Her Purpose || Kai Parker

Chapter 44

**(Subtle Mention of self-Harm)**

The next morning, Estrella stumbled downstairs, still groggy.

She hadn't been able to sleep much after what had happened the night before, and the exhaustion weighed heavily on her.

Alone in the kitchen, she found herself replaying the events in her mind.

She wanted to convince herself that she regretted it, that she wished it hadn't happened, but deep down, she knew that wasn't the truth.

She had liked it, and that realization scared her even more.

She knew Kai wasn't the kind of person who did things without consequences, and she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with whatever might come next.

Just as she was lost in thought, Kai's voice broke the silence, echoing through the kitchen. "Wow, your bedhead is spectacular," he teased, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

She glanced back at him, groaned, and slumped forward, resting her head on the kitchen counter. "I don't have a bedhead. I've already freshened up," she mumbled, her voice muffled against the counter.

Kai, leaning casually against the doorway, grinned wider. "Then why do you look like you haven't slept in days? Or... weeks? Did you secretly become a vampire without telling me?"

Estrella lifted her head slightly, just enough to glare at him. "Like you don't know," she muttered.

Kai raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "Actually, I don't. I'm not a mind reader yet. What is it?"

She hesitated before mumbling, "Last night," her hair turning pink as she spoke.

Kai's eyes sparkled with recognition, and his grin turned mischievous. "Oh, right. The kiss. You know, that thing where our lips touched, and you seemed to enjoy it just a little too much?"

Estrella's face flushed even more as he continued, completely unfazed. "Why are you looking like a tomato? It was just a kiss. I'll never understand why people make such a big deal out of something so... human."

He shrugged. "It's not like I sucked out your soul or anything. I save that for special occasions."

His casual tone caught her off guard. "Uh, yes, right. Sorry, I just-" Kai smirked, cutting her off.

"Did my kiss seriously mess you up that much? Should I feel flattered? I mean, I get who wouldn't be affected by all this?" He gestured vaguely to himself, chuckling.

"But seriously, if a little kiss keeps you up all night, I don't know how you survived the real world, pumpkin." She shook her head, trying to shake off the embarrassment.

"Can we just let it go, please? It happened in the heat of the moment. I've seen in movies that sometimes things like this just happen." Kai laughed, clearly amused.

"Sure, let's call it 'movie logic.' Whatever helps you sleep-oh wait, never mind." He winked, then added with a mock-serious tone, "Consider it forgotten. Filed away in the 'Things That Don't Matter' folder in my brain. Which is basically everything."

Estrella nodded, trying to focus on helping him take out the ingredients for breakfast.

She tried to listen to what he was saying, but her mind kept drifting back to their conversation.

She knew she had to toughen up in this new world, and people these days were more casual about things like this.

Even though it had been years since she lived in an advanced world, there were certain things she still struggled to grasp.