EMMA
The engine idles.Kai slides into the driver's seat, shuts the door. The world outside the tinted windows feels distant. He doesn't put the car in gear. Hands grip the steering wheel, knuckles white.
“I'll drive you back in a minute,” he says, turning to look at me. “We need to talk first.”
I nibble on my lower lip.
His eyes scan me. “Are you sure you're okay? I didn't hit you?”
“I'm fine… shaken.”
He exhales, runs a hand through his hair. “I keep seeing it. You stepping off that curb.” Shakes his head like he's trying to clear the image. “Don't ever do that again.
“I won't.” I pause. “I needed you to know I was sorry. About what I said.”
“You weren't wrong about all of it.” He's quiet for a moment. “I don't know how to do this, Emma. I saw you struggling, and did what I know how to do. Fix it.” He looks at me. “I'm realizing that's not what you needed.”
“Have you done this before?” I ask. “The interference. The career moves. Is it a pattern with other women?”
He stares ahead. “I haven't had many serious relationships. Most were brief. There was Brianna. Two years.”
“What happened?”
“Different time zones. Hard to find time when we were both in the same city.”
“That sounds like an excuse. What actually happened?”
He lets out a dry laugh. “Brianna was a model. She lived for appearances. Parties, galas, being seen. I always felt like a prop. Something to move into the frame when it suited her.”
A model. Of course.I smooth my dress, suddenly aware of every flaw. The way my thighs press together. The mascara I cried off earlier.
“Did you try to fix things for her too?”
She didn't want me to stop.” His jaw tightens. “Brianna always asked. Demanded. A call to land a campaign. A loan to fund a lifestyle she couldn't afford. An invite to the right circle. She'd look at me and say, 'If you loved me, you'd do this.' So I did. Made the calls. Wrote the checks.” He pauses. “I didn't like who I was becoming with her.”
I know that feeling. Being with someone who doesn't see you, only what you can give them. James took my ideas and called it mentorship. Brianna took Kai's connections and called it love.
“I don't need you to buy me things.” I reach out, cover his hand with mine. “I don't need you to change my life. The best time we've spent together wasn't a fancy dinner. It was that day at my place. Watching TV on the couch. You holding me.” I squeeze his hand. “I need to know you want to be with me. The version of me that exists right now. Not a project.”
“How do we move forward?” His voice is low.
“You talk to me. You ask before you act.”
“I'll try.” He meets my eyes. “Be patient if I don't get it right the first time. This is new for me.”
“It's new for me too,” I admit. “I've never stood up for myself like this. I was terrified of how you'd react.”
He reaches out, hand moving from my cheek down the side of my neck. My skin warms under his touch. He leans closer.
“I can't stop thinking about you,” he says, voice dropping. “You need to understand something. I'm stubborn. I'll respect your boundaries, but I don't give up. And I want you, Emma. However you'll have me.” His thumb traces my collarbone. “Is that clear enough?”
My breath catches. He's close enough that I can see the darker rings around his irises, the intensity in that deep blue. The heat between us fills the car, making it hard to think.
“Very clear,” I manage.
He holds my gaze for a moment longer, then puts the car in gear. The drive to GVM takes five minutes. Neither of us speaks. I'm not sure I could form words if I tried.
When he pulls up to the curb, I don't wait, find the door handle, skin still buzzing.
