Page 67 of Love is Fake

“When you’re ready, call me, Iz. Please.” There’s a desperate quality in his tone, which gets to me even though I don’t want it to. “There’s a lot you need to hear.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” I snipe, biting my lip to keep my voice from wobbling. “Go home, Nox. Please. If you care about me at all, just leave me alone.”

Something in my tone must tell him I’m on the verge of losing it and I watch the video feed as he hesitates for a moment before stepping back. He takes one last look at the screen and holds his hand up in a goodbye. As he steps away, my hand goes to the intercom, ready to tell him to wait, to come up, to make everything alright. But then my sanity returns and I snatch my hand away, forcing myself to take a step back.

Whatever Lennox has to tell me, it won’t undo the hurt he’s caused, the damage. I can’t even think about being with someone I don’t trust and I’d be stupid if I trusted Lennox after everything that’s happened between us.

I still have the vacation time Kiara has given me and there’s only one place I want to be, only one place I can start to feel better. Somewhere far away from Lennox and his midnight visits to my mind, and now even my front door.

I book my flight to Alabama for the following day, planning on making it a surprise for my dad. I ignore the voice in my head telling me I’m running away. I push that voice right down into the bottom of my suitcase and struggle to get the oversized case out of the door.

“You ever heard of travelling light?” The familiar voice makes me snap my head up in surprise before I’ve even managed to lock the door behind me.

“Kai!” I jump, holding my hand over my chest. “You scared the crap out of me!”

“Good to see you too, Iz-meister.” Kai smiles broadly at me, opening his arms and – despite his connection to Lennox, despite the fact I’m sure he must have known exactly what was going on the whole time – I want to go in for a hug. But I don’t and Kai’s lips turn down at the edges.

“Don’t make that face, you look like a sad clown,” I tell him, blandly.

“You’re pissed at me too? I thought you’d be happy to see me because I’m so adorable.” He shrugs as if that were a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“I’m not pissed at you, Kai.” I cross my arms because I do really want to hug him - Kai gives good hugs, it’s one of the things I like most about him. “I’m just disappointed.”

“Ouch!” Kai’s hands go to his heart as if I’ve scored a direct hit. “When your parents used the ‘d’ word, that was the worst.”

“Well, lucky for both of us, I’m not your mom.” I check the time on my watch, even though I know I’ve got plenty of time before my plane as I’mChronically Early Girl. It’s a crappy superhero name but at least it’s accurate.

I frown at him. “What are you doing here, Kai? And how did you even get in anyway?”

My building security is pretty tight and my neighbors aren’t the type to just let anybody in.

Kai has the decency to look sheepish as he holds out a keyring I recognize.

She wouldn’t!

He sees the anger in my expression and starts using calming motions with his hands. “Don’t get pissed with Kiki!”

Kiki? Seriously? I file that gem away to give her crap about later.

“Why would Kiara give you the keys to my apartment?” I love my best friend and I know she wouldn’t have done it without a good reason, or if she had then I may have to kill her.

“Because I told her the truth about what happened with Nox and you and that walking coat-hanger.” I’m guessing that’s Bitch Barbie or she-who-shall-not-be-named. “And once I told her what I’m about to tell you, she gave me the keys in case you wouldn’t let me in and listen to me.”

Kai explains at speed, as if he knows he only has a few seconds to convince me. He’s gauged it well, having my best friend’s blessing is pretty much a touch-down. But I’m still suspicious, especially as Kiara and I have agreed she wouldn’t get involved even though she was dating Kai. Either way, this is a rabbit hole I don’t want to go down. Getting over Lennox was already proving nigh-on impossible; I don’t need to give the fire of feelings I still have for him any additional fuel.

“Kai, I’ve got a plane to catch, so either we need to speed this up or you can tell me when I get back.”

“You’re leaving?” Kai asks, and I gesture towards my suitcase, raising an eyebrow. “Where’re you going?”

“I’m going home, Kai.” I don’t dwell on how ‘home’ used to be the place I shared with Lennox. “I need to get away from here for a while, away from Nox and his damn face plastered on the billboard I walk past every day to get my damn morning coffee!”

I snap my mouth shut as Kai gives me a sympathetic look.

“We miss you, you know, Iz?Hemisses you.”

I shake my head because I don’t want to hear it, although I also do, I really do. Confusing doesn’t even begin to cover all my feelings around Lennox.

“I bet, now you don’t have anyone to watch trashy box-sets with,” I joke, purposely ignoring his mention of Lennox.

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