Knowing Kiara

10

"Guys...Rowan Wiley is literally heading this way right now."

Temaia redirects her widened eyes from my uncle and messes with her braids trying her very best to act casual.

It's times like these that tempt me insanely to beg my dad to let me spill our secret to the girls. It's hardly fair on them when I know them inside out. I know their traumas, their families, their secrets, yet they don't know that my face is covered in freckles and my hair is neon orange. I live a double life around them and I hate it. They would go to extreme lengths for me, so why can't I show them the same amount of trust?

My mother was murdered that's why...The sudden realisation sobers me a little. The countless shots and drinks from the open bar did exactly what I intended them to do but at what cost?

My family's reactions to my first ever drink...I blatantly and purposely disobeyed their reasonable advice without considering the consequences of my actions.

Such consequences including me being so drunk that I consider spilling my longest kept secret after eighteen years of waking up before the sun just to stick a blonde wig on my head. All because it makes my soul cringe to see my best friends fan girling over my uncle and my father.

But under the influence of alcohol nothing seems that serious. I don't see the logic in being dishonest and the danger doesn't cross my mind.

Luckily, Zio chose this perfect moment to intervene. If he hadn't for all anyone knows I could've torn off my wig and began reliving moments of my childhood with Rowan and Dad.

"Can I steal you for a moment Ki?" He murmers lowly in my ear, a hand on my shoulder to keep me from running away like I'm so very tempted to do.

But it's Zio Rowan of all people. I can't turn him down. That would be like kicking a puppy instead of petting it.

"Can't it wait? I'm dancing with my friends." I try my luck knowing reasonable Rowan wouldn't interrupt whilst I'm with my friends in a public setting like this if he didn't believe it was urgent.

"Thirty seconds. That's all I'm asking for." He smiles that hesitant, kind sort of grin that tugs at my heartstrings every damn time.

My friends seem to have turned mute in his presence and only Grayson continues dancing like nobody's watching, unbothered about Row's intervening.

Majority of the room in fact, have stopped what they're doing to gawk at my uncle like a zoo animal. Dad, Kelly, Harry and him have been tucked away in a booth across the room keeping an eye on me since we boarded the yacht so the minute Rowan left to mix with the partygoers all eyes were on him.

I usually felt sad that we had to keep a conscious distance in situations like this but today and after the car ride especially, I was glad to get a breather from their overbearing hovering.

I step away from my friends wordlessly before I change my mind and he places a hand on my back, leading me dangerously close to their booth, only stopping a few metres away for a moment of complete privacy between us.

"I'm so glad you're having fun after all that's happened on your birthday Munchkin." He loops an arm around me hugging me to his side. It conveniently hides our faces from my dad who made no moves to hide his blatant lip reading.

"But..." I raise my brows, encouraging him to get to the point instead of trying to butter me up. It might usually work but not when alcohol is in the mix.

"Did you think this through? You aren't the average twenty one year old girl baby. If you accidentally tell the wrong person the wrong thing it could help dangerous people find you. I just want you to be safe little one."