Divine Obsession (GodHood #2)

Chapter 5

Present

“SORRY,” KALI SIGHED, SITTING BACK down at our table. We were at our favorite matcha spot in the city, all the way in Soho – our newfound tradition for celebrating milestones and more recently, catching up since we stopped being roommates at NYU.

She’d just taken a phone call a couple feet away. Whoever called must have been for something urgent because she didn’t pick up the first two times.

“Who was it?”

She waved it off, flipping her hair out of her way, which was back to curly. “How did try-outs go?”

I smiled proudly, pulling the pompoms out of my pink, athletic bag. “You’re looking at Columbia’s new cheerleading vice-captain!”

“Yes, girl!” She squealed, slapping the table, before jumping on me to give me a hug. “Now we’re celebrating tonight!”

“Ugh, I don’t know.” I took a deep breath as she returned to her seat opposite me. “Dad doesn’t like me being out late.”

“ Dad ?” She raised an eyebrow, sipping from her drink.

“What? He is.”

“Right. Technically. Biologically .” She twisted her face, raising a shoulder. “Morally? Eh… ”

“He’s trying,” I responded, biting into my raspberry pastry. He’d already accepted me into his life and family, took care of me financially, gotten the Columbia headmistress to accept me mid-academic-year into their most elite program, and paid off my tuition. He was also doing me a huge personal favor by filling the NYPD’s pockets so they’d prioritize the search for Maria.

It’d been almost two months since her disappearance. Everyone told me there was no hope, but I wasn’t giving up. It couldn’t be real. It. Just. Couldn’t.

This wouldn’t be the first time she’d left with no warning. But I thought we were past that. The last time something like this happened, we were in grade school, and she’d promised to never do it again.

She was out there. I knew she was. I could feel her twin flame burning in synchronism with my own.

In other matters, all my debt was paid.

I lived in a multi-million penthouse on the Upper East Side with a wardrobe full of designer clothes.

I had a wallet filled with hundred-dollar bills.

My name carried power I hadn’t ever tasted before.

And I never had to worry about ending up at the bottom again.

There was no chance in hell I was going back.

And Kali knew it.

Something elusive passed through her doe eyes. “Just be careful, okay?”

I smiled, frowning slightly. “Of course.”

“And call me anytime, anywhere if you ever need anything.”

“Yes–”

“ Anything .” She pressed, taking hold of my hand.

“Yes, yes, I know.” I laughed and changed the subject. “You mentioned something about celebrating?”

Kali brightened up and her whole body language changed. She raised a brow, smirking.

“I know that look. I’m scared.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Oh, my God…” I laughed, running my hands down my face.

“Do you trust me?” She asked me again, laughing too.

“No,” I giggled.

She stood, grabbing her bag, and my hand in a steel grip. “Let’s go!”

Two-thousands R it came out deep and clear despite the deafening music. He wore a different varsity jacket than his basketball one; half black wool hoodie, half leather sleeves.

Glancing behind him, I saw a group of guys entering the spacious living room and shaking hands with some as they passed by, heading towards us.

So, Trevor and his friends had just gotten here. Great.

“Sup, Kali?” One of them dapped her up. He looked straight out of a 2000s CK ad – baggy jeans, white t-shirt, Chicago Jordans and a backwards baseball cap turned to the side.

“We were good until now,” She replied, throwing her brother a nasty look.

The guy turned to me. “Natalia, right?” When I nodded, he raised his chin in Trevor’s direction. “This one won’t shut up about you.” That earned him a shove from Trevor, but he only laughed it off.

My cheeks heated up and I was suddenly glad for the little-to-no lighting. I turned to my side, scared of what Kali would think, but she was already busy talking to someone else.

Trevor’s friend offered another smile as he passed me, extending a hand. “Zach.”

We shook hands briefly before he moved on to the others.

Next thing I knew, I got pushed – hard – in none other than Trevor’s direction. My hands reached out, holding onto his shoulders for support, at the same time his arms came around me.

I looked over my shoulder to see some people pushing through the crowd.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here.” Trevor caught my attention again, making me realize I’d been clutching onto him the entire time.

I immediately let go and took a step back. “Why?”

“Not really your scene.”

“And what’s my scene ?” I asked, slightly annoyed and possibly offended.

