Worse for Love- Book #3 in the WF Series

Chapter 41: Dinner

✩ Kai's POV ✩

If we crash, it's because I quite literally can't stop looking over at Ivy in the passenger seat.

Every day, I find another reason to question what's happened to me. Even when she's screaming at me, she's still the most stunning woman that has ever come into existence.

I know I screwed up. I shouldn't have lied to her about the case. I should've just told her the stakes and dealt with what would've happened after. Watching her face that night and how afraid she was made me completely lose my fucking mind. The reason I didn't tell her was to prevent that expression, but instead, it happened anyway and in the end, it caused her to be even more upset with me.

And then seeing how even mad, she tried to be there for me. She hugged me. Even mad, she was the most caring person I'd ever met, causing thoughts-thoughts I've pushed away since we met to flood my mind that I know I have to keep to myself.

I spent every hour thinking about what I could do to make it up to her.

In my entire time working at the agency, I have never taken a day off besides Josie's and my mother's birthday, especially two days. I find time when the cases are over to do things, but otherwise, a whole day scares the shit out of me.

One argument with Ivy and I took time off without even thinking twice about it. Just the thought of coming home and watching her sewing or other daily tasks makes me forget about every gruesome case I was worried about before, and I won't lose that.

I won't lose her.

If I were by myself and I had to deal with Theo's death, I know it would've been much more painful. Ivy was mad at me, yet her just being nearby made me feel better about everything.

Now I understand why Roman gets so afraid of...liking Alaiya. It's frightening as hell to think about someone at every waking moment.

I tell the host at the restaurant my name and he looks down at his paper.

"Right this way." He looks up and ushers with a hand.

He would've seemed like a nice guy so far had I not watched him blatantly look over at Ivy and scan her body a little too thoroughly.

When I look over to see if she'll hopefully kick him in the dick for it, she seems to let it go even though I know she had to have noticed it. He made it way too obvious.

Prick.

I decide to put my arm around her instead. She's on this date with me. I don't need to punch him in the mouth to prove that...or shoot him-no matter how badly I may want to in the back of my mind.

As the host is telling us about the history of the restaurant and the specials, he also constantly glances over at us, and by us, I mean specifically Ivy.

"Everything okay?" she softly asks when my grip tightens around her waist.

I realize that she definitely had noticed it this entire time by the faint smirk that crosses her lips.

"Mhmm." I kiss her lips quickly but with just enough pressure.

We take a seat at our table before the host tells us our food will be ready in just a second, finally leaving.

"We haven't ordered yet," Ivy points out, confused by his statement and the lack of menus on the table.

"I ordered ahead. You said you hate the wait time at restaurants."

She looks genuinely stunned by me remembering that.

Again, I hate that she thinks that I don't pay attention when she speaks. It makes me wonder how many times she's said something and people have forgotten. I never want her to feel like that again. I want her to know that I would study her every statement for the rest of her life and then take an exam on it at the end, getting every question right with no hesitation or eraser marks.