Chapter 8

• THAYER
• Damn it!
• What was I thinking? I was better than that.
• I twisted and turned in bed. The urge to knock on Kennedy’s door and pick up what we left off at the rooftop made me vibrate in anticipation. The fact that my raging hard-on in my pants jerked at thought of those perk breasts and those plumped red lips, I was already fully awake.
• Fuck.
• I let out a frustrated sigh as I forced myself to erect to sit in my empty bed. A few seconds later, my phone vibrated.
• It was a message from Ash.
• Ash: Tea?
• T:Turn off the fucking feeds. I hit the send button.
• His reply popped up.
• Ash:Sparring?
• T:Not interested.
• Ash:Just knock on her door. What’s so hard about it? She’s American.
• T: Not gonna happen. Sleep.
• I threw my phone away, shut my eyes closed, forcing myself to sleep.
• I jolted to sit on the bed to a loud knock on the door. Damn door.
• I cursed under my breath as I swung the door open. “What the fuck is it?”
• “I…I’m sorry.” That voice.
• “Fuck.” I blinked my eyes when I realized I just yelled at Kennedy. “I’m sorry. I thought you’re—” When I turned my head to the right, the two idiots were laughing silently with their hands on their abdomen. “Very mature!”
• “I can come back,” Kennedy said.
• “Please, come in. I’m sorry. My mind was still sleeping when you knocked.” I stepped aside as I widened the door for her.
• “It wasn’t me who knocked.”
• I paused and turned around. “Who?”
• “Lud. We met at the cafe. He told me that you’re probably still sleeping.”
• “And he found it funny.” I groaned.
• “Hey, it’s almost noon. Ash told me you used to wake up early that’s why I came here to check up on you.” She was wearing a sleeveless ruffled blouse and denim shorts that could barely covered her goods and her round, perfect ass.
• Damn it, woman. Was she trying to kill me with a hard-on?
• “Coffee?” She offered me a cup.
• “Thank you.” I took a seat beside her.
• She was sipping her coffee as well. I found out that she liked cream in her coffee.
• I sipped mine, and I almost spat it out. “Who ordered this?”
• She faced me. Her eyes were brighter than the clear blue sky. “Why? Lud told me that’s what you like. Dark. Two sugar.”
• “Yeah. I’m sure he has planned to make me diabetic.”
• “Oh? Mine has sugar too. Sorry, I should have asked you first. I’ll call a dark coffee for you.” She picked her phone.
• “It’s okay, Kennedy. I can drink any kind of coffee.”
• “Are you sure?” She looked at me, reading my mind.
• “Yeah. Lud likes to play pranks.” I chuckled. I was forced to take a sip just to wake up.
• Her phone rang that completely waken me up. When she looked at the caller ID, her face turned hard. “I have to answer it.”
• “Of course.” My nose flared. That fucking moron was still calling her. What did he want from her? He wouldn’t dare apologize and take her back if he still wanted to use his nose.
• My knuckles turned white as I watched Kennedy enter the bathroom.
• I texted Ash.
• Her ex is calling.
• I sounded like a moron.
• Ash: What are they talking about?
• T: No way I would eavesdrop. Tell Lud, nice try.
• Ash: Sorry, man. But not sorry _Lud
• T: You’re such an immature, asshole
• Ash: Talking about immature, who turned cold feet last night
• T: It’s called respect
• I shut my phone closed when Kennedy came back. “Is everything okay?”
• She barely met my gaze. “I have to take my things and rent a storage unit while I’m searching for an apartment.”
• “Why would you have to rent? Let’s go and find an apartment.” I stood from my seat.
• “Thayer, I’m sure you have more productive things to do than helping me search for an apartment. I’m gonna take my things—”
• “Can you carry them alone?”
• “I’m gonna call my friends.”
• “Bull. We’re coming with you. Actually, Lud is searching for an affordable apartment. He may find a building with a nice neighborhood. Go ahead prepare your things. I’ll call Ash to check out for you.”
• “What made you so sure that I can find an apartment and transfer today?”
• “Money talks, Kennedy. Whether you like how I handle things or not, you need an apartment. Let me help you.”
• “May I remind you that you’d been helping me since yesterday.”
• I sighed deeply.
• “I don’t know how I can repay you.”
