Chapter 23 #4
I don’t respond, so he straightens, takes a slow step forward. Then another. “You don’t trust me,” he says, with a soft smile that makes my stomach twist. “That’s smart.”
My voice comes out quieter than I want it to. “Should I?”
He tilts his head. “Do you want to?”
It’s not the question I expect, and it throws me, just a little.
“You’ve got someone in your messages,” he continues smoothly. “Someone in your head. And you’re scared—because they know things. Things about your family. About you. They’re pulling strings, and you don’t know where it ends. But I do. I’ve seen how this works.”
I stay still, but every part of me is on high alert. My fingers tighten around the hem of my sleeve.
“You don’t even have to like me,” he says, taking another step forward. “You just have to decide what’s worse—having me on your side… or not.”
I hate how persuasive he is. How calm. How certain.
It feels honest, the way he looks at me.
The truth is, it would be stupid of me not to accept his help. Whoever this person is, they broke into my house. They’ve been watching me, following me, threatening me.
That’s not something I can ignore, not anymore.
And Kai… well, he’s smart. Probably the smartest person I’ve ever met. It wouldn’t hurt to have someone like that.
He may be using me, but who’s to say I’m not using him, too?
“Fine,” I say, letting out a slow breath. “If you want to know everything, I’ll tell you. But don’t pretend you’re doing this for me.”
There’s a flicker of something like calculation in Kai’s eyes. It’s a brief moment of thought, so fast you could miss it if you weren’t already looking.
Then his expression shifts, and suddenly there’s amusement on his face. “Do you want it to be about you?”
My shoulders stiffen before I can stop them. I look up at him, narrowing my eyes just slightly. “Why would you say that?”
He watches me for a moment, then shrugs. “I’m not the hero here, Adeline. I never said I was,” he says softly, casually. “But I’m not your enemy either.”
He takes another step, and now he’s standing right in front of my face. Close enough that I can smell the faint trace of whatever expensive soap he uses. It should be overwhelming, but it’s not.
“So,” he says quietly. “Do you trust me?”
I hesitate—about to say the safer answer. About to say no.
But just as I open my mouth, I feel something tug at my foot.
“Wha—” I look down just in time to see my sock slowly sliding off. “Hey!” I shout as the culprit—Percy the ferret—takes off at lightning speed, my sock dangling from his mouth.
Kai doesn’t even flinch. “He’s a crafty little thing,” he says. “I was wondering where the socks were going.”
I glare at him before getting to my feet. “Percy! Come back here, you little…” The ferret darts under a cupboard, vanishing into the shadows. I crouch down and peer underneath. I gasp when I lay my eyes on a surprisingly impressive mountain of stolen goods. Socks of
every colour scrunched and tangled, but that’s not even all. There are pens, hair ties, a bank card, and… is that a spoon?
“Oh my god,” I groan. “Is that my mascara?” I swear I put that in my bag.
I reach in, trying to grab at something, but Percy darts further into the pile, his little nose twitching as if mocking me and demonic eyes staring at me like I just seriously offended him.
Unbelievable. Although I don’t know what I was expecting from the child of someone like Kai.
He clearly doesn’t know how to raise an animal.
Speaking of Kai, he’s now currently in the kitchen. Making a… sandwich? And watching the scene unfold with a look that’s far too amused for my liking. The nerve. “I don’t think he likes you.”
I shoot him a glare. “Are you going to help me, or just stand there?”
“You seem to have it under control,” he replies, his lips twitching like he’s holding back a smile.
I choose to ignore his rudeness, wriggling my arm deeper under the cupboard. “Percy, you little thief, come out here!” I manage to grab the edge of a sock and tug, but Percy pulls it back. Never did I know ferrets were this savage.
“You know,” Kai says, walking over to me, sandwich in hand, “he likes to trade. If you give him something he wants, he’ll bring the sock back.”
I look up at him, incredulous. “Trade? What is he, a pirate?”
Kai shrugs. “It’s effective. Try it.”
Sighing, I dig into my pocket and pull out an old hairband. “You want this?” I say, holding it up to the cupboard. Percy pokes his nose out, sniffing curiously.
“That’s it,” Kai says. “Now toss it to him.”
“This is ridiculous,” I mutter, but I do it anyway. The hairband lands just in front of Percy, and, to my surprise, he grabs it. A second later, he drops my sock at the edge of his lair.
“See?” Kai says, straightening up.
I grab the sock and glare at the ferret, who’s already retreating into the shadows again. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” I mutter.
Kai chuckles, and the sound catches me off guard. It’s low and it’s brief, but it’s there. “Maybe keep a closer eye on your things next time,” he says, his tone annoyingly smug.
