21
SELENA
FLASHBACK
Kai and I had been living together for a month now. He had gotten this apartment because it was closer to his work. Within two weeks of living alone, he missed me, or so he said, and told me to just move in.
I was ecstatic. Living with my best friend had been amazing. Sure, there were challenges. Isn't there always? With Kai, things always seemed difficult. But what's love without a little pain, right? He was worth it. And clearly, he loved me too.
I never would have imagined that I'd be engaged and living with the love of my life. Things seemed to be going well for me, for us. My younger self was screaming with joy.
Kai worked as a marketing strategist. He had landed his dream job, and I remembered those months when he was giving up hope of being hired. I had searched all the job websites for him. I asked everyone if they were hiring. I made his résumé and handed it out whenever any position that matched his skills came up. When he finally got hired, he became best friends with his boss, shocker, he's charming like that. He spoke to his boss and got me a job there too. I worked as a brand content designer. A great-paying job. I even bought my first car.
I was engaged to my gorgeous dream man. I had friends at work, and I was living with my fiancé. What more could I have asked for? Life seemed amazing.
Tonight we were hosting dinner. Mum, Sabrina and her boyfriend Rohit, and Aunt Martha, Kai's mum. Dad couldn't make it. He was working late again. My dad had been strict about me living with Kai. I had to beg him and remind him that we were engaged before he finally agreed. I know people think I'm old enough to make my own choices, but I love my parents. I respect them. Besides, Dad had stopped talking to Sabrina for months when she moved in with Rohit. I didn't want that to happen to me.
Kai was actually cooking. I was setting the table while he moved around the kitchen humming a tune. The apartment smelled incredible, warm garlic, herbs, and roasted chicken filling the air. The open-plan kitchen flowed into the living room, with large windows letting the golden evening light pour across the wooden floors. Our small dining table sat beside the window, dressed with white plates, wine glasses, and candles I had insisted on lighting even though Kai said it made us look like a restaurant.
He brought a spoon to me. "Taste this."
"Yummy," I said, smiling. "And you look hot in that chef's hat."
"You complimenting me so I don't tell your mum and sister how much mischief you made?" His eyes twinkled.
"Bite me."
"I will later." He nuzzled my neck. I pushed him away laughing.
"Kai! The chicken will burn!"
"I'll burn this world down for you, babyyy." He sang
"Yeah, yeah. Put your shirt on before the guests arrive." I threw his shirt at him.
"This old thing?" he grinned.
We both laughed. Behind him on the stove, a pan of golden roasted chicken sizzled gently beside a pot of creamy mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables tossed in butter and herbs.
Aunt Martha arrived first, carrying wine. She kissed my cheek. "You're so good for him, Selena. I'm so happy to have you as my daughter."
My eyes watered. "Thank you, Aunt Martha."
Sabrina and Rohit arrived next.
"Wow! Amazing apartment, sister!" Sabrina said, looking around. The living room was simple but cozy, soft grey couches, a fluffy rug, and framed photos of Kai and me scattered on the shelves. One wall was mostly glass, showing the glittering city lights starting to appear outside. Then she pointed at Kai. "Kai, are you treating my baby sister properly?" She also brought wine.
I laughed and hugged her. Rohit immediately started talking to Kai.
Sabrina pulled me aside. "You happy? Or do you need me to roughen him up a bit?"
I laughed. "No, we're good. We're actually good for the first time."
Mum arrived last. And guess what she brought? Wine. I hugged her tightly. "I miss you, my darling."
"Is Kai bothering you?"
Kai hugged her. "No, Mum. She bothers me."
"How so?" I asked.
"Well… you snore."
"I do NOT!"
"Ah, but baby, you do." He took out his phone and showed them a video of me snoring. Everyone burst out laughing, including me.
"Jerk!"
"I'll still marry you, babe. Music to my ears." He grabbed me and kissed my cheeks while I blushed.
Sabrina held a hand to her heart. "I love you two! Cutest couple ever, excluding Rohit and me, of course."
"You can't compete with us," Rohit said. He and Sabrina struck a ridiculous pose.
We all laughed. It was such a fun evening.
"Dinner is ready!" Kai announced.
Everyone took their seats. The table looked beautiful, golden roasted chicken placed in the center, surrounded by bowls of buttery mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables glistening with olive oil, and fresh bread still warm from the oven. The candles flickered softly between the plates, reflecting in the wine glasses.
"Compliments to the chef," I said, pointing at my man. Everyone clapped, including me. He looked down, blushing, then winked at me.
"Kai! Speech!" Sabrina said.
"No, no."
"Ah come on, son," Mum said, raising her glass. "We have three wines tonight. Go ahead and make a toast."
