Kai's POV
I somehow managed to convince Arie to come back with me to my place.
Not one of my greatest ideas, because first of all; I have an exam early in the morning the next day.
Even though I have done enough studying, I still need to do a few touch ups.
Secondly, my brain turns to short circuit whenever I am around her and tonight I happen to need all of my brain faculties functioning well.
So all in all, terrible idea.
But I am still excited to have her in my room right now padding around barefoot.
A very worthy and welcomed distraction.
I arrange my study notes and switch on my Pc.
We haven't talked freely like we usually do since we got back.
I can't help but feel like she is low key mad at me for shooting down her idea to adopt a puppy. Which is crazy because she wanted to impulsively do something that needed to be thought through.
I wasn't going to encourage that.
I, on the other hand I am a little frustrated at the irrational jealousy that I felt when she talked to that guy from her swimming team.
I can't help but feel like the guy definitely wants more than just to 'chat' with her.
I get blinded by rage every time I see him lay either his eyes or hands on her.
It's irrational because I don't have a claim on her, even if I did, I just can't go around ordering her who she can and can't talk to. I am frustrated because I understand this, but it seems like my heart is a little bit slow in catching up. Or maybe it is too forward or plain stupid . I don't know.
I turn around to find her folding her arms, in a stance that definitely indicate that she is mad.
I let out a rush of air through my mouth as I sigh and walk towards her.
"Why are you mad?" I ask standing in front of her.
"I am not mad," she states still maintaining her rigid posture.
"But you ain't happy either. Do I make you uncomfortable ? I can drive you back to campus now."
"No it's not that," she says as she pinches the bridge of her nose.
"I just felt so helpless there at the pet shelter, not being able to do anything for that puppy. I just know how it feels like to be unwanted and to wait hopefully day in and day out hoping that someone will like you enough to take you home."
She breathes, her eyes suddenly filling with tears.
" I was adopted. I know it sounds stupid, but I felt like I could understand how that puppy felt. My savior complex was triggered by the whole situation," she explains as the tears now spill down her cheeks.
I just stand there stupidly for a second not knowing what to say or do. This is the first time she shared something so vulnerable about herself.
I collect her into my arms and squeeze her into a hug.
"I am sorry that I was a jerk and insensitive about it. I didn't know that it meant so much to you," I murmur into her hair.
" it's okay. As much as I hate to say it, everything that you said was reasonable and it made sense. I would have just made things worse if I adopted it out of whim and couldn't provide a safe environment for it."
We stay like that for a while until she pushes against me and looks up at me.
"Okay, now it's your turn to share. Why are you all sour and moody."
"I am neither moody or sour," I state.
She just gives me a look that lets me know that she is not buying it.
"Does this has to do with Sage?" She asks.
I contemplate her question for a bit, trying to find the right words to say,
"Is there something going on between you guys?"
Her face splits up in half due to the goofy knowing smile plastered on her face.
"So you are jealous?"
"No I am not, just curious."
"Yep, you are." She says matter of fact popping the 'p'.
"You look so cute when you are jealous." She coos as she pinches my cheeks.
I swat her hands off and capture them in mine and pin them to her side as she laughs.
"Well to answer your question, he is just a friend."
"But it seems like he doesn't see it that way. He likes you."
" Well good for him, it seems like the man has got great taste, we will give him that."
She says with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
I flick her on the arm.
"Ouch! That hurts."
"Such a cry baby."
I say smiling down at her.
"Uuh, Cry baby? Let's see who is the biggest cry baby now."
She tries to free her hands from my hold but I just tighten my grip on her.
"Let go!"
"No."
"I promise I won't flick you."
She says putting on her innocent smile.
"Bull crap, I don't believe you," I say laughing.
I Suddenly shriek as I feel a splint of pain as she stomps on my foot.
I release her as I clutch on the assaulted foot.
"Who is the biggest cry baby now?"
She says with a smile as she backs away from me to stand out of reach across the room.
"Well played." I say as I slowly hobble towards her.
She laughs and moves quickly such that the bed stands between us.
"We can do this the easy way, bring your ass here. Or I could make my way over there, and it won't be cute." I say trying to sound as intimidating as possible.
She just burst out in laughter at my antics, her laughter is so infectious that I am finding it hard to keep up my fake intimidating persona.
"Well cute is overrated anyway." She says with a smile, her eyes locked on my every move.
