Chapter 29 Torn between simple choices
Chapter 29 Torn between simple choices
Chapter 29
Kai was lying beside me, one arm draped over the sheet, his eyes already open and fixed on me.
For a heartbeat, neither of us spoke. My pulse raced so fast I thought it might burst through my chest.
“Morning,” he said finally, his voice calm, too calm.
I sat up abruptly, clutching the blanket against my chest. “What happened?”
Kai raised an eyebrow. “You don’t remember?”
My throat tightened. Fragments of last night came back in hazy flashes, laughter, his voice, the feel of his hand pulling me close. My cheeks burned.
“I…” I shook my head quickly, my words tangling.
Kai’s expression softened, though his tone carried a teasing edge. “You were a little wild,” he said quietly. “Told me a few things I didn’t expect.”
I lowered my gaze, mortified. “I must’ve been drunk.”
“You were,” he replied. “But you were also honest.”
Kai stretched and sat up. His tone was casual, but his eyes carried a glint of mischief. “You know,” he said, “you almost bit me last night.”
My brows furrowed. “What?”
He smiled faintly. “You tried to bite me. Down there.” His fingers pointed towards his lower region.
My face flushed red. “Oh God,” I whispered, lowering my face into my palms. “I’m so sorry.”
Kai chuckled softly. “Relax. I survived.”
Elena peeked through my fingers, embarrassment burning through me. “That’s not funny,” I muttered, though a small, nervous smile crept up my face.
I swallowed hard, the silence between us stretching. Shame pressed at my chest, but beneath it, something else, relief. The kind that came from saying too much after too long.
“I don’t regret it,” I said quietly.
Kai’s eyes flickered in surprise.
“I mean—” I fumbled, my voice trembling. “I don’t regret… feeling something again. It’s been four years since Williams ever made me feel that way. I didn’t think I could feel anything anymore.”
At the mention of his brother’s name, Kai’s jaw tightened. He looked away, the warmth draining from his face.
The silence thickened again. I wanted to take the words back, but it was too late.
I didn’t miss the tension that flitted across his eyes. “I didn’t mean to bring him up,” I said softly.
Kai nodded once. “It’s fine.”
But it wasn’t.
For a moment, we both sat in the thick silence, neither willing to meet each other’s gaze.
Then Kai’s phone buzzed on the nightstand. He picked it up, spoke briefly, and then ended the call. His tone when he turned back to me was neutral. “I need to leave soon. You should get ready. I’ll drop you off on my way out.”
I blinked. “Oh. Right.”
He stood, adjusting his shirt, already halfway back into his composed, untouchable self.
“Do you want to shower first?” he asked.
I hesitated. “You can go first.”
He smiled faintly, amusement flickering in his eyes. “No, you go. Ladies first.”
I grabbed my bag and headed for the bathroom. The warm water helped calm my nerves, but my mind wouldn’t stop racing.
By the time I stepped out, Kai walked in to freshen up. When he came out of the bathroom he was dazzling.
We left the hotel together, the early sunlight spilling across the parking lot. Kai unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for me. I muttered a soft “thank you” before slipping in.
The drive began in silence. The city moved past them in shades of gray and gold, the streets coming alive with morning chatter. Kai kept his gaze forward, one hand steady on the wheel.
I couldn’t bear the quiet anymore. “So… do you always rescue drunk women from bars?” I asked lightly, fiddling with my fingers.
His lips curved slightly. “Only the ones who are about to get into trouble.”
My heart squeezed. “You make it sound like you knew I would.”
“I did,” he replied simply.
I blinked at him. “How?”
He smirked. “You probably don’t know who you’re sitting with.”
I frowned in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Kai didn’t answer right away. His attention remained on the road, his expression unreadable.
Finally, he spoke. “Why were you at the bar last night?”
I flinched slightly. “I… I don’t know. I wasn’t planning to go there.”
“You don’t drink,” he said, his tone calm but sharp. “You don’t go to clubs. You don’t even go to bars.”
I blinked at him, surprised. “How do you know all that?”
He just smiled, a little crooked, and shook his head. “You should try to know me better than this, Elena.”
I lowered my head, a wave of sadness washing over me as the scene from the store replayed in my mind. Melissa’s sneer, the store owner’s refusal to sell me anything, and the humiliation of being thrown out despite having the money.
I told him about it quietly, each word heavy with shame. “Melissa had me kicked out. They wouldn’t let me buy anything.”
Kai’s gaze didn’t falter. He was silent for a long moment, letting me speak without interruption. Then he asked, almost carefully, “Do you want the store?”
I laughed dryly, caught off guard. “What store?”
“The one you were kicked out of,” he said.
“Why?” I asked.
Answer the question,” Kai said quietly.
I studied him, searching his face for any hint of sarcasm. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because I already bought it.”
My jaw dropped. “You what?”
“I bought it this morning,” he said, his tone casual, as if he’d just mentioned buying a cup of coffee.
“Kai, you can’t be serious,” I said, half-laughing. “You’re joking, right?”
He turned his head slightly and looked at me. “Do I look like I’m joking?”
I stared at him, lost for words. “Why would you do that?”
He shrugged. “Because you were wronged. And because I can.”
My laugh came out awkwardly. “I don’t want the store, Kai. I just want to work. I don’t need charity.”
“What work did you want to do then?” Kai asked me.
“An office assistant for you.” I snapped.
Kai’s eyes widened as he spared me a glance. “You can’t be serious then.”
With a stern expression, I answered him. “Of course I am. I want to work as an office assistant for you.”
Kai chuckled and had his fist clenched around the steering wheel.
“Choose carefully between being a store owner, controlling money, or being an office assistant for me, running errands like washing of the toilets sometimes if need be.”