Page 41 of Only When We Fall

“I tried that. Her phone is off.”

“So, I’ll call him.”

I watch as she dials his number, pressing her mobile to her ear as she spoons coffee into a mug. “Hey, Landon. Sorry it’s so early,” she begins, smiling my way. “Look, have you seen Emmie?” She waits a beat, her smile fading the more he talks. “Right. Okay. Thanks.”

She disconnects and I step closer, eager to hear what she’s got to say. “Weird,” she mutters. “He said she was really out of it last night so he took her back to his mate’s place. But she wasn’t drinking much, I remember because she passed me a few of her shots when he wasn’t looking.”

I narrow my eyes. “Where is she now?”

Zara looks less confident. “He’s looking after his mate’s place. Let me send you the pin.” She taps her mobile then my phone vibrates. It’s five minutes from here. I rush out before she can stop me.

Chapter Fourteen

Emmie

“Are you sure I can’t walk you back?” Landon asks, leaning against the doorframe as I descend the steps.

I fold my arms across my chest, gripping tightly, relieved just to be out of that apartment. Out of his space. Out of his reach. “I’m fine.”

He chuckles like this is all a joke. “Okay. Well, call me later and maybe we can talk about last night.” I frown. He grins, eyes raking over me one last time. “Pick up where we left off?”

I don’t answer. I don’t even look back.

The air hits differently once I’m away from him. I cross the street and cut through the park, my shoes quiet on the path. Everything feels distant, as if I’m moving through a memory that doesn’t belong to me.

Bits of the night flicker in and out. Light, music, nausea, the bathroom floor, but nothing sticks. I hate that. I hate notknowing what was real. I’m so caught in my thoughts I don’t notice him until he’s right in front of me.

Kai.

He steps out from nowhere, eyes wide, breath sharp. “Thank fuck,” he says, his voice raw, before grabbing my shoulders and pulling me into him like he’s afraid I’ll vanish.

His arms lock around me, solid, warm and real. His scent, faint cologne and something unmistakablyhim, wraps around me, and my knees nearly give out.

I sag against him. The tears come hard and fast, sobs tearing through me as my entire body shakes. I can’t stop them. In this moment, Kai feels like the only thing in the world that makes sense.

The only place I feel safe. And I’m so thankful, I grip onto him just as tightly, not wanting him to ever let go again.

His arms tighten around me as I cry, one hand cradling the back of my head like he’s trying to shield me from the world. My fingers clutch at the fabric of his hoodie.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs into my hair. “I’ve got you, Em.”

His words break me even more. It’s not the first time he’s said them when I’ve fucked up.

We stand there, in the middle of the park, me in yesterday’s clothes and Kai holding me like I’m something precious.

When I finally pull back, my face is soaked, and my throat is raw. “I’m sorry,” I whisper.

Kai shakes his head instantly. “Don’t,” he says. “You don’t have to be sorry.”

“I don’t remember everything,” I admit, swallowing hard. “But something . . . something’s wrong. I didn’t drink that much.”

His jaw tenses, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he takes my hand and starts walking.

We don’t go far. Just to a bench tucked away near the trees. He sits down first, then gently pulls me into the space beside him, not crowding, just close enough that I can feel him there.

I stare at the ground. “He said I tried to seduce him.”

Kai’s fists clench in his lap. “You didn’t.”

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