Chapter 3

I immediately sat up a little straighter.

"What do you mean? You mean he's actually gay?"

Mick nodded, looking like a tortoise retracting into its shell. "Cody seems to be really into you. He wants to meet you again."

My mind went blank. I then stared at my phone, vibrating with an incoming call from Cody. I felt so unnerved that I turned my phone off completely.

Some time later, in the middle of the night, someone hammered loudly at the door while I was in the shower.

I came out with a towel wrapped around my waist and dripped water all over the place as I went to answer the door, wondering what kind of idiot would be wandering around like a lost soul so late into the night.

As soon as the door was opened, I saw Kai standing there with his collar wide open and his collarbones on display.

He smelled faintly of alcohol, and the heat in his eyes nearly burned straight into my skull.

"Why are you here?" I asked, instinctively tightening my grip on the towel around my waist. I just couldn't forget the dirty things he'd whispered in my ear the last time I was at his place.

Kai narrowed his eyes and stepped closer toward me. His breath, warm with liquor, fanned across my neck as he demanded, "Why didn't you pick up my calls?"

I stepped backward and bumped into the door frame. My towel nearly dropped.

"My phone was off!"

Kai then grabbed my wrist. "You turned your phone off for hours? Trying to avoid me, huh?"

My heart began to race. My wet hair was still dripping, and the droplets fell onto my collarbone and slid down my chest.

Kai's eyes followed the droplets, his Adam's apple bobbing, looking so hungry as if he hadn't eaten for days.

"Why would I avoid you?" I shot back at him stubbornly.

The smell of smoke and alcohol on his body was making my brain go haywire. "Let go of me."

Kai didn't let go. Instead, he brought forward his other hand and pressed it into my side.

"It's my birthday today," he said. "Did you forget?"

"I didn't."

"Then, where's my gift?"

Kai then looked at the baseball cap on my bed.

"Don't even think about it," I warned. "I have to wear that cap every night if I want to sleep!"

Kai just pressed himself against me, and he nipped at my earlobe.

"I thought you promised to spend every birthday with me."

I swallowed hard. "Is it not enough having Liesel by your side?"

Kai's eyes darkened. He then grabbed my other hand and pushed both my hands above my head, pinning me against the wall. My towel immediately fell to the floor, the sudden coolness quickly dissipating as his warm body pressed flush against mine.

"Aiden," Kai said, his voice hoarse as he stared at my lips for the longest time ever before swallowing thickly. "If Cody can be your boyfriend, does that mean I have a chance too?"

My brain couldn't even fathom what he said and drew a blank. "What… What do you mean?"

Kai then reached down and grabbed me. "Still don't get it? I want to do it with you."