I could feel his eyes on me, analyzing . It was too dark to really see much, but then blue lights flashed across his face, bringing out the sharp cut of his cheekbones and jawline. The perfect angles of his hair, from the carefully buzzed fade and tapered lineup, to the smooth cornrows that gleamed under the light. The smoothness of his rich, dark-brown skin. The slight dip of his cupid’s bow. The shadow of facial hair framed his lips – a faint mustache and a neatly trimmed patch of hair on his chin that hinted at deliberate precision – the one detail that hinted at the danger beneath his refined exterior.

Ferocity amid elegance.

My eyes met his as another flash illuminated over us. The intensity of his abyss gaze. My breath caught at the fact that he was taking me in. I didn’t know what his look meant; only that it shouldn’t be happening.

Not when his sister, my best friend , was a couple feet away.

It was in that moment I realized his palms still burned into my waist. Or the fire incinerating over my skin the longer he continued to not let go .

The heaviness of his touch dropped like a weight between my thighs.

“You having fun?”

“ Yeah ,” I breathed.

“Good.” His voice, deep and smooth like expensive liquor, washed over me.

The music was still booming.

Everyone was still dancing around us.

But we…

We were frozen in time.

“No drink?” He asked, glancing down at my empty hands.

“I was just getting one.”

He nodded.

Another beat passed before he glanced over my head, and I swore I felt his fingers digging into my waist.

“Zach,” Trevor spoke over my head. “Watch Kali. I’ll be back.”

“Sure thing,” Zach smirked, his eyes switching between Trevor and me, like he knew something we didn’t.

“Come with me.”

Before I even had the chance to retort, Trevor’s hand took hold of mine with assurance and pulled me with him. The crowd parted for him without realizing and I was pretty sure no one even noticed I was with him – probably since the top of my chest barely reached his shoulder.

The moment we entered the spacious kitchen, a small group who was already there hanging out, picked up their drinks and headed out.

People submitted to him without even realizing. I didn’t know if it was because of him or his family’s money but our first encounter was starting to make a lot more sense. Guess no one apart from his sister had ever stood up to him or given it to him straight.

Considering the reaction his mom had over him wearing an off- white shirt instead of cloud- white, his reaction to me spilling champagne on him had become slightly more valid.

“What do you like?” Trevor asked, walking towards and opening a grand, rich-people fridge.

“Umm…”

Drinking wasn’t really my thing. Just like this party wasn’t really my scene.

After coming to terms with the fact that I wasn’t getting out of the system as a pre-teen, I’d been so busy studying, working and trying to make something of myself.

This was my first house party. I hadn’t gone to any with Kali while at NYU but my life had taken a completely new turn in the past two months.

One drink with Trevor Su couldn’t hurt.

I bit my lip, peeking inside the double-door fridge.

“There’s beer, vodka, tequila…” He went on, trying to help me decide.

When I looked up at him, still unsure and slightly embarrassed…

He smirked. “Don’t tell me you’ve never drank before.”

“I’ll just have whatever you’re having.”

“I’m not drinking. Basketball season and all,” He explained after I gave him a questioning look.

“Water it is then.”

“Or…” His eyes sparked before moving a beer box out of the way.

I audibly gasped. “Secret stash of Mogu Mogu ?!”

“Yep. All flavors too.”

“Pink one, please.”

Something elusive passed through his eyes. “Of course.”

Trevor passed me one of the small lychee bottles before taking a mango one for himself. While he leaned against the marble island in the center of the spacious kitchen, I hopped up on it.

Now we were almost eye-to-eye level.

“Not gonna lie…” I paused, after taking a few sips. “Didn’t take you for a Mogu Mogu type of guy.”

He chuckled, chewing on some jelly squares, his bottle almost finished already. “My mom got me and Kali into them when we were kids. Her favorite flavor is the blackcurrant one.” He laughed again when I wrinkled my nose. “I know.”

“Are you close with your parents? Kali never talks about them.”

Trevor didn’t answer, only finished his drink in one gulp and went to throw it in the trash.

“Sorry.” I cleared my throat, averting my eyes as he came back. “Didn’t mean to pry.”

This time he stopped in front of me, and it took everything inside me to look him in the eyes knowing there was no dim lighting to hide my blush this time.

I was slightly embarrassed. I’d just asked him a personal question and we barely even knew each other. Sure, sometimes it felt like we were more acquainted because of Kali being the mutual connection, but in reality… This was just the second day we’d met.

“Nah, it’s alright.” Trevor’s words made my chest lighter. “We’re as close as any family can be. But Kali’s always decided herself that she was the black sheep. It’s why she rebels. Of course, we love her nonetheless.”

