I CAN'T SAVE US ↠ KAI PARKER

16. ghosts of the past

"Wait!" I shouted, opening my eyes holding on to the bat as I made my way to the aisle. The adrenaline rushing through my body as I prepared myself to fight, only my eyes did not meet what I was expecting to find at all. It was no monster or vicious-looking creature that was crouched in front of Damon's hurt body, it was a man. Well not a man, the boyish delicate features of his face made me think he couldn't possible be over 20 and he also seemed to be human, just like me.

"Madison, no!" Damon grunted.

"There she is" he said, a smile forming on his lips as he looked up at me, his electrifying blue eyes piercing through my skin——

"Maddie?" I heard Kai's voice, quickly bringing me back to consiousness and I realized his lips were against my forehead, as my head rested on his chest. We had probably fallen asleep going through one of his family's grimoires.

"What happened?" I asked a bit sleepy, raising my head up to see him and he smiled at me.

"Maybe reading about the spells out loud wasn't such a good idea, I practically lulled you to sleep" he said and I chuckled "not that I mind, holding you in my arms is probably one of the most pleasant feelings in the world but I'm afraid I have to go out for a while, there's something I need for tonight"

"For our date? May I ask what it is?" I smiled and he chuckled, as I began to get off his chest but he stopped me "thought you had to go, can't do that if i'm on top of you"

"but we can keep hugging like this for a few more minutes" he suggested, wrapping his arms around me and I laid my head on his chest again.

"Kai?" I said and he hummed "did you ever vervained Damon's bourbon?"

He quickly began to sit up straight, making me sit too and I noticed he was completely taken aback by my question "How did you know that?" he asked, as his eyes widened.

"I think I just got my first memory back, or at least part of it, but it was mine. I could hear what I was thinking and feeling, like if I was reliving that moment all over again and it wasn't like before, this time I could see and hear everything that was happening" I answered cheerfully and I thought Kai would be just as happy as I was but the half frown on his lips made me think otherwise, which I didn't understand. This was good news, I was one step closer to remembering him, there was no reason why he would be upset.

"What exactly did you remember?" he asked, failing to hide the concern in his voice and I furrowed my eyebrows confused by his reaction.

"Well, we were in some sort of grocery store and you were... attacking Damon? And I think I was hiding from you but then you made me come out of my hiding spot by threating to kill him–"

"And then what?" he asked, as he grew more anxious.

"Then you woke me up, just as you saw me for the first time" I said a bit unsure "or at least I think that was the first time we met or well, saw each other"

"You didn't see the rest?"

"No, why? What happened next? Was that really the first time we met?" I questioned him and he sighed relieved.

"Uh... yeah, that's when we 'officially' met" he answered, avoiding my first two questions.

"Officially?" I asked and he tilted his head to the side.

"Well... that's when you first saw me but truth is... I first 'met' you three months prior to when we first met" he explained and I stared at him confused.

"Then why didn't we meet when you first saw me?" I asked him and he slowly stood up, clearing his throat.

"I... it's really complicated," he answered and he began to put his coat on, pacing around the living room as he prepared himself to head out.