Chapter 18
Chapter 18
I was right. It was Kaiden’s scent. He stood beside me, close to Mom, gripping her wrist firmly, stopping her hand just inches from my cheek.
“K–K–Kai… Kaiden! Hey…” She forced a shaky laugh, her eyes darting nervously between his face and her trapped wrist. She gave a half–hearted tug to free herself, but his grip didn’t budge. Kaiden’s jaw clenched, and the intensity in his eyes sharpened, unyielding.
“I….. um… was just… tr… tr…” she stammered, gaze shifting down, searching for an excuse. “Tr…trying to fix her hair.” Her smile spread wider, each second stretching it more awkwardly until it bordered on absurd.
Finally, she wrenched her wrist free, her eyes darting back toward the kitchen as if grasping for an escape. “Yes, Chef? Di… did you call me?” No, he didn’t call her. She just made that up to run away from the situation. “Y–yeah… I’m coming!” Her departure was hasty, almost stumbling, and she disappeared from sight, leaving Kaiden and me alone, the tension crackling between us like static in the air.
“Must say, both mother and daughter are addicted to slapping people,” he remarked, clearly trying to lighten the tension, a trace of dry amusement
in his tone.
Did he just make a joke? Was he… not angry about me slapping him?
But then, his previous warning echoed in my mind, “If I get my hands on you, I will fuck you until you go senseless.” The memory of it rekindled a fury that mixed uneasily with fear, and I could feel both building inside me.
I shoved aside the questions crowding my thoughts and took a step closer to him, forcing myself to meet his gaze head–on. My legs felt like jelly, but I held steady, swallowing down the fear.
“Stay. Away. From my room,” I said firmly, my tone sharp and steady. I held his gaze, making sure he understood. Then, with a quick step forward, I let my shoulder bump against his, pushing past him without looking back, my heart racing as I walked away and I hated the fact that it wasn’t racing due to fear, but due to something else.
“I’m glad you forgave me,” I said, giving Rubina’s hand a gentle squeeze. Beside me, Sheela smiled, clearly pleased with our new friendship.
Rubina raised an eyebrow, her tone steady. “You slapped Kaiden. And then he warned you with such disgrace. What can I say? After all, we women should stand up for each other so that men like Kaiden won’t walk all over us.”
We were sprawled across her bed, cozy in our pajamas, a tangle of blankets and snacks around us. It felt strange–almost surreal–to be here with them. I’d never pictured myself in Rubina’s room like this, much less sharing secrets and laughing.
After my heated moment with Mom, I received an unexpected call from Rubina. At first, I was confused–why would she call me out of the blue? But when I answered, she shocked me by saying she had overheard Kaiden whispering in my ear. She sounded genuinely concerned and told me she just wanted to make sure I was okay. She even offered to help if I needed anything. I hesitated at first, unsure if, after the harsh things she’d said to me, I should swallow my pride and ask for her help. But in the end, I’m glad I did. Rubina wasn’t the scary person I’d thought she was. There was a kindness in her I hadn’t seen before, and it made me feel better about everything.
Normally, in a situation like this, someone would crash at their best friend’s house. But not me–especially not when I’m trying to escape Kaiden. Barbara’s obsession with him knows no limits. Sometimes, I wonder if she’d actually eat dirt if Kaiden told her to.
“I still can’t believe it. Lucy Hailstone is doing a PJ party with us,” Sheela blurted out, her eyes wide with a mix of excitement and disbelief. She leaned back, crossing her arms with a smirk. “I used to think you were the most egotistical girl in the whole school, right after Amber
“Sheela….” Rubina nudged her gently with her elbow, her mouth twitching with a suppressed smile. Her eyes flicked to me, almost apologetic, but with a hint of amusement she couldn’t quite hide.
“Ah… um… I used to think that way,” Sheela gave an explanation, fidgeting with the hem of her pajama top. “Because… well, you always sat quietly, headphones on, barely talking. I mean, when a “nobody” stays low, it’s normal, but when someone popular like you tries to stay low… people usually mistake it for ego.”
I shrugged, feeling a little awkward. “Sorry for… um… being a low–key person?”
Rubina broke in, still sounding slightly stunned. “I still can’t believe you slapped Kaiden. You… um…. didn’t do it because of me, did you?”
“Maybe a little,” I admitted, grinning slightly. “But hey, you nearly slapped him too if he hadn’t caught your hand! Why’s it so shocking when I do
its”
Sheela blinked rapidly, her eyes wide with surprise as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “Oh my god! Yo–you don’t know?” she said, her voice lilting with genuine astonishment, like she’d just stumbled upon the biggest secret in the world.
“What should I know?” I asked, shrugging as I tried to play it casual, though the confusion pulling my brows together must have given me away. I could feel the curiosity bubbling up inside, making it harder to mask my interest as I waited for her answer.
“Oh, trust me, you’re gonna want to hear this.” Sheela leaned forward, clearly relishing the chance to spill the tea. “Kaiden and Rubina are
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Chapter 18
childhood friends turned best friends, then lovers, then exes, and finally… strangers.” She paused dramatically before adding, “But I think he still cares about her, you know, in his way.” She shot a quick look at Rubina. “I mean, if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have tried to stop her or ripped up her transfer certificate like he had the right to do so.”
“What?” My jaw dropped. That explained why Rubina seemed so unbothered by him, fearless even. I leaned in, curiosity bubbling up inside me. “Tell me everything.”
To be continued…
