From Hate Flourishes Love

A Misguided Lie

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"Are you hiding something from me?" Kai asks me in a calm voice.

I take my jacket out of the closet and turn around. I avoid his eyes, fearing he would be able to suss out what I am hiding from him.

"Why would you ask me that?" I gulp.

He glares at me."Because you've been weirdly secretive ever since you had that fight with my dad." He accuses me.

"I haven't," I lie.

It's so wrong of me to lie to Kai, but if I reveal what I'm hiding - there's no telling how he would react.

"Zander, I don't believe you." He sighs angrily."Just tell me what's wrong."

"It's, um . . ." I try to come out with the truth but I flutter.

What if I reveal the truth to him and he doesn't forgive my mistake? What if he ends up hating me and he ends our relationship? I can't live without him. Kai is my life. If I lose him, I am nothing.

"It's nothing," I lie."Nothing is wrong."

"Okay," he smiles, lowering his eyes from mine.

He helps me with my jacket and I turn to kiss him on the cheek."Clear your schedule for the day," I tell him."I have a date planned for us."

"What kind of date?" He asks me.

"It's a surprise," I say to him."Just don't make any plans for the day."

"I don't have any plans for the day," he says."Well, other than lunch with your mother."

"You should stop that," I whisper.

Kai reaches up to fold over my shirt's collar.

"Stop what?" He wants to know.

"Spending so much of your free time with my mom," I frown."It can't be healthy for you."

"Zander," he laughs."A couple of lunch dates with your mom won't kill me."

"Funny," I joke."That's the exact same thing the Kai before you said and now he's gone and you're his replacement."

"Don't joke like that," he cautions, his smile dropping."Especially, not after we just watched that movie about the scientist cloning his wife."

I chuckle."You're married to a businessman, not a scientist," I remind him."I wouldn't know how to clone you."

"Hmm," he muses, "but you also have a gazillion dollars. You would make it happen."

"Don't worry," I whisper."No one, not even your clone will ever replace you in my heart."

Kai leans onto my chest, resting his face against my bare skin. He runs his warm open palm over my chest and presses his fingers near my nipples.

"Kai," I grab his hand."You're going to make me late for work. We can do this better when I get home." I tell him.

"Where's the fun in that?" He smirks.

I check my watch and see that I am late but not so late that I can't stay for an impromptu round of sex.

I spin Kai around by his waist and lean him on the closet island. I reach down, brushing my lips against the corners of his neck.