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Chapter Thirteen

Kai

I don’t know why I bothered coming into the shop today. Not only has it been slow, but with the rave happening tonight, I could have used the extra sleep. But I couldn’t stay in the same house as her—not after what happened that night. Every corner of the house feels haunted by her presence, every glance at her unbearable. I look down at the screen.

lovergirl666: Got plans?

I stare at the screen, contemplating giving in to her little games. I thought I could play on even grounds, but who am I kidding? We were never even. I gave too much, and she gave too little. The truth is that she will run—that much I’m certain of—and I’m not sure I could handle her leaving, not again. I felt it that night, the moment our lips connected. Slowly, each brick I’d placed to protect myself crumbled, one by one. By the time we finished, the wall had completely collapsed, and all I could do at that point was retreat and hide.

I was no match for Tokyo. Running my hand over my curls, I let out a breath when I see the text bubbles appear.

lovergirl666: You been radio silent, everything okay?

My gaze shifts from the phone in my hand to the screen that shows me the cameras around the house. There she is, coffee in hand, sitting cross-legged in nothing but a sports bra and shorts, her hair in a messy bun above her head. Her fingers absently biting the side of her nail as she stared down at the screen. She looked so at ease, like none of this was weighing on her.

But I don’t respond. Instead, I exit the app and use my actual number.

Me: I’m taking Stacy to Heartless. Might not want to wait for me.

I see the surprise in her reaction from the screen. Bringing the phone closer to her face, she scoffs before she begins to type, but then she stops, opting to throw her phone on the ground instead. I wasn’t really taking Stacy to the rave. Not only is the rave exclusive—invitation-only—but I just didn’t want to deal with her. What I need is to put distance between us. Tokyo and I. Also, I need to figure out what made Tokyo come back after all these years. Why now?

I stare at the screen, noticing the phone illuminate on the ground. She shifts, her body slowly turning to the camera. Her body tenses, shoulders rising like she’s bracing for something. “What’s got you so spooked, little sister?” I ask quietly, leaning closer to the screen, desperate for a clue. But I get nothing. Her face turns emotionless, her lips thinning into a firm line as she rises to her feet.

She walks over to her phone and heads to the bathroom, disappearing behind the door with the phone pressed to her ear. My mind races. Who is she calling? What game is she playing at? Before I can think too hard, the bell to the shop door chimes, pulling me back to reality. I push out of the desk and walk towards the front."I need a new tire. Mine keeps catching a flat," the man in front of me says as he pushes back the blonde locks falling in his face, his blue eyes scanning me like he’s looking for something specific. It makes me feel uncomfortable."We don't sell tires. Down the road—Tony's Tire."

He stands there for a moment before a smile curls on his lips, almost too slow, too deliberate. Without another word, he opens the door stepping outside and walks over to his blue BMW, whistling like some creep. I watch him leave, my skin prickling. Something about him feels wrong, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

I pull into the garage of the house a little after four, of course, after I watch her leave. I wonder where she went—it seems like she left right after receiving some calls. Shutting off the Nissan, my body drags as I step out and head toward the house. My shoulders ache, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me like gravity.

The smell of her envelopes me the moment I open the door connecting the garage to the house. For a moment, I just stand there, inhaling it. Her. Everything about her comes flooding back with the smell of her perfume—still using the same goddamn body spray that drives me mad. Sweet and sharp, it clings to the air, making it impossible to escape her even when she’s not here.

Closing the door behind me, I move down the hall. Her room door is closed, the same as she left it. My hand moves over the handle, hesitation catching me for a second before I slowly turn it. The soft creak of the door feels louder in the silence, but I push forward, stepping inside.

Her scent overwhelms me again, filling my lungs like a drug. I’m not even sure what I’m looking for, but I know my sister. She was never one to put all her cards on the table. Trauma—and her mom—engraved that into her very DNA. Tokyo always thinks about herself before anybody else, and maybe that’s what I struggle to understand. From the moment she came into my life, things inside me shifted. I wanted to protect her, love her.

I scoff a little, shaking my head. I guess I did do all those things, but none of it was enough to keep her from running the moment things got too real. I wanted something to hold onto, something to keep. Or maybe I’ve been looking at it all wrong. Maybe I expected too much.

I wish she would just open up to me, drop the mask for once. Stop with the secrets. There’s nothing she could say that would scare me away. I’m already condemned to hell anyway. According to the Bible, I’ve committed the greatest sin of them all: falling in love with my sister.

Moving closer to the desk, my gaze falls on the Hello Kitty carry-on—the only thing she arrived with. It’s propped against the desk like it’s waiting for her next escape. Grabbing the pink, shiny suitcase, I lay it on her bed, fingers brushing against the cool surface. Slowly, I unzip it.

Nothing is organized—much like my baby sister. Her clothes are thrown in haphazardly, like she was in a rush to pack. My chest tightens. Why hasn’t she unpacked yet? She’s been here long enough, wearing some of her old things that stayed behind and whatever she’s bought since. But nothing here screams permanence.

My hand brushes over a pink thong, its soft lace catching against my fingertips. Without thinking, I grab it and bring it to my face, inhaling deeply. Her scent hits me, sweet and heady, like a vice tightening around me. I breathe her in, the thin lace crumpling under my nose. It’s intoxicating. Dangerous. Before I can stop myself, I shove the panties into my work jeans, my fingers trembling as I zip the suitcase back up.

I put it back exactly where I found it and step out of the room, careful to close the door softly behind me. The weight of her scent still lingers, clinging to my skin and filling my head. It follows me as I head down to my room. My phone vibrates in my pocket, snapping me out of my haze. Pulling it out, I see it’s a call from Chino.

I press the green button and hold the phone to my ear.

“Yo, my man, you want in tonight?” he says, his voice rough over the thumping bass of music and the unmistakable sound of skin slapping.

I scoff, realizing Chino’s balls-deep into some chick. “You think you need to be on the phone with a man while you’re balls deep in some pussy?”

He laughs at that, grunting between breaths. “Listen, it’s five K for tonight. Winner takes all.”

“Why so much?”

“Not sure. Some rich boys, part of some DMO sorority or some shit, want in?”

“You know, either way, you got this. And fuck, if you want out—well, I got this,” he grunts. “Or Lalo.”

I open the door to my room and sit on the edge of the bed, starting to unlace my work boots. “I guess I’m in. No Tokyo, though. Don’t offer her any races.”

“Bro, she has no car. Why would I?”

A smirk curls on my lips as I end the call. Kicking off my boots, I collapse onto my bed and close my eyes.

But sleep doesn’t come. Her scent is still on me, clinging like a brand, a reminder of everything I can’t have. My phone vibrates again, Chino’s name flashing on the screen. I ignore it, letting the hum fade into the silence.

All I can think about is Tokyo—the suitcase she hasn’t unpacked, the calls she’s taken, the lies I can see in her eyes but can never prove. She’s running again. I just don’t know from what—or if this time, she’d take me with her.