I exhale a shaky breath, feeling the tension bleed out of my shoulders. I could have sworn he saw right through me the entire time, could almost taste the realisation in the air.
Whatever his reason was for not prying, I’m grateful for it.
***
I decide to text Lilia and Bea to meet me in the bathrooms.
Currently, concealer is priority number one but if I’m honest, the idea of talking to someone—really talking—sounds almost surreal. Like I dream I don’t quite deserve. But I want it anyway.
I need it.
The walk there is hell. Every few steps, I have to stop and press my hand to the wall, the pain flaring hot in my ribs and legs. Just one more corner to turn, I tell myself, almost there—
And then I hit something hard.
Someone’s chest.
Not. Again.
The impact sends a sharp jolt of pain through me, knocking the breath out of my lungs. I stumble back, already bracing for the fall, but before I do, a hand wraps around my wrist—firm but not harsh. It steadies me before I can crash to the floor. I exhale a shaky breath, trying to swallow down the fresh wave of agony coursing through me.
Damn that hurt like hell.
I look up and freeze.
Kai.
Of course it’s Kai. Because the universe hasn’t finished having its fun with me today.
His pretty eyes lock onto mine, then slowly sweep downward, taking in my posture, my limp, before sweeping up again and finally—finally—stopping on the scar.
The stare is suffocating. It’s analytical, and intense.
“That wasn’t there before,” he says, and his voice is flat and matter of fact.
I tug my wrist free from his grip, trying not to make it too obvious that I’m shaken. He doesn’t stop watching me, and I feel it like a weight pressing down on my skin as his gaze lingers where the scar mars my cheek. My fingers twitch, itching to cover it, but I force them to stay at my sides.
“Accidents happen,” I say with a shrug, keeping my voice steady and trying to sound unfazed. But then I stop and think when has thateverworked out for me?
That would be never, because I am anything but nonchalant.
I expect him to move on, to say something dismissive and go about his day.
But Kai doesn’t move.
“What happened to yourface?” he asks, and it’s not said in anger exactly, but it isn’t how he normally speaks either. It’s raw, and sharp, and full of something I can’t quite place.
He isn’t yelling, but the force behind the words feels louder than any scream.
For a moment, I just stare at him, and I realize I’m holding my breath.
My mind scrambles to come up with something—anything—that will make him stop asking questions.
Instead, I try to sidestep him, attempting to simply brush past this dinosaur of a man. But he grabs my arm, stopping me with a touch that’s firm but not forceful. Still, it makes my heart jump in my chest.
“And you’re limping,” he remarks almost casually. But there’s something about his voice I know not to overlook.
I stiffen, shaking off his grip. “I fell,” I snap, heat entering into my voice. It’s not entirely a lie. I did fall, just… not like that. Not in the way he probably thinks.