Her phone starts ringing from her bag slung on the couch from across the room causing her to be momentarily distracted.
I jump across the bed and quickly close the distance between us.
She squeals in surprised laughter as I pounce on her .
I maneuver us such that she now lies on her back on the bed as I pin her down with my body.
"Who did you say the biggest cry baby was?" I ask tickling her .
"You."
She manages to squeak between fits of laughter.
"Okay stop! I am sorry, you are not a cry baby"
"Who is the cry baby then?"
"It's me, I am the cry baby. Stop!" She squeals.
I stop and hold my weight on my arms on each side of her.
We stay like that for minute catching our breath, both of us breathing heavily from all the effort while I smile down at each other like lunatics.
I can't pinpoint the exact moment when she had started to become someone I dread losing. Yet as I look into her eyes right now, the idea of not having her looking at me with such open affection gets my gut in knots.
It's scary to know that she has gotten under my skin this bad. God knows I never intended it to go this far.
The realization sobers me up.
"Are you okay?" She ask with concern in her tone as she reaches out to gently stroke my cheek.
The playful energy has now dissipated.
I lean into her her touch and gently kiss her inner hand.
" I need to study." I say dryly as I get up from my position and walk to my study desk.
She seats up on the bed and stares at me, confusion written all over her face at my sudden shift in mood.
I can feel her eyes on my retreating back.
I seat down and start to open my notes on the laptop.
I look up when I feel a presence next to me.
She just stands there looking down at me.
I quirk an eyebrow up in question.
"You know you can talk to me? I know we are not exactly best buddies where we spill our darkest secrets to each other.
But we ain't strangers either. I won't tolerate you going hot and cold on me because you have stuff to say but won't say."
She says with a determined look on her face, her arms folded across her chest.
I sigh and run an open palm across my face.
I swivel my chair around such that she now stands between my legs.
"I am sorry about that. I was just in my head for a minute there."
She sighs and closes her eyes for a moment.
"And you don't need to tell me exactly what's going on in there. But I won't tolerate you suddenly giving me a cold shoulder because of it."
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to ice you out."
I say as I rub my hands up and down her body.
She remains in her rigid posture.
"Please forgive me, i really can't stand the idea of you being mad at me." I say as I purse my lips at her.
"Plus I won't be able to concentrate on studying if I know that you are still mad at me."
I say as I pull her down on my lap, now each of her leg rest on my side.
"Would you forgive me if I told you that I would maybe think about adopting Zaro and keeping him here with me."
"Really! You would do that!?" She asks excitedly finally relaxing against me.
" I am saying I will think about it. Not that I promise to actually follow through with it."
"Yes! Yes!" She squeals.
"I can be quite persuasive if I want something." She adds with a sly smile.
" Alright, am I forgiven now?"
" Yes." She says as she presses her lips against mine.
"If I knew that's what it would take for you to kiss me I would have said it earlier." I say as she laughs and swats at my arm.
She starts to get up but I hold her in place.
"Where are you going?"
" well, you need to study and I need to get my phone."
I roll the chair towards her bag on the couch while we still remain seated on it.
I retrieve the back and hand it to her and push back towards the study desk.
"Ummhh... how are you intending for this to work?" She asks when she realizes that I have no intention of releasing her.
"You can sit right here while I study." I say holding her down to make my point.
"Won't this be distracting for you."
"No, it won't."
"Really?" She asks, a mischievous smile lighting up her face.
She moves her hips in a circular motion and I suck in a breath.
"You are sure?" She asks with mock innocence as she bats her eyelashes at me.
I clear my throat.
"Yep, sure."
I say with as much composure I can muster.
"Okay," she says trying so hard to suppress a smile.
She takes her phone out of her bag and flung the bag in the direction of the bed.
She then makes herself comfortable on my lap.
She leans against me and loops her arms around my neck and nuzzles into my shoulder as she starts to scroll away on her phone.
I swivel the chair closer to the desk as I start to read from my laptop.
I thought it was going to be uncomfortable being productive with her being in such close proximity, but her presence is so calming for me.
Her soft breath and the soft thud of her heartbeat against my chest provided a lull that pulled me into a space where my concentration is even better.
We stay like that for almost an hour as I work away on my laptop while she is busy on her phone.
" I need to pee." She whispers and we both burst out in laughter.
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