Page 43 of Forgotten Prejudice

“You’re just going to let him sleep?” I asked my uncle, whose eyes were pinned on the door Kai just disappeared into.

“Talking now won’t do any good.” He rubbed the back of his neck and moved to look at me. “We’ll have more than enough time for it tomorrow morning.”

“I see,” I said quietly as Aiden’s eyes darted to Soren’s Range Rover.

“Are you coming in, too?” I knew he’d ask that, and a part of me already knew that once we arrived here, I wouldn’t be able to leave Kai alone.

“He’ll need you, Chief,” Aiden added as if I didn’t already know it. “We’ll drive him to the rehab center first thing in the morning, but it won’t be easy.”

“I know.”

Putting his hand on my shoulder, Aiden squeezed it. “I’ll see you inside.” He then turned and walked into the house.

I took a deep breath and then shoved my hands into my pockets. Soren wouldn’t take this well, but I couldn’t not be there for Kai. He needed help, and despite what went on between us, I had to be there for him.

Returning to the car, I stopped in front of Soren’s window. Once he opened it, I leaned over it.

“Why do I have a feeling you’re not coming back with me?” he asked before I could even utter a word.

Knowing I’d just hurt him, I bit my lip and nodded. The way his jaw tensed while he looked straight ahead was like a punch to the gut. I hated disappointing him so much that it made me sick.

“I’m sorry.”

“But you’re not,” he tsked, then checked the time on his watch. “This was already a long night, and I need to be up soon.” He turned the engine back on. Understanding the message, I took a step back. “We’ll talk tomorrow” was the last thing he said before he drove off and left me standing.

Alone.

When he didn’t call or answer any of my calls the next day, I understood how lonely love can make you feel. And even though helping Kai was the right thing to do, it sure as hell didn’t feel like it. The cold shoulder Soren gave me the following week only made that more vivid, and I questioned my choice.

Ash

“What was so important that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” Soren asked and walked into his house, leaving me to close the door behind us.

It had been a week since the incident with Kai, a week of getting the coldest shoulder from Soren. We didn’t meet, and on the few times we spoke on the phone, Soren was indifferent, keeping the conversation short and cold.

All of that and more scared me, and with each passing day, my guilt from the first night had only grown until it was too much to bear. I couldn’t sleep properly or concentrate on school or work, and even surfing didn’t help. My need for him burned in my throat, and I was so desperate for his attention that nothing else seemed to matter.

So tonight, after a week of being a hopeless case, I decided I couldn’t stomach it anymore and came to see him. I needed Soren like I needed my next breath, and knowing I’d made him mad nearly killed me with fear. What if he broke up with me? What would I do then?

“I missed you,” I said after following him into the kitchen.

He didn’t respond and instead poured himself a glass of wine.

“Didn’t we agree to meet tomorrow?” His eyes were glued to the few drops of wine that dripped over the marble while he filled his glass. I expected him to clean it right away, but he didn’t.

“We did, but I missed you too much to wait.” I moved to get closer to him, but he grabbed his glass and walked away.

Rejected, I stopped for a moment. Was there even a point in me being here tonight? Pushing the thought away, I followed him into his bedroom. I was ready to apologize for how things went on that night when I reached the room and saw the floor was filled with his photos. The mess took me aback because in the months I’d known Soren, not once had I seen something so out of place.

“Why did you take them off?” I asked while looking at the naked wall.

Holding two frames, Soren studied the images carefully. “They were too spaced from each other, and the order made no sense.” He lowered the photos and then picked up a different pair. “Anyway, as you can see, I’m busy. So if you can let yourself out, it would be wonderful.”

Being dismissed hurt, but I wasn’t willing to let it stop me.

“I know you’re mad, and I’m here to apologize,” I said despite him not looking at me.

“I’m not mad.” He was now studying a picture of a bird. “I simply have no interest in being involved in some trashy teen drama.” He put the photo back on the floor and then picked up a new one. But before he could examine it in detail, I grabbed his wrist. He paused and looked at me with wide eyes. It was unlike me to be this bold, but I couldn’t let him slip from between my fingers. I had to make him look at me. Now that he had, I spoke.