Page 146 of Something So Strong

Hearing Kai’s door close, I jump to my feet and grab my work khakis. By the time he’s letting himself back into my room, I’m tugging them up over my backside.

“Here,” he says, throwing a strip of pills at me.

“I already told you. I’m fine.” I toss the ibuprofen onto my bed. Turning back to him, I chuckle at his dubious stare. “Seriously. It’s not a dig at your size or skill, I promise.”

“Cleo complained the day after.”

“But Cleo’s a whiny little bitch.”

Kai shrugs, it’s true, and picks up my shirt from my bed and hands it to me. “I didn’t iron this for you to just toss it around.”

“Ooh, I love it when you get domestic.”

“If I was domestic, this shit heap you call a room wouldn’t be a shit heap anymore.”

“It’s one of my quirks you’re just gonna have to learn to live with. And if it becomes too much of a problem, you can take it up with Lancaster College & Preparatory School. All their contact details are available online.”

“Are you trying to tell me you’re a slob out of rebellion?”

Top button fastened, I slip my tie over my head and walk to Kai. Slapping both my hands down on his shoulders; I look him square in the eyes. “I’m not a slob. I have an untidy room. But I always look amazing.”

Kai holds on to his stern expression for several seconds before his bottom lip is sucked between his teeth. He looks down at my still loose tie and untucked shirt, then back up to my neck and the hair partially obscuring it. “Lancaster sounds like an expensive school.”

I slide my hands off his shoulders and tuck in my shirt. “Being able to ship your kids off for months at a time does come at a price.”

“What kind of price?” Kai’s voice is soft but prying, and I know I should just take the opportunity to tell him everything, but—

“I dunno. I never paid the bills.”

“Have you ever paid any bills?”

Partway through doing up my belt, my head shoots up. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Kai?”

“Nothing. I just—”

“I’m here working, aren’t I? And I’ve taken no days off.”

“How do you buy a Burberry scarf on minimum wage?”

I tense up, but try to override it by taking my coat from the back of the desk chair and putting it on.

“And a Tom Ford coat.”

That one had some bite to it.

“I have a feeling this has nothing to do with my clothes.”

Taking a deep breath, Kai cracks his neck from side to side. “It has nothing to do with anything.”

“Why don’t I believe you?”

With a softer face, he steps toward me and takes my hand. “I just wanna know what I’m in for when I come to visit.”

My expression twists. “Visit?”

“Do you not want me to?”

Fuck no!

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