Her eyes were so blue. Defenseless, exposing a part of herself that she rarely revealed. “Maybe,” she admitted. “But I care aboutyou. So much.I don’t want you hurt. By me or anyone else. I never want to hurt you. I’m Chi. You’re Huahua.”
Kaia smiled at her.
“Part of it, though, is I…my trust. I think CJ set me up some kind of way the day we met and you helped him.”
“Would it really matter that much, Rebel?” Kaia asked.
Kayce frowned at him. “Yeah, bro. That’s what the fuck she’s saying.”
“We can talk about it some other time,” Rebel said. “Or not. I will work through it and not allow my daddy issues to cloud my judgment of you.”
Guilt riding him hard, Kaia decided to push the Diesel narrative. He wasn’t fucking playing about that. Part of him truly believed Rebel was searching for a way to push him aside only because of Diesel.
“You told me you thought you were in love with Diesel,” he said. “Why does it matter how we met or if I fucked Fia when you and I are nothing to each other but friends?”
“I’m not in love with himoryou,” Rebel snapped. “But I care about you. I like you. Idon’twant you hurt. I also thought we were boyfriend and girlfriend but now you’re saying we’re not.”
“Stop turning this on me, Rebel,” Kaia said, feeling like a dickhead for trying to manipulate her. “This is all on you. You keep bringing the same old tired shit up.”
Her mouth fell open, so Kaia decided to press her. Girls usually folded under accusations and started to cry. If Mattie didn’t want him to confess, then he needed Rebel to back off before he blurted the truth.
“You’rethe guilty one, Rebel, so you’re trying to make me be the same way.”
“I’m not fucking guilty because I haven’t fucking lied, Kaia. I’ve told you how I feel about youand Diesel. I’ve told you why I don’t trust you. If you can’t understand my fucking explanation, then you aren’t as smart as I gave you credit for whenever you recite your amazing poems.”
“So if I tell you what you don’t want to hear, I’m fucked. And if I don’t confess, you will forever be suspicious of me and my motives. I can’t fucking win with you.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to,” he snapped. “You’ve said enough other shit.”
“Did you sleep with her?”
“No!” He was so frustrated and annoyed, the lie fell from his lips without consideration.
“Then it doesn’t matter what the fuck I said. But I’m warning you. Diesel’s a motherfucker. If you haven’t told me the truth and you piss him off,he’lltell me.”
“He has nothing to tell, Rebel,” Kaia insisted.
“Now that that’s settled, let’s have the champagne,” she said.
Mattie tried to grab the bottle but Kaia raised it above her head. She was tall; he was taller. When he extended his arm as far as it could reach, she had no chance of grabbing it.
“You never said why you two came in with the sparkling wine?”
“Bro,” Mattie said with disapproval.
“It’s champagne,” Rebel stated. “Read the label. And we just wanted to celebrate Mattie acing a test today.” She smiled at her cousin. “If she keeps it up, she’ll graduate with CJ.”
Mattie tossed her red hair. “I would totally decline. I’m back with you and Harley, so I’m fine now.”
Clenching her jaw, Rebel glanced away, then huffed. “Momma suggested we have something downstairs to celebrate Harley’s stupid play.”
“Downstairs?” Kaia frowned and glanced around, lowering thechampagnebottle and holding it by the neck. “Isn’t this the first floor?”
“There’s the basement,” Rebel said.
Mattie glanced between Kaia and his brother with a pointed look. “Newsflash: it isn’t anormalbasement.”
