Author's Preface
[6 Years Ago]
[Kai]
"Kai? Is that you?"
A girl's voice suddenly comes from behind as Mark and I walk towards the library.
We both stop and turn around.
I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Lucy.
She smiles as she walks towards me.
I can see the confusion on Mark's face.
"Hey... can you meet me in the library?" I turn to him, and thankfully, he understands and leaves without questioning.
"Is that your friend?" she asks, watching Mark walk away.
"What does it matter?" I ask.
She looks at me for a moment. "You look stressed."
"Can we talk somewhere else?" I ask, glancing around as a few people start looking at us.
"Why? Are you afraid of being seen with me?" she teases.
"Lucy, please," I plead as more people begin to notice us.
She smirks and leads me outside to the campus lawn.
She finds a bench and sits down, gesturing for me to sit beside her. Reluctantly, I do.
"I am trying to keep a low profile here, Lucy. Please don't go around spilling information about me," I say calmly.
She gives me a familiar smile. "And why should I do that?"
I sigh. "Why are you even here? I thought you were in New York."
"I could ask you the same thing. Why are you here, Kai?" She looks at me curiously. "I heard you were being moved to Switzerland, but here you are. In a lousy university."
"Have some respect. This is the most prestigious university in the whole country," I remind her. "And if it's so lousy, why did you even come here?"
She gives me an annoyed look.
"I came back because my parents were trying to set me up with one of their acquaintances' sons. And guess what? He happened to be my classmate. Freaking annoying."
I understand what she means.
I've already started receiving marriage proposals myself.
Another reason I chose to leave home.
"We should just marry each other, don't you think?" she says with a laugh, though I can tell there's some seriousness behind it.
"I'd rather stay single for the rest of my life than marry you," I reply.
She looks offended.
"You used to have a crush on me. Have I been replaced that quickly?" she asks dramatically. "It would be so much easier to live with someone familiar. Seriously."
I let out a small scoff. "Easier said than done. My life is already miserable. I don't need any more misery."
"Being born with a golden spoon is miserable?" she asks sarcastically. "Then I'd like to be miserable too. Try being my parents' daughter. You'll know what real misery is."
I remain quiet.
I understand where she's coming from.
Lucy and I have known each other since we were children.
Both our fathers work together, and he used to bring her along whenever there were family or business events.
We grew up together, playing and spending time with each other.
Naturally, I developed a crush on her when I was younger.
She was older than me and seemed so much more mature.
But after I moved away from my family home, I slowly lost touch with most of the people I knew.
I'd occasionally run into Lucy and a few others at events, but that was about it.
We never stayed in touch like actual friends.
Not the way Mark and I have.
I'm glad I have Mark.
And that reminds me that I've left him waiting in the library.
"I have to go," I say, getting up. "Please don't tell everyone about me, okay, Lucy?"
She looks up at me. "So I'll see you again?"
I'm not exactly sure what she means, but I agree quickly.
"Yes. I'll keep in touch."
Then I hurry towards the library.
Not because I want to be there.
Because I know she'll be there.
Annie.
[ *** ]
We've been invited to a party.
Normally, I wouldn't go to some random party unless it involved my father's business.
But here I am.
When Mark first told me Henry had invited us, I wasn't interested.
"It isn't a freshers' meet. It's Henry's party, and he's only inviting people he knows," Mark explains over the phone as I dry my hair with a towel. "I heard he's thinking about running for campus president."
"Mark, I hate crowds. Especially parties," I tell him.
"Annie is coming too."
I stop drying my hair.
"Do you think that will change my mind?"
"Don't you want to see her?" I can almost hear the grin in his voice. "I guess Annie will finally find a boyfriend tonight. There'll be a bunch of single guys trying to hit on her."
My pulse quickens.
I don't like the sound of that.
"Fine," I say. "And it's not because of Annie. It's because you're annoying me."
I hear him happily gasp through the phone.
"Ah... I knew I could count on you. Thank you, brother." He responds dramatically.
There's a short pause before he asks.
"Where should we meet? Which subway line are you on?"
Subway? I've never set foot on one.
"I don't know," I admit after a pause. "I usually drive."
There's silence on the other end.
"You're only telling me this now? I thought you were taking the subway or a bus like the rest of us."
"You never asked."
"Can you pick this poor man up, then?"
I agree without hesitation.
"Must be nice. What do you have, a Toyota?" he asks.