He nodded and lifted his glass. "I'm not much of a talker," he lied. "I'm shy." He covered his face like a drama queen.
Sabrina threw bread at him. "BOO!"
He laughed. "Okay, okay. On a serious note, thank you all for coming. I never thought I'd be living with an amazing soul like Selena, but what can I say? She makes me a better person. She feels like home to me." He glanced at me. "And now I don't have to bust my ass climbing up her balcony every night to watch movies. We can just do it here."
"What? You climbed into her room?" Mum asked, shocked.
I covered my face.
"Sorry, Mum," he said, grinning. "Here's to family."
We all clinked glasses. I tasted the wine, thinking that life couldn't get better.
"So when do you plan on marrying her, Kai?" Mum asked seriously.
Kai looked anxious. Then cold. "It happens when it happens."
"But you're engaged now. I'm getting old. I want to see my grandkids."
He choked on his wine. I rubbed his back.
"We will, Mum. Don't worry," I said. "Right, Kai?"
He didn't answer. He just looked down. I noticed a worried look on Mum's face. But I didn't worry. We were engaged. Kai wouldn't have proposed if he wasn't going to marry me, right? Engagement leads to marriage. Everyone knows that. I would become Mrs. Frost. It was probably just the wrong timing right now. Mercury retrograde and all.
"Hey, sis!" Sabrina called while looking at her phone.
"Yes?"
"Jade is in town. Do you mind that I invited her over? She wants to see us."
Jade was my favorite cousin. We did everything together when we were younger before we moved to the USA. We were super close. As we got older, contact wasn't as frequent, but we still spoke when we could. We liked each other's posts on social media. Jade was a model, always traveling. But lately I heard she couldn't get jobs because the industry was so hard to break into, so she settled for a normal job.
"Oh, no problem at all! You know I love her!" I said excitedly.
Kai chewed his chicken. "Who is she?"
"Oh, Jade is my cousin."
"Why haven't I met her? I thought I knew all your family, even Aunt Carol."
"Jade is never in one place. She travels a lot. We last saw her years ago. But trust me, she's the coolest person you will ever meet. Second to Sabrina, of course."
Sabrina touched her heart dramatically.
The doorbell rang. "That must be her," Mum said.
I ran excitedly to answer it. I opened the door and we screamed and hugged each other like teenagers.
"You look amazing!" I said. She looked even better than her photos. Long brown hair falling past her shoulders. A dress that hugged her curves. Natural makeup that made her look effortlessly beautiful.
"I missed you! It's been too long! What have I missed?" she said.
I brought her in to meet everyone. She hugged the rest of them, and then she reached Kai.
I watched Kai stare at her. At the time, I thought he was simply surprised. Anyone would be, Jade had always been beautiful. But later, I would remember that look very clearly.
My heart began to beat faster.
"And you must be… Kol?" she said.
"Kai," I corrected.
"Oops, sorry. Hi, Kai. You look better in person. Sel showed us photos in the family group chat, and they didn't do you justice."
He took her hand. Instead of shaking it, he kissed it. "Always a pleasure to meet a beautiful woman like yourself."
She laughed. "Ah, this one is a charmer!"
"You have no idea," he said, staring at her.
I looked at Mum and Sabrina. A flicker of worry crossed their faces. They looked at each other.
A few hours later, I wasn't enjoying the party as much. I watched Kai make every excuse to be around Jade. He was like a lost puppy. It was humiliating, because my mum and Sabrina saw it too. I wanted them to witness the love between Kai and me. Instead, they were watching him be lustful for someone else. And I didn't know how to stop him without him saying those words: "I'm just being friendly."
I walked toward where everyone was seated.
"I'm only here for two weeks," Jade said. "But my hotel is two stars. I can't believe the agency would put me there. It's gross."
Kai didn't hesitate. "Come stay with us."
"Oh no! I wouldn't want to inconvenience you," she said.
"Why don't you stay with your boyfriend?" Sabrina asked.
"Oh, he's not in town at the moment. He's traveling for work."
"Oh, come stay with Rohit and me then," Sabrina offered quickly.
"No, no. It's no problem. We have a guest bedroom that we don't use. She can stay with us," Kai said. He didn't even ask me.
"You can stay at our house," Mum offered.
But Kai wouldn't budge. "Don't go through all that trouble. I'm sure she wants to catch up with Selena. Seriously, it won't be a problem."
Jade looked at me.
"You don't mind, right, babe?" Kai asked excitedly.
Everyone looked at me. What else could I say without looking insecure?
"No," I said calmly. "I don't mind. You can stay, Jade."
Kai looked like he had just won the lottery.