I offered a small, genuine smile. “Of course.”

I understood how and why Kali felt the way she did. I loved my new family, but I too felt like I was the black sheep. It still felt like they always knew something I didn’t.

And I wasn’t Moretti enough to hear it yet.

Trevor watched me carefully. I could tell he was assessing me; analyzing. He always did that. I didn’t really understand why.

Did I pretend to be more perfect than I actually was in reality? Sure.

Did I lie to make myself seem better? Who didn’t?

But I was always myself .

“Listen…” He ran a hand over his short curls. “I’ve been meaning to do this since Davis’ class.”

The air in the room shifted, making my heart beat heavier.

“What?” I asked, slightly breathless again.

“Apologize.”

My eyes visibly widened with shock.

He cleared his throat, clarifying, “For misjudging and underestimating you.”

Trevor was known for never bowing down; not from a fight, nor from a challenge, not from an argument. He didn’t need to. He was who he was. Rich, intelligent, powerful. He didn’t ask , he took .

Columbia’s best sports team Captain in their history; his team never lost a single match with him in charge.

Ivy League’s top student, with an incredible IQ.

The heir to the Su Dynasty, his family’s multi-billion-dollar technology empire.

Even I knew all of this before coming to Columbia or meeting him in real life. Rumors and gossip circulated him, from the type of toothpaste he used to keep his straight smile perfectly white, to never having missionary sex, no matter who the woman was – not even the VS Angels he’d been photographed with over the past years. They didn’t call him playboy for nothing.

Out of everything I expected him to say, an apology would have never even crossed my mind as a joke.

And I would’ve thought he was taking me for an idiot if it hadn’t been for the somber look in his melting chocolate eyes.

“ Oh... ” Was all I could manage to say.

He stepped closer, his dark gaze freezing me in place. “What I said at the Charity Ball… And my reaction this morning… It was fucked up.”

When he extended his hand, I took it with a small shake. “Accepted.”

I didn’t realize how close we were until his body grazed the inside of my knees.

“You obviously deserve your spot at Columbia. And I think Kali’s the actual bad influence on you, not the other way around.” He nodded in the direction of the party which was still in full bloom on the other side of the door.

“She’s not a bad–”

“She brought you here, didn’t she?”

“I can make my own decisions,” I spoke sternly, pulling my hand away from his once I realized we were still touching. God, why did I keep doing that?

“Can you?” He murmured, leaning closer and propping his hands on the counter, one on each side of my hips.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You came here with me because I said so…” His thumbs grazed against my jean-covered hips, only in the slightest. “Away from the party. Away from your friends. All alone with me …”

“ You’re being a dick again .” I could feel the heating blush on my face.

“Got quite a mouth on you, hm ?” He murmured, his eyes on my lips. “Someone should teach you what to do with it.”

My lips parted with shock and the softest gasp escaped me. His voice – deep, smooth and sinful – seeped through, burning down my throat, between my breasts, and settling low in my belly, before pulsing achingly between my legs.

My blood burned hot and my thighs instinctively pressed together.

This was inappropriate.

I just couldn’t bring myself to do something about it…

The moment the kitchen door opened, spilling in the booming music, I pushed Trevor away from me – so hard, he fell back a couple of steps before he caught his footing.

He chuckled darkly as I hopped off the counter, though it quickly stopped once we both glanced at the door.

Zach walked in, holding Kali up with her arm around his neck. “I swear to God, I turned away for less than a second. Next thing I know, she’s on her seventh shot.”

“I’ll get her home,” Trevor spoke sternly. He passed by me to get to them, moving Kali so he was holding her up himself.

She groaned in disapproval. “I’m thirsty… Pass the vodka, Zach.”

Zach opened the fridge, taking out a water bottle. “Here you go, Kali. Nature’s vodka straight up from the river.”

She took the water without complaint and began chugging. Then paused. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“Oh, come on…” Trevor helped his sister straighten up again. “Don’t you dare vomit in my car.”

“I should get home too,” I spoke up, catching their attention, grabbing my unfinished Mogu Mogu bottle, along with my coat and bag from the entryway. “My taxi’s outside.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow, Nat,” Kali mumbled, holding onto Trevor, when I stopped by her side.

“Please do.” I giggled, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight.” I turned around one last time. “Bye!”

Only Zach replied with a see ya before I closed the front door of the Upper West townhouse behind me, stepping into the cold winter night. Fresh snow was already lying down on the stone steps as I climbed them down, towards the town car parked out front on the curb.