The Red String Between Us Part II: Frayed Threads

第17章 The last one's

      The gala wound down in waves, like the slow fade of music after a long song. Guests began gathering their coats, murmuring goodbyes, and slipping out into the cool night. My parents were the first to rise, hugging me tightly before heading back to my house. Harum followed not long after, thanking me for the evening before excusing himself with a polite smile and a pat on my lower back.

Kenji's family left soon after, their goodbyes formal but warm, and then Mia with her parents—laughing together about how she planned to frame her five-year pin as soon as they got home.

One by one, the crowd thinned until the ballroom felt almost hollow. Only a handful of stragglers remained, lingering in small clusters near the exit or finishing the last sips of champagne.

I lingered by the edge of the dance floor, watching the staff begin to clear tables, when my gaze drifted to the bar. Kenji was still there. Jacket unbuttoned, tie loosened, his posture a mix of sharp elegance dulled by the alcohol he'd been nursing all night. Aya was gone, but the glass next to him told me she'd left her mark.

Something in me—stubborn or maybe reckless—pulled me toward him. I didn't want to think too much about why.

I slid onto the stool beside him without a word, the hum of the nearly empty ballroom wrapping around us. The bartender glanced my way, and before Kenji could speak, I leaned forward with a steady voice.

"Sex on the beach," I ordered.

The bartender's brows rose slightly, but he nodded and went to work.

Kenji turned his head slowly, his dark eyes finding mine. A faint smirk tugged at his lips, though there was weariness in the way he looked at me—like he couldn't decide if I'd just surprised him, or saved him from the spiral he'd been sinking into.

For a long moment, I didn't explain myself. I just sat there, waiting for the drink, the air between us charged with everything we hadn't said all night.

And for the first time since stepping off the stage, I felt the night wasn't over yet.