• “I might gonna collect your debt one of these days,” I smirked. “Let me just change.”
• “Sure.”
• After she left, I quickly called Lud and Ash before I went to the bathroom to take a quick shower while they made a plan.
• Thirty minutes later, Kennedy and I were stuffed at the backseat of the rental car while the two idiots were in front as we rode towards the apartment building Lud already negotiated with the landlord.
• “I don’t think I can afford this?” Kennedy looked at the tallest building before us.
• “This only looks expensive from the outside. Wait until you see the apartment. Two bedrooms, one small living, three baths, one kitchenette. What do you think?” Ash asked her, elbowing me for support.
• “I think it’s perfect.”
• Kennedy raised an eyebrow at me. “Did you see what’s inside?”
• “Not yet, but I can only imagine an apartment with two bedrooms. Don’t ask for a roommate.”
• “Why?”
• “I might come to visit. So I don’t have to rent a hotel room. Don’t worry, I’ll pay the half.”
• Her bright blue eyes sparkled. “Really?”
• “Yes, Kennedy. Now, let’s go.” I wrapped my arm around her shoulder before she changed her mind.
• The apartment was cute and neat. All Kennedy needed was her things and furniture. I nodded at Ash, still busy checking furniture online. He knew what Kennedy just needed to fully-furnish this apartment. Truthfully, she didn’t need anything from her ex. I could provide anything she wanted.
• But I needed to take things slow even if I was running out of time. She already had ideas that my family was loaded with.
• She clasped her hands together in delight. “I like it.”
• “Good. Now, let’s go.” I held her hand, squeezing it softly.
• She bit her lip as she squeezed my hand back.
• “It’s all good,” Ash announced.
• “What’s all good?”
• “The papers. All you have to do is sign the documents emailed to you.”
• “Where are we going?” she asked me.
• “To take your things from your ex. You still have a key, right?”
• “Yeah.” She looked away, feeling uneasy. What was she hiding from me?
• “What’s wrong?”
• “I don’t need any furniture from there except my clothes and some personal belongings like my books.”
• “That’s great because you don’t have anything that reminds you of your asshole ex.” My voice firmed.
• “What’s your deal with my ex?” Her brow arched.
• “Because he’s an asshole.”
• “He’s lost,” Lud butted in.
• Kennedy went silent throughout the ride. I could feel that she was holding something back. She folded her hands on her lap, but she constantly sighed as she looked outside the window.
• I met Ash’s gaze through the rearview mirror. My jaw clenched in frustration. But then Aunt Alessia’s words echoed in my head.
• I wished she would open up to me, but I wasn’t doing the same as well. We didn’t have labels aside from our sexual tension and attraction that defied logic. Right now, my plan was uncertain.
• We parked in front of the building.
• “Is this your apartment?” Lud asked as if he hadn’t known already.
• “Yeah. Thanks.”
• Ash was already on full alert as he scanned the area. Before Kennedy could grab the door handle, I held her hand. Her gaze met mine. There was the pain again.
• I tucked her hair behind her ear. “What’s wrong? If you’re not ready to meet your ex, let Lud and Ash grab your things. We can stay here and wait for them till you have your things back.”
• “I’m fine.”
• “Well, I’m not.” Fuck it. Fuck self-control. Fuck the social graces I’d learned since I started to walk. Fuck it all.
• I cupped the back of her head and crushed my mouth to hers. I took the gasp that had escaped from her and devoured her. The kiss was raw, throwing away the frustration of wanting to kiss her, this toxic lust that was impossible to resist, and this scorching chemistry that made my head spin. I’d kissed girls and women before, but it had never been like this. She melted into me, her hands gripping the front of the shirt, returning the same raw kiss at me. God, no woman had kissed like this, who never hid her desire to kiss me.
• Jolts of electricity shot right to my groin, my cock jerked. I ripped my mouth from her. I left her tiny kisses on her lips, her cheeks, her nose, her eyes, and on her forehead.
• I leaned my forehead against hers as we were both breathing hard. “We’ll continue this later.”
• A knock on the window pulled apart. I fixed my pants as I shifted in my seat. I let go a few breaths to calm my raging hard-on. Kennedy, on the other hand, was fixing her hair and reapplying her lipstick.