Dancing with a stranger

Chapter|14 ✨

I woke up to an empty bed, Kian nowhere in sight. I changed into a pair of shorts and a fresh t-shirt. Heading downstairs, I saw Kian at the stove, flipping pancakes onto a plate. He didn't look at me but spoke, "I hope you like pancakes," as he turned around, handing me the plate with three fluffy pancakes and some syrup.

I sat down at the table, and Kian joined me. The pancakes were the softest, most delicious things I'd ever tasted. I didn't say anything, just ate, and he smiled at me from across the table as he continued making more.

"Thanks again for everything," I told him, feeling a wave of gratitude.

"Don't worry about it," he said casually.

"But, can I ask what happened?" I hesitated, then continued, "All this time I thought both my mother and brother were dead, but I found my brother alive. And to find out my mother's still alive too-she's the one who kidnapped me to get to my father. She set up a fake drug run to catch me. That's when I escaped and ended up here, at the gas station down the road."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kian said quietly, his tone soft with sympathy.

"Well, look at the time," I said, glancing at my phone. "I better get going before Steele gets more worried. Can you drop me off at my father's?"

"Yeah, no problem," Kian replied. He stood up, grabbed his keys, and slipped on his shoes. We walked out to the garage together.

The car ride was silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Kian dropped me off at the gate, making sure my father wouldn't have any questions about why I was suddenly home.

When I walked through the front door, I was tackled to the ground by Grace. "Never leave me again," she said, her voice breaking as she helped me to my feet.

I called Steele to let him know I was home safe. He was on his way to pick me up. My father wasn't home, but Grace reassured me that he knew I was safe.

After we sat in the living room and I told Grace everything that had happened, she was just as shocked as I was. "I can't believe your mother is still alive, and that your brothers have been helping her this whole time," she said, wide-eyed.

I hugged Grace goodbye and walked down the front steps to Steele's car. As we drove off, I felt a strange mix of relief and unease, but at least I was with Steele now.

Back at the house where Steele and I were staying, I dropped my bag on the bed and headed straight for the bathroom. I stripped off my clothes and jumped in the shower, scrubbing my skin like I could wash away everything that had happened. The feeling of being tied up by my own mother-trapped and violated-was something I couldn't shake.

When I tried to sleep, I couldn't. I tossed and turned all night, and the only time I felt like I could sleep better was when I was near Kian. But that didn't make sense. I had to focus on moving forward.

At 7:45 a.m., I woke up with my phone reading the time, but sleep wouldn't come. I decided to go work out with Ashton, leaving Steele a note to let him know where I was going. I tucked a knife into the side of my leggings for safety, just in case.

At the gym, Ashton had me start with punching the bag, then moved me through other exercises. Eventually, I gave up, put on my headphones, and jumped on the treadmill. It was just easier to zone out.

After a few hours, I left to change and decided to grab something to eat. I was starving. I went to the diner down the road and sat in a booth. The sweet lady who served me was kind, and I ordered a burger, fries, and a chocolate milkshake with a cherry on top.

As I was finishing my meal, I noticed a familiar face-Kian walked into the diner, wearing a leather jacket, which was a rare sight.

I turned to look out the window, but of course, Kian noticed me. He smirked as he walked over to my table. "Wow, we really need to stop running into each other," he said with a laugh.

I raised an eyebrow. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his tone casual.

"Okay," I replied. "I worked out not long ago."

The waitress came over to take his order, and he got the same thing I had, except a strawberry milkshake instead of chocolate.

When he got his food, I stole his cherry from his milkshake. I stuck my tongue out and tied the stem, then showed him. "Impressive," he said with a smirk.

I grinned back, folding my arms. "Thanks."

After finishing our meals, Kian paid for both of our orders, despite me protesting. We walked outside together, and he stopped at my car.

"Have a good night," he said, giving me a small wave before heading to his own car.

When I got home, Steele was waiting at the kitchen table with a stack of photos spread out in front of him. "Good, you're home," he said. I sat down across from him, and he threw the photos down in front of me. They were surveillance shots of me with Kian, including the most recent one of Kian walking me to my car at the diner.

I threw the photos down in frustration and started to stand up, but Steele grabbed my wrist, tightening his grip. "Let go, you're hurting me," I said, trying to pull away.

"Not until you tell me what this is all about," he insisted. "I thought your family hated him. You know he's no good, especially since your father and his father despise each other."

I yanked my wrist free and sat back down, crossing my arms. "There's not much to tell," I said, my voice cold. "He just wanted to buy from me a few times, needed a refill because he knows my father has the right stuff. The good stuff, not the cheap stuff from the lower side of town."

It wasn't the whole truth, but I wasn't about to tell Steele everything. He shook his head in disbelief.

I stood up again, fuming, and stormed out of the room. I needed some space, away from all the tension.