteps next to us. I open my eyes to see Aria cautiously walking towards us with a small smile on his face when he sees the position we were in. I give him a small smile before motioning for him to come sit next to us.

When he was in the spot beside me, I pull Kai back a little bit so he would see Aria, who was smiling at him softly. Kai's body jolts a bit at the stranger sitting in front of him and his eyes widen while he tries to throw himself back into my body, obviously scared. He doesn't glance up at me as he whispers in the most terrified voice I've ever heard. "Mockingjay?"

I instantly shake my head, not that he could see me since he was still hiding his face. "No, no, no, not mockingjay. Everything's okay, buddy. This is Aria."

He lifts his head slowly, his lips slowly rising into a smile, happy to finally be meeting the man he's been hearing all about from Kadri and I. He moves closer to me a bit because he was still a shy kid, but he did seem much happier than he did a few moments. I notice that Aria had turned his body to be facing us a bit more and was giving my son a kind smile. Kai clears his throat before pointing at my boyfriend and glancing at me. "Air-ia?"

I chuckle, glancing over at Aria who looked very happy to be meeting my son. "Uh, yeah, he can't really say your name."

Aria chuckles before nodding his head. "Oh, yeah, that's okay," he says in a soft voice before turning back to Kai that looked in awe at Aria, probably since he was being introduced to my 'boyfriend'. "it's so nice to meet you, Kai!"

He sounds so excited that I almost regret not introducing them before, but also knowing that that might've been bad if I hadn't prepared Kai as much as I had now. I didn't even plan for them to meet today, it just happened because of all the things that went down in the past hour or so. But now, seeing the two of them starting a conversation together with Aria mostly asking Kai questions, I had never been more excited. Kai didn't seem jealous or upset or scared, just seemed happy and eager to talk. He wasn't like the shy boy he was every time he saw a stranger and I feel good. Even though all that's happened today, I feel good and happy.