Page 101 of Make Her Bleed
I take a shower and grab the pajamas Kai laid out for me, probably anticipating that he'd be busy when I went to sleep. It's a simple pink t-shirt and sleep shorts set, but I can't analyze it more than that.
I open the door as the banging finally ends and walk over to the stairs, taking one step at a time.
My brain feels numb, but I know the anger will come when I see Kai in the morning.
I head to the living room and grab the Long Island Iced Tea Knox made for me. Taking a seat on the couch, I sip the cool beverage, hoping it will lull me into a blissful blackout, but instead, I'm more alert.
So much more awake that I'm not surprised when I hear Kai's bedroom door open and the sound of laughter. Kaylee and Kai.
"Oh, my god. That was so much fun. Why did you wait so long to take me to your room?"
Because I was the only one who had been there before tonight, or so Kai said earlier.
"And that bathtub! That thing is like a dream."
The bathtub he swore he built for me? God, he's such an asshole.
"Thanks. It took a lot of … work." His voice trails off like it does when he's surprised by something, but I don't read into it.
"Oh, Aria! Did we keep you up?" Kaylee asks and I lift my eyes, taking them in at the bottom of the stairs.
Kai's hair is disheveled, his clothes wrinkled, and the lines on his face more intense. I refuse to meet his eyes so I look at Kaylee with her wet ringlets rolling over her shoulders.
"No. I said goodbye to the guys and took a shower. I can't sleep so I figured I'd finish my drink," I offer, hoping Kaylee doesn't press me on other things like the redness around my eyes.
"Oh, before I forget …" Kaylee trails off as she skips over to me, reaching into her bag. "Happy birthday, bestie." She pulls out a small box with a blue bow on top, and I steal a glance at Kai.
A moment ago he was smiling and acting like he was having the best time of his life, but now his face is pale, his eyes sunken in, his lips dry. I know the look well from my memory. He only looked like this once…when he forgot what time my birthday party was and showed up an hour late. He forgot that midnight meant the start of my eighteenth birthday, one of the most important birthdays of my life. Kai forgot my birthday. Somehow that's even worse than what he did with Kaylee.
"Thanks," I mutter as I open the present carefully, pulling off the top. It's a classic pearl necklace, looking even a bit antique.
"I saw it at a show in Port Angeles. You said you always wanted one," Kaylee offers, almost like she's waiting for a response.
I want to summon some enthusiasm because it really is a great gift, but I'm too raw. "Thank you. I appreciate it." My voice sounds insincere and I hate it.
"Okay?" Kaylee laughs.
"Do you need a ride?" Kai suddenly jumps in.
"Nope. I have a friend picking me up. Stay and celebrate!” Does Kaylee even recognize the tension in the room? I doubt it. She's still drunk.
"Goodnight, bestie! We'll celebrate some more tomorrow!" I try to fake a smile as Kaylee slips out the door, but I can't. Instead, my eyes move to Kai, his expression shifting to melancholy.
"Princess …" he trails off, almost like he knows he's done something he shouldn't have and can't face it.
"Don't call me princess," I mumble as I put the lid back on my present and pick up my drink again. I take a small sip before placing it back on the table.
"Your birthday … it completely slipped my mind," he slurs, the alcohol still clear in his voice.
"One of the many things that slipped your mind tonight."
Of course Kai focuses on the birthday aspect of it. He knows how important celebrating my birthday is to me. I grew up without my mom, any cousins, aunts, or uncles, and I never had many friends. I've always focused on other people so my birth being celebrated and me being the focus for one day is a huge deal. It helps with the ache that comes from my mother missing another one of my birthdays.
He probably has no clue that my birthday isn't the reason I cried for hours.
"No, I can … I can get Nico to come over in the morning. Maybe we can make a cake and—"
I know what he's doing. He trying to make up for his fuck up by overcompensating, using Nico as a selling point. I'm not going to let him manipulate Nico into being a pawn. Even then, he probably wouldn't drop the rules, not even just for my birthday. What would be the point of using Nico if I can't even speak to him? It's moot.
