Arian

Arian's pov

“Let’s get you home,” Kael said after a long silence.

“I'm not going anywhere with you Kael. I've thanked you for saving me. Can you just let it end there?” I said, feeling exhausted for the day.

“I just want to take you to your house. You've had a rough day, giving you a ride is the least I can do,” Kael said with a calm tone.

“What if I said no?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

“Then I won't accept your thank you,” he said.

“Fine, I'll go with you. Please, just take me to my house. I'm not in the mood to go anywhere else,” I said, flashing him a warning look.”

“Your wish is my command, senor,” he said, bowing slightly. I almost laughed. If I wasn't in a bad mood, I would have laughed.

As we walked to his car, I thought of the questions I could ask him. How did he know Luke and his friends? Why were they afraid of him? And who is he? Like the real him?

The car ride was silent for the first ten minutes. Not awkward silence. Just thick like the kind that holds unspoken things in the air, pressing against your chest while you wait for someone to say something first.

I sat stiffly in the passenger seat, my arms folded as I practiced what to say. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't talk. Instead, my gaze locked on the moving trees outside and my backpack was pressed against my chest like a shield.

Kael kept his eyes on the road. One hand on the wheel, the other draped casually across his thigh like he hadn’t just stared three grown guys into backing down. Like he didn’t just save me from my bullies.

For a moment, my eyes lingered on his arm. The way his veins popped out on his skin. The way his hand moved the wheel when he took a sharp turn. My throat became dry as weird thoughts flooded my mind.

I couldn't be thinking about Kael in that kind of way. He is a stranger… not really a stranger but still, he is. I don't know anything aside from his name, the colour of his car and the fact that he won't be graduating with his class.

“Why are you stealing glances at me?” his voice jolted me out of my thoughts.

“Why’d you do it?” I asked without thinking.

His hand shifted on the steering wheel. “Do what?”

I turned to face him. “You know what you did. You didn’t have to get involved. You barely know me and I don't know you either.”

“I saw someone getting bullied and I stepped in to rescue him. I don't have to know you to help you, Arian.”

My brows pulled together. “What am I supposed to do to pay you back for helping me?”

He didn’t answer. He just focused on the road as if I didn't say anything.

“That guy earlier. Luke. He’s your cousin right?”

I hesitated, then nodded. “Unfortunately.”

“How do you know him and his friends?” I finally got the courage to ask.

“Nothing important,” he said, dismissively.

I was displeased by his answer but before I could put pressure, he spoke.

“Why’s he coming at you like that? I thought the family was supposed to protect their own.”

I let out a bitter chuckle. “Not in my case. Luke and his dad, my uncle, are not just family. With families like them, you don't need enemies.”

Kael didn't say anything to interrupt me so I continued. “They’re calculative. They are the kind of people who smile at you with knives behind their backs.”

Kael glanced at me briefly, his eyes narrowing. “Why are they like that? What do they want from you?”

I hesitated because I myself don't know what they want. I just know that Luke is jealous of me and I don't even understand why.

But I wasn’t sure if I could tell Kael about it. Even the little I told him, I didn't know why I did. Maybe it was the fact that he stood between me and a beating. Maybe it was because he hadn’t looked at me like I was a criminal. Or maybe I just needed someone to lean on for the time being.

“I don't know about my uncle but Luke is jealous of me for reasons I don't know yet,” I said.

Kael didn’t say anything, but I could feel the shift in his energy. His jaw tightened and his grip on the wheel tightened.

“I think Luke framed me,” I continued. “I’m not certain but he didn't deny it when I asked him.”

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath. “Did you tell his dad about it?”

“Yeah. But he sent me out like someone who has a plague.”

Kael let out a slow breath and pulled into the quiet street, stopping in front of my apartment. He didn’t turn off the car. He just stared at the dashboard like he was still processing everything I said.

I opened the door but before I could get out, Kael's voice stopped me. “Why are you refusing my help?”

I leaned back and took a sharp breath. I didn't say anything immediately.

“If you let me, I'll help you find out if your cousin really did it. And that way, you won't have to be an outcast in school.” he added.

It is not that I don't want help. I want help but I don't know if it is from him. Another thing is that if I don't try him, I won't get the chance to know him, like the real him.

I turned to him “Can you really help me? Can you get to the bottom of this?”

His eyes finally met mine. They were unreadable. A mix of fire, conflict, and something else I couldn’t place.

Then he leaned back, one hand still on the wheel. “Be ready by nine.”

“What?”

“I’ll pick you up tonight. I’ll give you your answer then.”

“Kael, this is not a sick game. This is my life and I'm not joking about it,” I said, trying not to snap.

“Who said anything about joking?” he asked with a bored tone.

Before I could say anything, he nodded toward the door. “Be ready on time. I don't like waiting.”

I stepped out slowly, my heart pounding for reasons I didn’t fully understand. Kael is hard to understand and he is confusing at the same time. Kael’s invitation scares me more than the scandal itself.

But as he drove off, I realized something had changed within me. Now, I have hope that someone is willing to help.