"Um... a Mercedes."
A heavy silence falls on the other end.
I have plenty of other expensive cars at my family home, but this is the only one I consider relatively low-key enough to bring to university.
It's not too flashy.
"Damn... just how rich are you?"
I let out an awkward laugh.
"Just send me your address, Mark." I say and we finally end the call.
[ *** ]
"Mark! Kai!"
Henry's voice cuts through the music as we step inside.
It's a small rented villa with a decent lawn and a pool in the backyard.
We move through the crowd, which isn't as bad as I'd expected.
I was expecting something more like the crowded business events I usually attend.
"You guys are a little late, but it's fine. Let's get you something to drink," Henry says. "My friends are over there. Come on, I'll introduce you. You should know your seniors. They can help you out if you ever need anything."
Mark and I follow him towards the backyard.
Around five people are sitting near a small fire, talking among themselves.
My eyes immediately find her.
She's in a short black dress with an oversized black leather jacket and black boots.
Her hair is still tied in a bun, and she has a beer can in one hand.
Her cheeks are slightly flushed.
I can't tell whether it's from the heat of the fire or the alcohol.
As we draw closer, my chest tightens.
Finally, we stop in front of the group.
"Attention, guys..." Henry claps his hands lightly, making everyone look towards us.
I feel Annie's eyes on us too, and for a split second, I lose my footing.
"Kai, Mark," Henry continues. "These are your seniors. You can always ask them for help if you need it. This is Anthony... this is Richie..."
I'm so paralyzed by her presence that I barely register the names Henry is introducing.
My throat goes dry as I force a stiff polite nod.
"And... Annie."
I look towards her.
She gives me a small, polite "hello" wave, but I am so flustered that I can only manage a small nod in return.
Her expression drops slightly at my reaction—or rather, my lack of one.
[ *** ]
Mark and I have been sitting near the fire for a while as the party continues.
People are dancing, drinking, and jumping into the pool.
Annie and her friend are sitting nearby, talking.
Then two guys suddenly grab her friend and throw her into the pool.
Everyone bursts into laughter, seemingly enjoying themselves.
Everyone except me.
A few minutes later, I notice Annie getting up from the corner of my eye.
She walks toward us and sits in an empty seat nearby.
I immediately feel myself getting nervous at the proximity.
"Freshers, right?" she asks, tilting her head as she looks at us.
Mark glances at me.
"Yes," he answers for both of us.
She closes her eyes for a moment, as though trying to remember something.
She looks drunk.
"Ken... Ken..." She points at me.
"Kai," Mark corrects her.
"Ah... sorry. My bad. Ken." She still gets it wrong. "My friend is named Kenny too. Hahaha..."
Mark opens his mouth to correct her again, but I nudge him to stop.
"I am... so slee...py."
She suddenly tries to lie down on the bench.
A girl approaches us a moment later.
She's clearly been drinking too, but she looks much more sober than Annie.
"Annie... you can't sleep here. Come on. Let's get you to a room."
She tries to pull Annie up, but Annie barely responds.
The whole situation is ridiculous.
Yet somehow, I find it cute.
Her friend eventually manages to get her to her feet, but she's struggling to support her.
I notice a guy nearby looking at them, and something in me makes me step forward.
"I can help," I say.
The girl looks at me and briefly scans me from head to toe.
"Okay. Follow me."
Suddenly, all I can feel is Annie's full weight against me.
She can barely stand and looks like she's already half-asleep, so I decide to carry her.
As I lift her into my arms, the touch of her skin sends an unexpected jolt through me.
I catch the scent of her shampoo and perfume.
My heart starts beating faster.
She buries her face against my chest, and somehow that makes it even worse.
I follow her friend through the crowded house and towards the bedrooms.
"Please put her on the bed," she says, holding the door open.
I see another girl already asleep on the other side of the large bed.
I carefully walk inside and lay Annie down.
I take off her jacket and boots before pulling the blanket over her.
As I bend down to adjust her pillow, her eyelids flutter open.
She reaches up blindly, her fingers brushing the fabric of my shirt.
I freeze, my chest aching as her lips part, whispering soft and breathless into the quiet room.
"Don't leave me....James."
The breath stalls in my lungs.
I slowly lower her hand, pull the blanket over her shoulders, and step back outside.
I don't hear Mark calling my name.
Because all I can hear is another name.
James.