When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 168

Nelly felt a little out of it, just for a second.

Was this really the same man, the one who always seemed so proud and untouchable? The man who used to shine so brightly in her eyes?

That light was gone now. His gaze wasn’t sharp anymore, and the arrogance she remembered had faded, replaced by a quiet sadness she couldn’t quite read.

Brody’s breathing was rough. His lips pressed tight, his dark eyes fixed on her in a way that made her feel like he was trying to see straight through her. The streetlights caught in his eyes, sparkling in a way that almost looked like tears.

“Brody, are you not done yet? Is dragging around your soon-to-be ex-wife your new hobby?” Nelly snapped back, her voice laced with sarcasm. She tried to pull away but he held on, not letting go.

“Come home.”

“What?”

She was sure she hadn’t misheard, but her brain struggled to keep up. What did that even mean?

Brody looked just as lost. He kept staring at her lips, and for some reason, all he could think about was kissing her, tasting her. He’d known her for years, but this was the first time he felt something so raw, so physical. He had to be losing it. She was driving him crazy, that had to be it.

“Carrie wants you to come home.” His voice finally broke the silence, stiff and awkward under her stare.

Nelly’s eyes flashed with a hint of mockery. “I know Carrie wants me back. But I don’t want to go. That place isn’t home for me anymore.”

“No matter what happened, are you really going to just leave your daughter behind?”

“I’m not leaving her. I’ve done more for Carrie than you ever have.” Nelly wasn’t about to back down. Every word hit its mark, and Brody could only grit his teeth. He knew she was right. When it came to their daughter, he had always fallen short.

“Then all the more reason to do more now. Carrie needs you.” His tone was stubborn, but it didn’t have its usual weight.

“Brody, if you’d said that to me a while ago, I might have felt ashamed. But now? There’s nothing left for me to feel.” Nelly let out a slow, almost amused smile. She looked calm, almost peaceful.

She’d wanted to get this off her chest for a long time.

“I used to think that if someone I cared about needed me, I should give everything, even if it meant losing myself. But what did that actually get me? Scars all over. People looking down on me. Getting cheated on. Is that what I earned? A perfect husband and daughter?”

“Nelly, don’t twist things…”

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