Chapter 47
KAI
My heart was in my throat.
Something about the way Alex had ended the call - the slight tremor in his voice, the fear he was trying to hide - lodged itself deeply under my skin.
That voice in the background had to be his brother.
I only knew what Callum had told me: he was the kind of guy who exploded first and asked questions later.
And Alex had mentioned he had a temper. I just hoped Alex had never been on the receiving end of it.
Siblings fight all the time - my cousins practically lived in a wrestling match - but Alex wasn’t like that. Looking at him, I couldn’t imagine him fighting anyone, let alone someone older, taller, broader. Someone who could fill a doorway with just their presence.
I curled up on my bed, phone in hand, my knee bouncing restlessly. I’d already sent him a string of texts - nothing intense, just asking if he was okay - but he hadn’t responded. Thirty minutes. Still nothing.
My brain kept telling me to relax, but my heart was thudding like it was trying to punch its way out of my chest.
I called him. Straight to voicemail.
Something in my gut twisted. Hard. This wasn’t right. Something was wrong. He needed help - I could feel it.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed a jumper, shoved it over my head, and bolted downstairs. My keys were on the side table, and I snatched them up and ran out into the cold air, the door slamming behind me.
Sliding into the driver’s seat and gripping the steering wheel much harder than I intended, I tried to breathe. The windows were fogged slightly from the temperature difference, and I stared through them, my breath coming too fast.
What was I doing?
I was overstepping again. But for some reason I didn’t care.
I just needed to know he was safe.
The engine rumbled to life as I turned the key in the ignition, reaching for the handbrake - ready to drive straight to his house - when my phone lit up the dark interior of the car.
I grabbed it faster than I’d ever grabbed anything in my life.
One message. From him.
I’m fine. See you at school.
My heartbeat finally slowed, settling back into something close to normal. But the relief didn’t fully land. Something still felt off.
But then again, nothing ever felt simple when it came to Alex.
My emotions went haywire around him, like someone had turned the volume up on everything I felt. I didn’t know how to flatten them out, didn’t know how to make sense of any of it.
Hell, I didn’t even know what I was feeling.