ZARIA

Chapter 9

Kei

He didn't know how to react, the surprise so profound that he could only stare.

Did he go and say hi?

Pretend like he didn't see her?

Kei didn't know, his mind spinning with possibilities, but the girl was on the move before he could decide. She whispered something into Nura's ear, surprising him once again since he didn't know that the two of them knew each other before she turned around and made her way through the crowd and out of the Club so quickly that if she was a vehicle, she would have left tire tracks.

"Here." the bartender said as she gave him his drink; a quiet girl named Aria, who he has heard say no more than two words at the time since she had begun working here a year ago. He nodded absentmindedly, still looking at the entrance where Zaria had disappeared through.

Kei shook his head, sipping his drink as his eyes fell on Nura, still standing where Zaria had left her, a bewildered look gracing her face.

He made a quick decision and made his way toward her, curious to find out how the girl knew Zaria.

"Hello, Nura," he said as he reached her, smirking at the startled look the girl gave him.

"Oh! Hi Kei! Sorry, I was a bit lost in my head."

"I could see that. Is everything alright? Happy birthday, by the way." Kei said, smiling at her and hoping it came out right since he still felt completely out of sorts, the shock of seeing Zaria weighing heavily on his mind.

"Thank you! Yeah, I'm fine. Why don't you join us? The guys have thrown me a small celebration." Nura said, motioning with her head toward Megan's table, the primary owner of Echo.

Kei nodded, internally smirking at the opportunity to spend the rest of the night fishing for more information about his new nanny as he followed her to the noisy table.

He had a lot of questions, and it seemed as if Nura was the only one with answers unless he went after Zaria and questioned the girl, something he really didn't want to do. Judging by how fast the young woman had run away, neither did Zaria.

Once they reached the table, everyone greeted him noisily; a shot glass was thrust into his hands, making him smile at the happy bunch.

"Hey, where is Zaria?" a slightly younger male version of Nura asked, whom he suspected was her brother, as he looked around the two of them as if expecting Zaria to pop up from behind.

"She left," Nura said, looking slightly bewildered as she sat beside Nate.

"Why?" Nate asked, frowning at his girlfriend as Nura shook her head.

"No idea. Everything was fine, and then, all of a sudden, she paled as if she had seen a ghost. She said she would call me tomorrow and was gone the next moment. Do you think she's alright?" Nura asked, worry quite obvious on her face as she turned towards Nate.

"I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe she just felt overwhelmed; it was her first time in a club after what happened, and she might have felt slightly overwhelmed." Megan was the one to answer, making Kei's eyes fly to her.

So, she wasn't a regular, Kei thought as he processed Megan's words, and seeing as he had never seen her in Echo, he could see it as true.

After what happened?

"Who is Zaria? Is she your friend?" he asked, feigning ignorance as he looked back to Nura.

"Yeah. She is my oldest friend. We met while we were both still living in Morocco."