Aria.
Kai stood in front of me, his blue eyes softening in a way that made my chest ache. They carried so much emotion, so much guilt and surprise, as though he had not expected to see me here at all.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, voice low, almost desperate.
I shook my head quickly, trying to look away from him before the tears could spill, but then he knelt right beside me. My heart stuttered at the sight, and behind us I heard Serena’s sharp gasp, her outrage filling the room like smoke. None of it mattered in that moment, because Kai’s hand reached for mine, his palm warm, strong fingers curling around me as if he needed to anchor himself to me.
My whole body tingled at the contact, and my eyes burned with tears I could not stop. But even through that fleeting comfort, I fel
