Author's Preface
[Cont.]
[Annie]
The harsh fluorescent light inside the store buzzes loudly, spilling across the gravel lot outside in a bleak, clinical glow.
Outside, the rain begins to fall, steady at first, then rapidly thickening into a heavy, torrential downpour that violently rattles the glass doors.
My phone begins to vibrate against the wooden ledge.
Oliver.
I ignore it.
The screen goes black, only to light up two seconds later with a second call.
I press the side button to silence the ringing, setting the phone face down next to my tea.
Within moments, the text notifications start flooding in.
Oliver: Where are you? Everyone is at the restaurant.
Oliver: Annie, pick up your phone. The driver said you made him drop you at a bus stop?? What are you doing?
Oliver: Don't act like a child. Everyone is waiting for us to order.
Oliver: You are spoiling the entire evening for everyone. Stop throwing a tantrum and send me your location so I can come get you.
I read through the messages with an icy, detached feeling in my chest.
There’s no worry in his words—only anger that his carefully curated evening is being disrupted, and blame cast entirely onto me.
Without hesitation, I tap his profile, scroll to the bottom, and hit Block Contact.
The thread vanishes and the quiet returns to the store.
I tap my phone screen to check the navigation map.
The Pine Crest Estate is easily a five-hour drive from the main city.
Looking out at the sheets of dark rain sweeping across the gravel lot, a fresh knot of anxiety twists in my stomach.
The roads along the ridge are narrow, slick, and winding.
The thought of Kai speeding through a downpour on treacherous mountain highways makes my chest feel tight.
Needing something to take the edge off the mounting panic, I stand up, walk over to the glass coolers at the back of the store, and pull out a cold can of beer.
I crack it open, taking a long, cold sip as I head back to my stool.
I pull up Kai's contact and dial his number.
He answers on the first ring. "Annie?"
"Kai, please slow down," I say quickly, my voice laced with worry as I hold the phone to my ear with one hand and clutch the beer can with the other. "The rain up here is getting really bad. The roads are terrible and it's completely dark. Please don't hurry."
"I'm fine, Annie," Kai says, his tone calm and unhurried over the faint sound of his windshield wipers beating a steady rhythm.
"Kai, this place is almost five hours from the main city," I insist, taking another drink from the can. "You don't have to rush. I'm safe inside the store. Just take your time."
"Don't worry about the five hours," Kai replies smoothly. "I'm already close. I was in a nearby town for some work. I'll reach you within an hour."
I frown, staring at the rain-streaked window. "A nearby town? What town?"
"Just sit tight, drink your tea, and stay warm," he says, neatly dodging the question. "I'm turning onto the ridge road now. I'll see you in a few minutes."
He hangs up before I can press him further.
I set the phone down, utterly confused, but my exhausted brain doesn't have the energy to unravel it.
I finish the beer and throw the empty can into the bin before I grab a second can, but only drink half of it.
The combination of the wine from the estate earlier, pure physical exhaustion, the warm store, and the alcohol catches up with me.
The sharp edge of anxiety dissolves into a floaty, numbing fog.
My eyelids grow heavy.
I fold my arms on the wooden counter, rest my head on them, and drift off to the sound of the rain beating against the glass.
[ *** ]
"Annie."
A voice breaks through the haze.
I stir slightly, convinced I'm dreaming.
"Annie, wake up."
I feel hands on my shoulders, gently but firmly shifting me upright from the counter.
I blink against the harsh lights, my head swimming.
I squint up to find Kai standing over me.
His dark hair is damp, clinging slightly to his forehead, and his white button-down shirt and tailored trousers are half-drenched from the storm outside.
I stare up at him, a wide, hazy smile spreading across my face. "Kai..."
Kai doesn't smile back immediately.
His eyes sweep over the counter, taking in the empty paper noodle cup, the cold tea, and the beer cans sitting beside my phone.
He lets out a low, weary exhale.
He turns slightly and signals toward the open glass door, where a uniformed driver stands holding an umbrella.
The driver steps inside, politely picking up my heavy duffel bag from the floor.
"Can you stand up?" Kai asks, his voice dropping an octave as he turns his attention back to me.
