"Kaz?"
As soon as they were out of the restaurant, Katherine turned to smile cheekily up at him. The afternoon sun was behind her, and the sidewalk was quiet, and Matt was across the street at the valet stand, waiting for his car.
"Yes?"
"A while ago, I noticed something about you and Brad."
"Such as?" His voice was casual...even when his heart was pounding like he was suddenly that boy's age.
"You..."
Kazeyuki told himself he had nothing to hide. They were engaged, and unlike before, this relationship was real to him now. So what if Katherine—
"...want to be friends with him, too, don't you?"
—was still the same Katherine, whose eyes would always see things he would never see?
"I'm right, aren't I?"
"Absolutely."
Kazeyuki only smiled as she started planning a double date with Brad. Perhaps one day she would figure out he was jealous, and perhaps one day, she would also realize whenever a boy was into her, the way her college friend was.
Perhaps.
But for now, a red sports car was pulling up in front of Matt, and Matt was lifting a hand in farewell before sliding into the driver's seat, and by the time Kazeyuki and Katherine reached the curb where his own driver was already waiting, Matt was pulling into traffic and disappearing down the street.
Katherine turned to him.
"What is it?"
He had not expected the tears. Not here, not now, not after the restaurant had gone so well and Matt had smiled at her three separate times and kissed the top of her head before leaving.
"Thank you," she whispered tremulously. "It just hit me this moment, how Matt needs you the way I needed you, and I can't thank you enough—"
"He's family, Katherine. That makes him a priority."
A smile touched her lips. "Like I'm a priority?"
That was true, but how unlike her to sound so confident.
"I know you've seen me as your future wife from the start," she teased.
Kazeyuki raised a brow. "Is that so?"
"I saw Emily's list for calls you would always answer."
Ah.
So that was what had her sounding adorably confident.
"You said it yourself, Katherine. It was Emily's list, not mine." His tone was one of amusement as he said this, and he also missed the way Katherine's face had lost all color at his words,with his attention on his phone for he was already texting Emily about Matt.
To Kazeyuki, none of this was a big deal, only to find out later on...
To Katherine, this was the point where everything started falling apart.
Chapter Twelve
