Chapter 10
Rachel
IT’S BEEN FIVE DAYS since my date with Alex.
He went back home on Monday, and we haven’t spoken since.
I don’t blame him; I wouldn’t want me around after that date either.
Kai has disappeared too. I haven’t seen him since that night he broke into my house.
I installed a new security system that I’m pretty sure has been doing its job, since Kai hasn’t broken in yet.
No messages either. Maybe he got bored or died.
Maybe he finally got the message that I’m not interested. Who cares? Good riddance.
“Isn’t this nice? We have wine. We have books.
We don’t have bikers tied up in your bedroom.
” Noah sips his wine happily. “Like the old times, when my best friend wasn’t so unhinged as to kidnap a guy.
” He’s basking in the fact that Kai has ghosted me.
Have friends, they say. It will be fun, they say.
Fun until they’re basking in the fact that the biker you kidnapped is ghosting you.
“And you know what the best thing about tonight is?” Noah continues, because he clearly wants a black eye.
“No biker?” I say and turn the page again.
“No biker!” he repeats with excitement.
I get the message, buddy. You’re happy the biker is gone.
Kind of hypocritical of you, don’t you think?
Considering you’re fucking his best friend.
But I choose not to say this out loud for the sake of our friendship.
Leo and Noah went on three dates during the week, and they have another one planned for this weekend.
As much as I love that my friend is dating a guy like Leo—because, let’s face it, Leo is amazing—I really don’t like that his friend is ghosting me. Who in their right mind would ghost me?
“That’s it. No one is ghosting me.” I stand up from my seat, my book falling to the ground as I march out of the room. Noah follows me like a lost puppy, clearly confused.
“Sure, sure. Where are we going, though?” he asks as we exit my house and head to my car.
“We’re going to the fucking bar to find out why he’s ghosting me,” I announce as I open the driver’s side door.
“No, we are not.” Noah runs my way and closes the door before I can get in.
“Yes, we are. No one ghosts me,” I say, opening the door again. To hell with it. I’m not going to sit here like a good girl while Kai is roaming around, feeling good about himself for ghosting me. That asshole is going to pay for this.
“Rachel, you’re drunk.” Noah closes the door again. “You can’t drive.” I think for a minute about what he just said and toss him my keys.
“You’re right. I’m drunk. I shouldn’t drive.” He stands there, my keys in hand, looking at me as I go around the car to the passenger side. “You’re driving,” I tell him as I get in the car.
“Why me?” Noah argues.
“You’re not drunk,” I say as I scroll through my phone to the bar’s Instagram page.
Kai’s photo with a blonde customer is on my screen, and all the blood in my body rushes to my head.
“Look at him! He’s flirting with that blonde.
” I turn to Noah, who has gotten into the car but still looks very unwilling to drive, and shove the phone in his face.
He pushes it away with his hand and sighs. “Rachel, she’s just a customer. I’m sure he’s being polite. We do that all the time with customers.”
“Do you hug your customers in photos?” I argue, showing him another one with the same blonde woman. Kai’s hand is around her shoulders. She's smiling and blushing for the camera, and he’s kissing her cheek. This is not how you treat customers.
“No, I don’t, but my customers aren’t drunk blondes.” He’s not making this better. I scroll more and find another photo with the same blonde. Who the fuck is this woman?
Noah starts the car with a sigh. “This is a bad idea,” he announces as he pulls out of my driveway.
“I don’t care. Be a good friend and drive.” I show him the photo I’m looking at now. “Do you think he’s fucking her?”
“I don’t know,” he admits.
“Has Leo said anything?” I press.
“No. Besides, didn’t you say you’re not his girlfriend anyway?” Rude. Whose side are you on, Noah?
“I’m not,” I say with annoyance.
“Then why are we going to the bar to confront him?” I look out the window, ignoring him.
“Shut up and drive.” Noah laughs, but he doesn’t argue.
It doesn’t take more than ten minutes before we park in front of the bar, and I get out before Noah even has a chance to actually park the damn thing. I run toward the door while Noah parks the car and runs after me.
“Wait, let’s talk about it,” he says as he frantically presses buttons on his phone. A voice suddenly comes from it, and I stop right before I open the door to enter the bar.
Leo shouts from his end of the phone call, “Noah? What the hell is happening? Why is Rachel in front of the bar?”
“Yes, we are outside. I think you might want to take the blonde out the back and hide any sharp objects.” I turn to Noah and show him the middle finger before I open the door. The music is not too loud, and the bar is almost empty. The only people in it are Kai, Leo, and the blonde.
“What the hell, Kai?” I yell as I stride inside. “Who the fuck do you think you are, ghosting me like this?”
Kai holds both hands in the air. “Calm down, little criminal,” he says, not at all seriously.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” I say as I reach him, and before he can respond, I slap him across the face. I can see Leo out of the corner of my eye leading the woman out the door.
“Nadia, I think you should leave before Kai’s girlfriend decides to take your hair as a war trophy,” he tells her, and both Kai and I turn at the same time to face him.
“I am not his girlfriend,” I say at the same time Kai says, “She is not my girlfriend.”
I turn back to him. “What did you say?”
“The same thing you said,” Kai argues, one eyebrow raised and with more attitude than necessary.
I raise my hand, ready to strike him again, but someone grabs it from behind. I turn to see Noah, who has decided to intervene. “What the hell, Noah?”
“Calm the fuck down, Rachel,” he tells me in a tone I have only heard from him once before. I lower my hand and take a seat at the bar. Leo pours some wine into a glass and sets it in front of me.
“Let’s leave them alone,” he tells Noah, and my friend looks me in the eyes. It’s a silent, 'Are you going to be okay?' that I answer with a silent 'yes.'
When they leave, Kai turns to me. “Why are you so angry?” he asks as he pours some whiskey into a glass for himself.
“I am not,” I say defensively.
“Yes, you are. You asked me to leave you alone so many times, and now that I have, you get angry. Why?” he presses.
“Who was that woman?” I ask instead of answering.
He laughs. “Nadia?” He takes a sip from his drink. “That’s why you’re so angry? About Nadia?” he asks, coming to a conclusion without needing a response.
“Yes,” I admit.
“Oh, little criminal, you have it all wrong.” He laughs again, and I shoot him an angry look.
“What’s so funny?” I question.
“The fact that she is my sister.” What? I’m pretty sure I didn’t hear that correctly. She can’t be.
“Nadia is my baby sister. She came to visit on Monday. That’s why I wasn’t around,” he explains.
“What?” I question again. I must have heard wrong.
He comes to my side of the bar, moving closer until we are a breath away.
He cups my face with both hands and kisses my lips softly.
It’s not like any other kiss we have shared.
It’s not full of lust or passion. It’s not a kiss between two new lovers exploring their passion.
It’s full of comfort and familiarity. It’s how you kiss your partner when you are secure with them, when you know they are yours.
“Sweet criminal, I wouldn’t ghost you,” he says, his voice low. I don’t respond. Instead, I stand and start walking toward the exit because even if he knows I am his, I am not ready to accept it. As I exit through the door, Noah and Leo are standing right at the entrance.
“We are leaving,” I announce to Noah as I grab my keys from his hand and go to my car.
I get in the driver's seat, and Noah gets in the passenger seat without arguing. He knows this look on me; he knows arguing won’t be a good thing, and I know this has gotten more complicated than I wanted. I need time away.