"Mmm-hmm," I hum, attempting to push myself off the high stool.
My legs feel heavy and uncooperative, making me sway the moment my feet touch the floor.
Kai catches me by the arms before I can lose my balance, steadying me against his chest.
His jaw is tight as he looks down at me, but his hands holding my arms are completely steady.
"Come on," he says, guiding me toward the exit. "Let's get you out of here."
I take two uneven steps, my knees buckling slightly under the lingering fog.
Kai stops.
He gives me a brief, exasperated look, shaking his head.
Without another word, he bends down, slips one arm behind my back and the other beneath my knees, and lifts me off my feet.
I don't gasp or pull away.
Instead, I willingly wrap my arms around his neck, resting my head against the crook of his shoulder, inhaling the crisp scent of rain and his subtle cologne.
He stiffens for a fraction of a second, but recovers quickly.
He carries me out of the convenience store, stepping under the large umbrella held by the driver.
The driver opens the rear door of a sleek dark car.
Kai lowers me carefully onto the soft leather seat, leaning in close to pull the seatbelt across my chest and click it securely into the buckle.
Throughout it all, I just observe him in silence.
My eyes track the movement of his hands, the sharp line of his jaw, the damp fabric of his collar.
He slides into the seat beside me, closing the door against the howling wind.
As the car pulls out of the gravel lot, he turns to look at me.
"What were you doing at a bus stop all by yourself, Annie? What happened at the estate?"
I keep my mouth closed, turning my head to look out the window at the blurred, rain-soaked trees.
I don't want to talk about Oliver.
I don't want to bring the ghost of that miserable weekend into this warm, quiet car.
Kai watches my silence for a moment before turning back to face forward.
"Get some rest," he says softly. "We're almost there."
[ *** ]
Twenty minutes later, the car comes to a smooth halt in a covered underground garage.
This time, when Kai opens the car door, he simply extends a hand to me.
I take it, letting him steady me as I step out onto the concrete.
My feet are still slightly heavy, but I can walk.
He keeps a supportive hand at the small of my back, guiding me through a private elevator bay and up to a quiet, high-end hotel suite.
The doors open directly into a softly lit room with a plush king bed and sweeping views of the rain-slicked valley.
He walks over to a chair where the driver has set my duffel bag, unzips it, and pulls out a comfortable cotton t-shirt and sweatpants.
He sets the clothes down on the bed beside me. "Here. Get changed into these so you can sleep comfortably. I'll be in the outer room."
He turns to walk toward the door.
"Kai," I call out quietly.
He pauses, turning back to look at me.
I step forward.
My balance steadies, and for the first time all evening, I know exactly what I want to do.
Before I have a single second to talk myself out of it, the fog clears and instinct takes over completely.
I walk straight over to him, stepping directly into his space without giving him a chance to speak.
I wrap my arms firmly around his waist, burying my face against his chest in a desperate hug.
I feel Kai go completely stiff.
He stands there, his composure cracking for just a second as his arms hover awkwardly in the air.
I slowly pull back just enough to look up into his guarded, quiet eyes.
I reach up, taking his cold, damp hands in mine, and place them deliberately around my waist.
"Thank you," I whisper.
I hold his gaze, my hands resting against his chest.
I see him visibly draw a breath.
His eyes stay on mine, but his body has gone completely still.
Before he can utter a word, I reach up with both hands, weaving one palm into the damp hair at the nape of his neck and sliding the other firmly along his jawline, rising up onto my tiptoes.
With a sudden, deliberate tug, I drag him down to my level.
Kai breathes in sharply, caught entirely off-guard as his whole body goes completely stone-still the moment my mouth meets his.
The kiss is urgent and warm against the cool air of the suite.
I press firmly against his lips, my fingers tightening in his collar and hair, keeping him close while he remains completely frozen beneath my touch, stunned into silence.
When I finally let go and pull back, my breath comes out in a soft, uneven whisper.
A quiet, sleepy smile touches my lips.
My knees give out slightly from the sudden movement, causing me to stumble, but Kai's hands—still positioned at my waist—instantly tighten, his fingers digging into the fabric of my sweater to catch me before I can fall.
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