Chapter Two

Aisha’s POV

Laughter, clinking glasses, music vibrating through polished floors of the reception hall when Fiona and I walked in.  

The kind of celebration that should have felt warm.

Instead, my chest tightened.

Kyle was already seated at our table.

Across from me.

My feet stalled, instinctively trying to turn the other way, but Fiona’s hand wrapped around my wrist and pulled me down into the chair beside her.

“Show him he has no hold over you.”

She whispered.

I looked up.

His gaze was already on me.

A glass of whiskey rested between his fingers as his eyes dragged slowly over my face, like he was searching for something he had rights to find. My heart betrayed me immediately, hammering so hard I could hear it over the music.

For a second, nostalgia crept in before I could stop it.

It reminded me of why London felt safer.

Safer because he wasn’t there.

I reached for the first glass of wine the server offered me.

And then another.

And another.

Kyle’s seat was empty when I looked again.

“He probably took a smoke break,” Fiona whispered with a grin.

The elderly guests began to leave soon after, and the atmosphere shifted almost immediately. The bride changed her outfit. The music deepened. Laughter grew louder.

After party time.

Fiona dragged me onto the dance floor, and this time, I didn’t resist.

If London had taught me anything, it was how to forget.

So I danced. Slowly forgetting that there was a man here who hated me for causing the accident of his sister.

•

Kyle’s POV

The moment I saw her at the church, my anger had faltered.

But watching her now…

Watching her dance in the hall, I realized how much she had changed.

She was no longer the quiet, awkward girl who used to trail behind Ethan with oversized hoodies and messy braids. Her dark brown hair framed her face as she moved, light caramel skin catching under the chandelier lights with every turn.

She was softer.

More feminine.

More….

I downed the rest of my whiskey.

Why the hell was I even noticing?

She laughed at something Fiona said, her head tipping back slightly, completely unaware of the way people were beginning to watch her.

Including me.

My jaw tightened.

Cara’s laugh echoed faintly in the back of my mind.

The screech of tires.

The sound of metal folding in on itself.

Four years.

Four fucking years.

And now Aisha was back like nothing had happened.

Aisha’s POV

As I danced, a memory from years ago invaded my mind. The thirteen-year-old me, desperate, confessing feelings I shouldn’t have. He had just returned from a race with Ethan.

Seven years ago

“Kyle, wait!” I called after him in my hoodie, out of breath.

He turned back with a smile. “Do you need anything, kiddo?”

I smiled awkwardly. I hated that he called me kiddo. “No, not really.”

“So why are you outside, kiddo? It’s freezing,” he said as he walked closer.

“I’m not a kid anymore. I’ve gotten my period. So I’m a woman now,” I said proudly.

He burst into laughter. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

I smiled. “No, I’m not. You want to see?”

“No, no…” he immediately stepped back, trying to hold in his laughter. “It’s a good thing you’ve gotten your… period, Isha. But you’re still a child.”

“No, I’m not,” I argued.

He chuckled. “Go inside, Isha. Ethan is probably looking for you now,” he said as he turned to walk away.

“I love you!” I blurted out, stopping him in his tracks.

I shook my head, trying to erase the memory of my stupidity, but it clung stubbornly to my thoughts. I left the dance floor and went to a waiter. I proceeded to take a glass of wine.

“That’s enough.”

I turned.

Kyle stood behind me, his hand already signaling the server to step back.

“How dare you, Kyle Leicester!” I jabbed a finger into his chest before I could stop myself. “Just because you’re older doesn’t give you the right to stop me from drinking.”

“You’re drunk.”

Before I could respond, Ethan appeared beside us.

“Isha, are you okay?”

Relief washed over me instantly.

“Oh my sweet brother,” I slurred, cupping his face. “Congratulations on your wedding.”

He laughed softly before turning to Kyle.

“Please take her home. I don’t know where Fiona is.”

“No, I’m fine,” I protested weakly.

Kyle didn’t respond.

He simply lifted me into his arms.

“It’s easier this way,” he said when Ethan raised a brow.

And then he walked out.

Kyle’s POV

I placed her in the passenger seat and shut the door harder than necessary before getting in.

Despite everything, Ethan trusted me to get her home safely.

And I would.

We had been best friends since we were five.

There was no way I would let his sister’s mistake ruin our friendship.

But as I drove toward the Manchester mansion, her presence beside me made it impossible to ignore the truth.

Seeing her again was stirring up everything I had buried all those years ago.

And I hated it.

•

I pulled the car came to a stop in front of the Manchester Mansion.

I got out of the car and lifted her in my arms again, ignoring the feel of her soft body on mine.

I gestured to the servant to direct me to her room. On getting there, I placed her on the bed.

Her fingers curled weakly into the collar of my shirt.

“Grumpy old man,” she mumbled.

Who the hell was she calling old? I wasn’t even thirty yet.

I took her hands off my shirt. “Go to sleep, Aisha.”

She smiled.

“I have always loved the way you called my name.”

She turned her face to the side and closed her eyes.

A sinking feeling settled in my stomach.

Did she still think of that night? Did she not let go of her puppy love?

I shook my head, pushing the foolish thought away. It had been seven years since that childish confession.

And besides, I could never forgive her for what she did to Cara.

I straightened and turned to leave when her hand wrapped around my wrist.

“Kyle…”

Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

“Please stay.”

I stopped. Different thoughts swirling in my head. I clenched my fist as anger submerged in me.

Slowly, I turned back to look at her. Her eyes were still closed.

“You shouldn’t have come back, Aisha.”