Chapter 4The One I Came Back For

"Okay, drama queen. You can let go now."

Kai's voice was rough, but I just shook my head, my arms locked around his neck.

"No. I'm never letting go."

At eighteen, my legs weren't broken. I wasn't depressed.

At eighteen, Kai hadn't taken a knife for me.

There was still time.

He sighed. "I'm walking. Are you coming?"

"Mmmph."

He just... picked me up. Princess-style.

As we were leaving the hall, the principal spotted us.

"Kai! You're supposed to be at practice! What are you doing, carrying a student around?"

I just buried my face in his neck.

Kai, without missing a beat, said, "She broke her leg, Mr. Henderson. Taking her to the nurse."

The principal softened. "Oh. Well. Good on you, son."

He'd done the same thing in my last life. Carried me everywhere.

When we were alone, he put me down. He looked exasperated. "Okay, Elara. What is this?"

I just wrapped my arms around his neck again. "Husband..."

He looked like he was going to have a stroke. "Stop! Calling! Me! That! Who is your husband?!"

"You are..." I said, my voice tiny. "My favorite husband..."

He looked at the ceiling, as if praying for strength.

"Elara," he said, through gritted teeth. "Did you forget you're the one who threw my letter in the trash yesterday?"

Oh. Right. That.

He'd confessed to me. I'd crumpled the note and thrown it at his chest.

"I hate meatheads like you," I'd sneered. "All muscle, no brain."

I'd only done it because Ethan hated him.

I looked up at him, trying to look as sincere as possible. "That... that was a test. To see if your love was true."

I leaned in. "And Kai? I'm only ever going to love you."

He winced. "Can you just... not call me 'husband'?"

"No."

"Fine!" he exploded. "Call me whatever you want! Just... can you... can you stop hanging on me?"

"But I want to hug you."

His throat bobbed. His ears were bright red.

God, he was cute at eighteen.