Page 87 of Rival for Rent

And with that, he disappeared upstairs again.

I ground my teeth, staring down at the blender. It would’ve been so much easier if he were being rude to me. Dangerous, maybe, because getting into an argument with Kai often led to getting into other things. But it would’ve hurt less.

I couldn’t stand the coolness, the pain that radiated off him in waves. I’d ended things so I wouldn’t hurt him later. But all I’d managed to do was hurt him now. I hated myself for it.

Then why are you doing it? asked the little voice in my head.

Because it’s the right thing to do, I argued back. But even I could hear how hollow that sounded now.

I didn’t bother to cook a big dinner that night. Kai hadn’t eaten any of it yesterday, and it was depressing cooking for one. Instead, I made myself a salad out of leftovers—sliced roasted chicken on orzo with more of that spinach and kale, covered in a light lemon and olive oil dressing. The ingredients were delicious, but they tasted like ashes in my mouth. I ate mechanically, washed my dishes mechanically, and walked back upstairs the same way.

I closed the guest room door. If Kai didn’t want to see me, I could make that easier. And it wasn’t like I felt good seeing him right now anyway.

I lay on the bed, wondering what would happen when he eventually went back to work. The reporters had come back again that morning, but they stayed for even less time. Sometime, though, Kai was going to have to face the world again.

I wanted to be there for him—physically and emotionally—but it was hard with him trying to pretend I didn’t exist. I fell asleep that night with Kai’s face in my mind, his eyes staring at me, asking why.

I wasn’t sure how late it was when I woke up again, but the sky outside was dark. I lay there for a second, listening to the stillness, wondering what had woken me—and then I heard it: a noise coming from downstairs. My heart squeezed tight. I sat up and threw the covers back.

I opened the door to the hall and listened again. And there it was—the unmistakable sound of the doors to the backyard sliding open. I darted across the hall to Kai’s bedroom. The covers were thrown back, the bed empty. Fuck.

I never should’ve closed my own door. I might’ve heard, or even seen, him leave his room. I told myself everything was probably fine. The alarm system hadn’t gone off, so Kai must have opened the doors himself from the inside. But why the hell would he be going into the backyard in the middle of the night?

I hurried back to my room and grabbed the bedside lamp from the nightstand, ripping the cord loose. I brandished it in my left hand, the only one available with my right still in a sling, and made my way down the stairs in silence.

The main floor was still and empty. No lights on, no alarms blinking. No sign that anything was wrong—except for the sliding door off the dining room, wide open. I moved through the house on quiet feet, every sense in my body on high alert.

I was halfway across the dining room when a shape moved outside. I raised my arm, ready to crash the lamp down on any intruder—then sighed in relief as Kai dashed in, a kitchen knife in his hand. It took him a little longer to react than me, and he was two feet from me when he finally skidded to a stop, lowering the knife.

“Oh thank god,” he said, breathless. “I thought you were someone else.”

“Like who?” I asked, nodding at the kitchen knife in his hand.

“I don’t know.” His voice was still high and breathy. “Someone. Anyone.” He glanced at the lamp in my hand. “Were you planning to illuminate me to death?”

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. “It was the first thing I grabbed. Probably should’ve swapped it for a knife when I got downstairs.”

He shivered, his shoulders sagging. “You can have mine if you like.”

He turned and whistled, and Bella came trotting inside after him. He closed the door behind her, pausing to peer out into the dark like he expected something—or someone.

“What made you get up?” I asked as he moved into the kitchen.

Kai shrugged. “Thought I heard something downstairs. I checked the front door, but no one was there. Then I thought I should check the back, but there was no one there either. Stupid, but I guess I’m extra paranoid these days.”

“It’s not stupid,” I said. “But you should’ve woken me up. We could’ve come down together.”

“Because you want to spend so much time with me these days?” he asked, quiet and hollow. The look he gave me gutted me—full of pain and regret.

“That’s the whole reason I’m here,” I told him. “Andyou’rethe one avoidingme. I’m glad you at least took Bella, but come on. Why am I still around if you’re not going to use me?”

He slid the knife back into the block and spread his hands. “Honestly, Mason, I’m really not sure. Whoever’s behind all this, I think they’ve moved on. Nothing’s happened since the night you were attacked.”

“Except they released your video,” I said.

“And they got what they wanted.” He rubbed his eyes, and I realized—too late—he was wiping away tears. “The Butterfly Center’s board released a statement today. They’re officially cutting ties. They sent me a message telling me they didn’t even want my money anymore. The project’s on hold for real nowwhile they try to find other funding. So whoever’s behind all this got exactly what they wanted.”

“Oh, Kai.” I stepped closer, aching to touch him. “I know how much the center meant to you.”

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