Their friend circle was wider than what I knew of.

My occupied mind back in the cafeteria missed the part when Massie told me she would invite more friends I didn’t know. They were high school friends who studied in different universities. Jay, a black guy with afro hair and a pearly smile, and Jason, a redhead with curly hair, emerald eyes, and freckles all over his muscular body. He walked around proudly in a loose tank top.

Massie got us all travelling in one bus. She promised she was taking us to a lovely place, where her family owned a house with a pool. She wanted to have that vacation with her friends over the weekend as the weather got warmer before her birthday party. I was flattered she considered me as close as her long-term friends.

My seat was beside Ryan. I stayed there, hugging my bag and caving on myself. I avoided Kai and Kim, and I had no desire to converse with the two new guys beyond introducing ourselves. Nonetheless, they were friendly and looked interested in chatting. I stuck to Massie and mostly Ryan to stay in my comfort zone.

It had been two nights I slept away from Kai’s. I wasn’t sure whether he awaited my response on his invitation to talk, or he dropped it altogether. I let him be because I knew no other way to handle the situation. Ryan and Massie encouraged me to speak to him, but I insisted he needed to apologise before anything.

However, I was reconsidering my strategy seeing as Kim was taking advantage of my distancing from Kai. She tried to talk to him, but he mostly gave her the cold shoulder. She pushed herself on him even though he plugged in his EarPods to make her go away. Jealousy was getting the best of me when my teeth gritted, and I squeezed my thighs harder together. My toes curled in my sandals. I couldn’t help but start wondering whether she knew where he lived and went to his place too.

“Easy there,” Jason popped beside me and made the seat dip.

I blinked at him. I instinctively shifted away as much as the space allowed me. I willed my face to stay straight and not make any annoyed expressions.

“Aren’t you Kai’s girlfriend?” he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

I nodded curtly, although I wasn’t sure anymore with another girl letting herself get so close to him in my presence. If Jason pushed me further, I was so going to snap.

“Then why are you letting Kimberlee this close to him? Not trying to tell you what to do, but you shouldn’t let her. I don’t like her anymore… if you know what I mean.”

I nodded again and took in a breath, remembering the prank. “It’s just… We’re not on good terms right now. I dunno what to do,” I reasoned.

He gave me a scrutinising look. I felt edgy under his searching, green eyes. “From what Ryan told me about you, you sounded more… feisty. But you look like a deer letting a lion have her lunch from you now. He’s your boyfriend! Go get him, girl.” He nudged me.

I was getting a little infuriated by everyone’s pushing. Were they pushing Kai the same way to talk to me too? They had to. It was him who needed to come and apologise.

I swatted his hand away. “You don’t understand. I asked him to give Kim closure to push her away for the sake of our relationship, and he refused!” I whispered-shouted.

He blinked at me, then grinned wide as if I said a joke. “Closure? He doesn’t owe her anything. Heck, I still suspect she cheated on him too. She’s a freak and a disgrace to the redheads.” His face cringed in disgust as if he was the president of the redhead population.

“What? Cheated?”

He put his index over his rosy lips. “Hush! Only I know! I just don’t have a feasible evidence to call her out.”

My eyebrows rose at his accusation. “Can you tell me why you think so?”

He leant back on the black leather seat. “Because I overheard one guy say the whole prank was meant to make Kai angry enough to leave her, so she could be with who she cheated with. He was one of the two guys who executed the prank.”

“That doesn’t make sense. If she didn’t want to be with Kai, she wouldn’t be around him right now.”

He giggled. “Sweet Melanie, while her pimp is still in jail, the devil would love to play a little around. Kim doesn’t like to stay single if that makes sense. Her cunt is on fire.”

I almost choked. “How—”

He chuckled. “Chill, just a joke. Let’s say she is a sex freak. She used to try to hit on me before, too. I bet she did to the other guys as well.”

We arrived at our destination. The driver announced we could get off the vehicle. Everyone did, except me, who was still comprehending Jason’s words. I never understood people who couldn’t break up. I knew it was a difficult thing, but not more difficult than hurting someone further. If you didn’t want to stay with someone anymore, or commitment wasn’t for you, then break up. It didn’t make sense Kim did that dangerous prank to push Kai away. Why did she want to leave him anyway? I wondered what went through her head.

I heard the driver clear his throat, so I took that as my sign to finally get off. I saw Kai outside, awkwardly standing, perhaps waiting. I looked at him from head to toe, finally noticing his outfit. He was in a thin, baby blue button-up shirt and khaki shorts, showing his muscular legs.

He walked up to me. “Let me help you with the bags.”

I had nodded after a fleeting thought and let him hold them for me. I decided to listen to Jason in fear of that possible relationship freak. Our hands brushed as he took the bag from me, sending shocks through my body. I looked away. It was harrowing to feel awkward around your boyfriend.

“Thank you.”

We entered the gates, and a vast pool and a two-story villa welcomed us, where we were meant to stay for two nights. Our friends were already inside, unpacking or preparing for the barbecue feast we dealt to make.

Kim was sprawled on a tumbona by the pool in her violet swimsuit, bathing under the sun and wasting time on her phone. Jay came over to her and knocked her off, telling her to go inside and help. I laughed.

Kai snorted beside me. “Well, I’ll put our bags upstairs, then we can help,” he suggested, and I nodded and followed upstairs.

Kai put my bags on the floor of my room then turned around to look at me. His grey eyes had a different glint from minutes before. They shone with plea and longing. I could get lost in my confusion if I stared into them any longer. I held myself back from closing the distance between us and kissing them softly.

Kai walked up closer and closer, tightening the space in which I could breathe comfortably. My God, was it normal how much I wanted him to hold me and remind me how it felt to be in his arms?

“I missed you,” he breathed out, and it was almost enough for me to surrender. “Come back home with me after this. I know you’re not comfortable at Ryan’s.”

I only went to Ryan’s to sleep anyway. The rest of the day, I would eat and study outside, then go to my new job.

“I said I’ll think about it,” I choked out, fidgeting with my fingers. I had to stand strong by my words.

He stepped even closer, sharing my breaths. “Don’t you miss me too?”

I gulped. I took a while to nod. Kai held my chin and dipped down until our noses touched. His breaths fanned on my lips, exciting my nerves. I wrapped my arms around his neck instinctively.

He leant in to kiss me, reminding me we belonged to each other only. The kiss got fierce and washed any residue of Kim in my head. It assured me Kai was mine and only mine, even if a gorgeous redhead was floating around him often. His strong arms secured my waist, and I relished the feeling of being between them again.

When he pulled away, I willed myself to take a breath. He walked me backwards until I was close to the door. I took on the hint and locked it. My mind was foggy, and the only thing I thought of was the heat that bloomed in my body.

He smirked. “My kitten is well trained,” he rasped in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

“I did miss you,” I finally voiced out.

“Baby, I know.” He licked my ear shell.

I couldn’t help the sigh that escaped my lips. In those moments, I was reminded of the Kai I fell for. The one who didn’t act egoistic, but he was rather gentle and thoughtful. Even with his touches and kisses, he was thoughtful of where was best to lay them.

“I don’t like seeing you upset,” he started. “We’ll find a meeting point. I promise.”

I nodded hesitantly. Kai dipped down again to capture my lips. I was thinking whether it would work, whether he realised I was right and had the right to work.

. . .

Juicy drama in the next two chapters I'm excited to reveal 👀

What do you think of the two new friends? I love them! They'll appear more in the next chapters.

Predictions of how well this vacation will go?

You think what happened in the end was wrong and rushed or nah?

Vote, share and comment ♡