A Slave to Broken Hearts (A Slave to Love Sequel)

Chapter 90: A Proper Goodbye

"Kiana? We're here."

My eyes flicked open, but all I could make out was my reflection against the car window. Slowly, the darkness came into focus. Other parked cars, orange reflecting off them from street lamps, a crumbling sidewalk, a set of stairs leading to a mildly run down apartment building...oh. 'Here' was home. 

I sat up where I'd been slumped against the car door. Hadn't we just been at Ace's? 

A weird sense of deja vue overtook me. Blade and I leaving that place, Ace left behind to deal with the fall out and refusing our help, only this time there were no physical scars that needed mending. And unlike last time, there was no sense of finality or relief to be getting away. It just left me feeling unsettled.

"Sorry. Did I fall asleep?" I asked, going to rub my face only to remember I hit Bryce with my right hand, hadn't washed it properly yet, and let my hands fall to my lap, the blood flecks still on my denim shorts proof that everything that happened today wasn't just a bad dream.

"I think so," he said. It was so quiet. It was late enough for a week night, about ten thirty, but it felt like the middle of the night and the emptiness of the streets only cemented that idea. 

"Did we just get here?" I asked. The car was off, which was weird and told me we probably hadn't. 

"A few minutes ago. I was debating letting you rest more or not."

"I'm not sure I liked the option you chose."

His mouth quirked. "Sorry. But you're better off in bed and Katie will be wondering where you are; it's getting late."

I had forgotten about Katie. "Thanks."

I didn't get up to leave. He didn't make me. We were frozen in time, in the aftermath of it all. It was really over somehow. It still didn't feel real. 

Well. It hadn't been. That was the problem, wasn't it?

"What's so funny?" he asked when a small laugh slipped out. 

I pushed my hair back and let my head fall back against the window of the car door. "I don't even know. I'm just so tired right now and..." I trailed off helplessly, more giggles bubbling up because literally what the fuck was that. All of it. 

I couldn't quite remember all the stages of grief or anything, but I was pretty sure there wasn't one that said 'laughter', yet here I was, laughing and unable to stop. Blade soon joined in. Maybe we both finally cracked. It wasn't our bond that had broken us, it was just the sheer ridiculousness of the situations we kept finding ourselves in. 

"How long do you think it'll be before the next fucked up thing happens?" I asked, wiping my eyes. My throat ached. I was so thirsty. It had been hours since I'd eaten or drank anything. Did I even have dinner? I was pretty sure I hadn't. I couldn't even remember what I'd been doing before the Jaime and Bryce bomb.

"Who even gives a shit anymore? At this point, I'd be more surprised if there wasn't something already starting right now. Maybe that idiot Kyle will be the next one to try and wreck our shit."

"Ugh, I hope not," I said, nose wrinkling. I could happily go the rest of my life without ever seeing Kyle ever again. "Besides, I think you scared him real good this time."

Weird how the ride had started the same as last time, but the destination was so different. This time, Blade was dropping me off in at my own place, alone, while he would be going home to his own place, alone. There wasn't the same foreboding as there was the last time, but there was still the same level of uncertainty. Maybe more so now with the added distance we hadn't had before.

"You did good," he said, watching me with his head rocked back against the headrest. "I was scared something was going to happen to you this week, that they might..." his breath caught, then evened out. "I'm sorry you had to do so much on your own."

"We didn't have a choice. And it all worked out, right?"

The worry still hadn't left his eyes. "Nothing happened?"

"No. I was careful," I assured him. We hadn't had a chance to talk since we'd flown home, and he had had no updates on what I'd been up to this week except what he heard today from figuring out it had been Jaime and Bryce. I'm sure it had been killing him not to ask immediately, so it was a rather impressive show of patience to wait until now.

He nodded, accepting it with remnants of guilt of sending me into the fire alone, even though it had been our best and only option and clearly, had worked. "It was a really good hit that you gave him. Lexi will be glad to know all the self defense is paying off. Maybe now she'll relax."

"I wish, but I doubt it."

He made a sound of agreement, mouth twisting as he fiddled with the keys still in the ignition, letting them clink in the silence.

"So...have you found a new place to live yet?" I asked when the silence dragged too long. It was the first thing I could think of.