Divine Obsession (GodHood #2)

Chapter 18

ONE MONTH LATER

Present

An entire month had passed since the night Kali was hospitalized.

She was doing much better and had fully healed from her surgeries, though she still couldn’t remember anything from that night.

Kali had told me at the hospital before she was discharged that she believed she’d been drugged. She’d made me promise not to say a word about it to Trevor, since she didn’t think he’d understand, considering he still thought she needed to be in AA.

She hadn’t drunk or partied since that night, but I thought it was mostly because she physically couldn’t, rather than not want to.

She was still recovering from the whole incident. She said she was fine, but I knew better. What she went through… It wasn’t something someone just got over.

They still hadn’t caught the attacker, and I could tell that was getting to her.

It was getting to Trevor. He’d searched every security camera in the city, every ex-felon with a record, every single trace that could lead us further, but… Nothing.

I’d seen a shift in Kali.

She’d been watching a shit-load of karate and combat movies while resting in bed. She wanted to start fighting again for self-defense. She’d told me she used to practice karate and kickboxing when she was younger, but stopped when she got to high school.

I thought physical exercise would be good for her. Help her build muscle. Help her get her mind off things…

An entire month had also passed since everything between Trevor and I had changed.

I wasn’t sure what it was exactly that had redirected our dynamic, but it felt like a lot of it had to do with that night.

We were actually getting along and working steadily on our project for Davis’ class, though I still wouldn’t have gone as far as to call us friends. We were… civil.

And neither had brought up what we’d done that one time in class. So, we kind of pretended like it never happened. Which I was actually glad for since it was the last thing either of us should have been doing.

“Some might even say it’s fate,” Trevor’s voice was laced with sarcasm as he switched his laptop off.

We’d been working on the project all afternoon at our spot in the library, and somehow had gotten back around to bickering about being paired together.

Although we never fought or argued anymore, we still engaged in the occasional light-hearted back-and-forth.

I scoffed. “More like bad luck .”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “So, when’s our next meeting? I assume you’ll pick a dark alley or something equally dramatic.”

“I’m tempted to make you do the entire project alone.”

“You wouldn’t. You’re too much of a perfectionist to let me ruin your grade. Oh, my bad – distinction .”

I laughed, hitting his arm. “You’re insufferable.”

“You’ve mentioned,” Trevor replied dryly, shrugging.

“Most people would get the hint and leave,” I smirked, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

“Most people aren’t me.” He leaned in to finish the rest. “And you’re terrible at giving hints.”

“I skipped class. How’s that for a hint?”

“ Hm… ” He actually pretended to think of an answer. “ Subtle . But ineffective.”

“One day…” I leaned in too, lowering my voice to a murmur.

He hummed in agreement, urging me on.

“You’re going to learn that not everything revolves around you.”

Trevor flashed one of his perfect smiles, his minty breath slightly fanning my face. “That day isn’t today.”

I laughed softly, shaking my head.

How did he always know what to say?

My eyes stayed on his onyx ones for longer than I should have allowed myself to, but I just couldn’t pull away.

I could feel the energy buzzing between us. Our eyes melting into each other’s. I could swear even our hearts beat on match.

God, I really shouldn’t be playing with fire…

My eyes dropped to her perfect, pink lips.

Fuck . There it was.

That goddamn forsaken word.

One I’d sworn to never use in relation to her because it was what everyone else used around her. And I couldn’t be like everyone else. I had to be different to her.

Perfect.

But fuck if she wasn’t.

I knew I wasn’t supposed to do any of this shit anymore.

We’d come to a silent, mutual agreement to press pause on whatever it was that was transgressing between us.

No one wanted us to be together.

Not our families.

Not our friends.

Not even her.

At least not yet.

I’d been more than patient until now. I could be patient a little while longer.

Wait till I completely took over the Dynasty. Till she graduated from Columbia and was no longer on a tight leash with her overprotective family.

Till we could both say fuck it and do whatever we wanted.

I told myself I had enough self-control to not pursue her right now. That I could stay away from her when not needed.

But it was moments like this when the blood boiled in my veins with so much want and need for one sole person – something I’d never experienced before – that I felt like I was losing my goddamn mind .

“What’s up, nerds?”

Both Natalia’s and my head snapped towards the voice.

Kali was light-heartedly skipping towards us, the biggest smile on her face, shopping bags in one hand, an expensive, overpriced purple café drink in the other.

“Oh my God, Kali… You look bomb.”

“What do you think?” My sister beamed, twirling to show off the waist-long bouncy hair. “I got a Colombian blow-out.”

“And a mani-pedi,” Natalia marveled at Kali’s two-inch, bright-pink nails, holding her hands in hers, before peering down to see my sister’s toes in some high-heeled sandals. “So pretty… How do you feel?”

“Good.”

“How’d you get in here?”

“Sneaked in with a study group.” Kali dropped her bags onto the chair next to Natalia, before sitting down next to me.

“Did you go see that guy downtown I told you about?”

Since Zane’s gym was going to open at the beginning of summer, I thought what better congratulatory gift than sending him his first client?

I trusted Zane. He was a loyal associate of the Sus. He’d not only never hurt Kali, he’d also make sure no one else was fucking with her.

He knew almost every style of martial arts there was to know. He was a professional. There was a reason every crime family on the Globe wanted him on their side.

And since what happened last month, I didn’t give a fuck anymore. I wasn’t letting her do whatever she wanted. She was going to get back into fighting and learn real-life self-defense.

My parents had gone bat-shit-crazy when they found out what had gone down last month. To put it simply, it was all because of me that my sister wasn’t locked away in a tower in our family’s Queens mansion.

“You know…” Kali replied distractively, checking her new nails. Here we fucking go again. “I thought about it, after our last talk, and… Downtown? Not really my vibe. Wouldn’t want to be caught dead there–”

“He’s in Midtown. Across that Pizza place we used to go to next to Honey Locus Park.”

“ Yeah… Downtown… Midtown… Same thing to me, really. Think I’ll just stick to the Upper East Side.”

“Fine. Whatever. Just, please – for the love of God – get some type of combat and self-defense classes.”

Something elusive passed through her eyes. Her voice was softer when she replied. “I will. Promise.”

“Alright.” I nodded. “You look pretty.” Throwing my arm over Kali’s shoulder, I pulled her in a brotherly side hug.

“Aw, thanks, Trev.”

“Pretty like an irritating gremlin.”

“Fuck off!” Kali laughed, trying to get away, though I already had her in a headlock.

Natalia’s head fell back with laughter, making my own smile grow, before a deafening shhhh came from a librarian on the other side of the room, silencing the three of us.

“Anyone up for sushi?” Kali whispered through her low giggles.

“I’m starving!” Natalia managed to whisper back.

Pushing my chair back, I stood and grabbed my laptop. “What are we waiting for, then?”