Page 5

Chapter Four

Kai

I toss and turn, unable to sleep. My mind, my heart, and my dick can't seem to agree on who wants to torment me the most. I stare at the ceiling, my body restless, begging me to move—begging me to be close to her. But that would mean giving in, and I refuse. She doesn’t get to come back and act like nothing happened, like she didn’t ruin me for everyone else. Like she didn’t rip my heart and soul out the day she abandoned me.

My eyes drift toward the door. I don’t have to touch her. She doesn’t even have to know. I can have my fix without giving in. After all, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.

If it were anyone else, maybe I’d see an issue with what I’m planning to do. But my little sister is as fucked up as they come, and her sickness has spread to me. There’s no line we aren’t willing to cross.

She’s my sickness. My drug.

Throwing the blanket off, I slip out of bed and stand before my door. For a moment, I reconsider what I’m about to do. Just one look. That won’t hurt, right? But the pounding in my ears and the trembling in my hands tell me otherwise. Pressing my forehead against the door, I exhale, my hand moving to the knob. Slowly, carefully, I turn it, wincing at the soft click it makes.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heart races as I step into the dark hallway, the air heavy with the scent of her lingering perfume. Her door is right there, just a few steps away. My inked hand hovers over the knob, my eyes fixating on the faint smiley-face tattoo she once drew on me—a stick-and-poke she insisted on giving me the night we first bonded. It wasn’t sexual, not that time. It was something deeper, primal. Like our souls recognized each other.

Maybe I read too much into that night, but it was the beginning of my madness.

Taking a deep breath, I twist her doorknob with excruciating care, easing it open. The room is dark except for the soft moonlight spilling through the curtains. I listen for any sound—any sign she’s awake. Nothing. She’s asleep.

I step inside and take a seat on the floor across from her bed, my eyes drinking her in. Even now, she still smells like herself: vanilla and brown sugar. The scent drives me insane. I want to get closer, to kiss her, to be inside her. To show her how much I missed her. To prove she needs me just as much as I need her. But I can’t go down that road again. I won’t let her wreck me a second time.

My chest tightens as I lean my head back against the wall. Watching her sleep calms me, a temporary balm for my fucked-up soul. Her leg is bent at the perfect angle, one hand tucked under her pillow. Her soft snores fill the room, grounding me in a way nothing else ever has. She’s real. She’s home. My light, spilling into my darkness.

I crawl toward her nightstand, her phone sitting on its charger. Swiping up on the screen, I’m greeted by her lock screen. No surprise—it's passcode-protected. But her face is right here. Carefully, I tilt her head just enough to unlock it with Face ID.

What she won’t tell me, I’ll figure out on my own.

I go straight to her messages. My fingers hover over a thread named: CJ . The message is unopened, but the preview still says plenty:

CJ : Stop with your tantrum. Come home. Don’t make me—

The message preview cuts off, but my jaw tightens. So, it was a man who made her run. That much tracks at least. But coming back here? Coming back to me? That doesn’t. There’s more to this. There has to be.

My gaze shifts to another name: Miko . That fucking asshole. I knew they kept in touch, no matter how many times I asked him—or punched him–he never never gave up any information...just constant ‘I don't know’ or ‘why the fuck should I tell you’ responses. That loyal little lap dog probably already knows she’s back in town, too.

Leaving her messages, I check her recent calls. Miko’s name pops up, along with a string of missed calls from an unknown number. Nothing groundbreaking. My finger hesitates before clicking open TheSpace.

What did I find? Oh, fuck me.

Nothing could’ve prepared me for this little bombshell she has tucked away on her app. My lips curl into a smirk as I exit out and place the phone back on her nightstand. I lean in closer to her, my mouth brushing hers for a second. Her scent overwhelms me. I graze my nose against hers, breathing her in.

“You and I are about to have so much fun,” I whisper, before retreating to the door.

Tonight was worth it. That little piece of information? The revelation? Oh, I’m ready now.

Let the games begin, little sis.