TRUST ME | Brothers Conflict | ✔

19

We were ignoring what had happened in the niche, which was within my expectations. Even if it made the ride in the cab somewhat awkward, it was good to know that as long as Kaname could ignore what was happening between us, the promise still stood.

Softly, I touched my still tingling lips.

Again, Kaname had kissed me. In spite of his claims about our friendship and the promise I had made, he had kissed me twice already. Regardless of his fear that I would end up a stalker, who would bother his family. It didn't make any sense to me.

Whichever way I approached the matter, I always ended up with a headache -every answer leading to new questions.

When the cab pulled over in front of my apartment complex, Kaname stepped out as well.

"Are you walking home from here?" I asked him, reaching for my purse.

Instead of touching fabric, my fingers grazed over my bare arm. Confused, I looked at my arm, frowning when I noticed the lack of a purse.

"I must have forgotten," I muttered.

Kaname, who had been on the verge of leaving, stopped dead in his track.

"What do you mean?" he asked me, but the answer was already visible in his eyes.

"Don't worry," I assured, "I'll just wake up the landlady for a spare key."

Kaname didn't move, waiting for me to take action.

"I'll be fine," I repeated, but Kaname didn't budge.

"If you think that I'll leave you alone, you're wrong."

Protesting was little use, so I hurried to the small house that leaned against the apartment complex. An insane amount of pots littered the garden, seemingly appearing out of nowhere in the darkness.

Muttering curses under my breath, I barely avoided tripping over three pots until I found the doorbell.

After I had rang the doorbell hard, the waiting began.

"I don't think she'll open the door," Kaname said eventually, leaning on the wooden fence around the garden.

"Without a key, I can't enter my apartment, and she's the only one who has a spare key," I explained. "I don't have a choice in the matter."

Kaname titled his head, studying me intently. "Hmm," he said as if he was solving a complex equation. "I guess you can stay over at my place."

I started laughing, despite it being a bad joke but fell silent when I registered the earnest tone in his voice.

"You weren't kidding," I blurted, the shock making my voice break.

"I'm perfectly capable of empathy, you know."

"Empathy or charity?" I teased.

"You know that I work at Club Buddha, right?" Kaname asked me, the sudden change of topic throwing me off balance.

"Yes?"

"I have met people whose pride doesn't allow them to accept help. Therefore, I'm somewhat familiar with the word charity. You're the first one who had ever said it to me without resent or hurt price."

"That's because I'll accept your help gratefully," I explained, struggling my way out of the garden. "Although I do feel bad for intruding."

Kaname observed me quietly for a long moment before he grinned. "Sometimes, you say things that don't fit your character at all."

"I'm always in character," I boosted, not sure whether I had any ground to say so.

Kaname refrained from commenting on my statement, but a smirk curved the corners of his lips upward in pure amusement.