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CHAPTER SIXTEEN song: killer — mareux
RACHEL WOKE UP the next morning snuggling up against Kai in his bed. When her eyes fluttered open, the realization of being so close to him, their bodies entwined in such an intimate way, sent a wave of heat to her cheeks as a sense of panic washed over her.
She tried to make sense of the situation. Her mind raced to piece together the fragments of the previous day. The karaoke, the fight Kai had started, the bottle of gin he'd stolen, the way they had both gotten so recklessly drunk... And the things she had told him—things she should never have revealed. She regretted admitting she hated Mary Anne, that she was glad she was dead. The weight of her words settled in her stomach like a stone, each one a painful reminder of her loose tongue.
Slowly, she disentangled herself from Kai's arms, trying not to wake him. She needed to leave, but as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, Kai stirred.
"I'm awake," he said.
As if this couldn't get more embarrassing, she thought.
Her breath caught in her throat. Rachel froze, caught between the impulse to run and the pull of his curious eyes.
"Yeah, me too," she replied, then bit her tongue, realizing how stupid she sounded.
He propped himself up, sitting on his bed and leaning against the cupboard. "I see. Are you staying for breakfast? I was going to make pancakes, I don't usually make them since my kitchen is always full of people in the morning. You know, my siblings, my parents... I bet it's kinda the same for you. But today's a special day because you're here."
Rachel swallowed hard, her mind still racing, thinking about everything she had said the previous day. How much did Kai remember? Did he recall her drunken confessions, the secrets she'd spilled in the haze of alcohol and adrenaline?
"No, I think I should leave," she shook her head, reaching for her shoes. She couldn't even look at him out of pure embarrassment.
"I knew you didn't like pancakes," he clicked his tongue. "I can make something else. Waffles, french toasts... Oh, maybe you're more of a 'salty breakfast' type of person. That's it, right? Then... bacon and eggs? Sausages? You name it."
Rachel sighed. She wasn't sure if he was just playing dumb or if he genuinely thought the reason she wanted to leave was because 'she didn't like pancakes'.
"No, Kai," she said, turning to look at him. "I can't... I can't do this."
"Is this because you woke up next to me? I didn't sleep here, if that's what bothered you. I slept in my brother Joey's room, he has a bunkbed. I came to check on you this morning and I—"
"I said too much," she blurted out with frustration.
Kai's eyes seemed to soften for a split second before narrowing them and tilting his head, staring at her with curiosity. "Listen, about what you said..."
