Outside.

15

"Khiane?" ( ki-ah-ne )

Khia jumped at the sound of her father's voice behind her. The girl holding two big bags of chips in her hands along with two cups filled with ice cold water.

"Oh hey daddy." Khia said, gathering herself and standing up straight. She blinked softly, trying to mask the high in her eyes the best she could.

But her father easily read her, seeing the red ness in her eyes and how heavy her eyes were.

"What are you doing up this late at night?"

"Oh I uhm I have company."

Her father nodded stiffly. Taking off the coat he had on and sitting his book bag down. He had been just coming in from a late night shift at the hospital.

"Does your mother know you have company?"

"No daddy."

"Will they be here in the morning for breakfast?"

"I'm not sure daddy."

Rob, Khia's father nodded.

"I would hope not Khiane."

And that was his final response, telling her that whoever her company was they wouldn't be welcomed at his breakfast table in the morning.

Khia licked her lips, holding a deep breath slightly as she nodded.

Her father lifted his head, bringing his eyes to the girl in a stern look at her silence.

Ace stood at the steps, watching the two in the kitchen, watching the slight shake in Khia's hands where she held the two glasses of water.

The girl looked zoned out, her eyes even more alive than before when they were just upstairs smoking. Now she looked frightened like a deer caught in the headlights.

"They won't be daddy." She gulped, licking her lips again as she waited for him to say something else.

"Your dismissed Khiane."

Ace made his way back up the steps and into Khia's room.

Only moments after did Khia come back in, closing the door behind her and then turning back around with a smile on her face.

Khia gasped softly once again, her hands squeezing around the glasses tighter. Ace was in front of her, staring down at her, looking at her like he was reading into her soul.

"Wha-what?" She breathed out a laugh under her breath, pushing past the man crowding in front of her.

She sat their glasses down on her nightstand along with the big bags of chips.

Ace turned to face her, watching as she did that while also trying to read her as much as she could.

Khia's back was slightly tight, he could see her finger slightly shaking but other than that nothing was out the ordinary for her.

Ace moved behind Khia, placing his hands on her back and watching her slightly relax.

Khia leaned her head back onto his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" She questioned as his hand squeezed into the side of her hip while his thumb buried into a part of her back that made a soft sigh leave her mouth.

"Why do you still live at home?" Ace asked, making Khia's eyes blink a couple times to gather a response.

"My parents told me to stay until I'm at least twenty five."

Ace hummed, he could see why parents would do that. They would want to make sure she was stable, ready and not force her out the house. But he had a feeling that's not why Khia's parents did it. Especially not with the scene he'd seen downstairs