“Maybe keep a closer eye on your ferret,” I shoot back.
***
“Why can’t Kai drive again?” I ask, tugging on my coat, the zipper catching slightly as I glance toward the door, and Christian standing next to it. I don’t know why Christian agreed to drive me back, or even talk to me in the first place, but whatever his reasoning is, I’m grateful.
“He got his licence taken away. Crashed into a tree,” he says simply, putting on his own coat, and I don’t bother asking him to elaborate. “Sue, I’ll be back in a few,” Christian calls out.
Almost immediately, Sue appears from somewhere—honestly, I’m not sure how she does that. It’s like she’s summoned. She nods at Christian but doesn’t spare me a glance. Not even a flicker of acknowledgment.
I wave awkwardly out of politeness, but she’s already turning away, disappearing as quickly as she arrived.
Okay then.
“She definitely doesn’t like me,” I mutter the moment we step out into the cold.
Christian glances at me as he unlocks the car. “She’s protective. Kai’s like a son to her.”
I snort. “Protective of what?” I gesture to myself. “What am I going to do?”
Christian doesn’t answer immediately. He slides into the driver’s seat. “Gabriel, my uncle and Kai’s father, he’s strict,” he says, starting the car. “It doesn’t make sense to her why you’re here. Kai never usually brings anyone over. She’s just confused.”
I frown, watching the surroundings as we start moving. “She seems almost suspicious of me,” I say.
Christian sighs, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel for just a moment. “Listen,” he says, his tone careful. “I don’t know what goes on in her head. But if I were to guess, I’d probably say she thinks Kai has feelings for you, and she knows it would never work out.”
I blink, my head snapping toward him. “What?”
He doesn’t look at me; his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “It’s just a guess. Don’t overthink it.”
“You can’t just drop something like that and tell me not to overthink it,” I say, my voice rising slightly. “Kai doesn’t have feelings for me. That’s… that’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard all day.”
Christian raises an eyebrow but still doesn’t look away from the road. “I know he doesn’t, but that’s what Sue thinks.”
The car goes silent after that, and I just stare awkwardly out of the window before blurting, “Kai has a ferret.”
Christian glances at me briefly before returning his focus to the road. “Ah, so you’ve met Percy. That… was Liam’s doing.”
I turn to him, shocked. “A ferret, Christian. A ferret.”
He chuckles softly, the sound surprisingly warm, and just… surprising in general. “Let me guess: he stole something from you.”
“Some things,” I clarify, pouting. “My sock, my mascara, and my hairband. Pure evil, that thing is. I didn’t even know you could have a pet ferret.”
“Oh, you most certainly can,” Christian replies, a hint of amusement in his voice. “He walks it too.”
My jaw drops. “You aren’t serious.”
“He doesn’t let anyone but Kai walk him. Liam and I tried once. We learned our lesson.”
That gets a laugh out of me. “What happened?”
“Let’s just say Percy can move a lot faster than we thought,” Christian says with a grin. “And he’s very resourceful when it comes to hiding.”
I shake my head, still laughing. “Figures. That little thief.”
Christian glances at me again, his smile lingering. “I gather you didn’t end up doing the project.”
“We didn’t even start it,” I admit.
“Yeah,” he says simply, as if that’s exactly what he expected.
I fold my arms, leaning back against the seat. “It was about the threats, but I’m sure you know that. You were just waiting for me to mention it.”
Christian doesn’t say anything to that one.
“He wants to know about his sister,” I say eventually, my voice quieter now.
Christian is silent for a moment, staring at the road ahead. “Does he?” he says, his tone unreadable.
“That’s what he said,” I reply. “But you know, he could be useful. Who am I not to acknowledge the mutual interests?”
Christian’s hands tighten slightly on the wheel before he says, almost abruptly, “It’s not your fault, Adeline.”
I blink, caught off guard. “What?”
“I think you know what I’m talking about,” he says, still not looking at me.
I swallow hard, my fingers starting to fidget with the hem of my coat. “I know it’s not.”
“Do you?” he asks, his voice steady but pointed.
The question shuts me up. I drop my gaze, my hands twisting together in my lap.
“Either way,” Christian says after a beat, his tone softer, “I just thought I should remind you. I figure your sisters give you enough hassle.”
I sigh, the tension in my chest easing just slightly. “Thank you.”
It’s quiet, but he hears it. Doesn’t say anything, just nods once, eyes still on the road. We lapse into silence again, one that stretches just a little too long and makes you feel like you should say something—anything—to break it.