Page 16 of Spark

I snort. “That doesn’t exist. Especially not for Kai Cook.”

“Sure, it does.”

“ForKai?”

“For anyone.”

“Have you experienced it?”

Kendrick pauses a weirdly long time, his cheeks flushed. Finally, he says, “No. Not personally. But I believe it exists.”

I swat at him. “You’re such a romantic.” I flop onto my back and sigh. “Why has your brother been acting like such a douchebag this tour? Did his breakup fuck him up thatbadly? He’s acting like pre-Laila Savage.” Kendrick doesn’t reply, so I look over at him. “What’s wrong? Aw, is your sweet, tenderheart sympathizing with your brother or with the girl he fucked and won’t ever call again?” Kendrick looks like he’s biting his tongue, so I push on his arm. “Spit it out.”

“Spit what out?”

“Whatever’s making you look sad.”

“I’m not sad. I’m just . . .” Kendrick drags his teeth across his lower lip. “Was it hard on you seeing that girl come out of Kai’s room?”

I snort. “Yes, it was torture.” I laugh, thinking he’ll join me. But he doesn’t. Not even a little bit. I sit up. “Why would it be hard for me to see that? Was it hard foryou? What does that even mean?”

“I just . . .” He sits up, matching my position, and runs a hand through his hair. “Actually, never mind. I shouldn’t have said that. Fuck, I must be really drunk.”

“Why shouldn’t you have said it?” I pause, waiting for an explanation. When it doesn’t come, I poke his muscular bicep. “What the fuck is going on with you? Kendrick, spill.”

“Come on, Ruby. I’m sure you don’t want to talk about this.”

“Aboutwhat?”

“You know . . . What happened between you and Kai.”

I stare at him blankly, having a hard time processing his words.

“Way back when,” he adds, like that will clarify things for me. But I’m still confused.

Does Kendrick know about that thing that happened between his brother and me, despite Kai making me promise on my life I’d never to say a word about it, ever? If so, that can only mean that Kai himself must have told Kendrick. Which would then mean my long-ago promise is now null and void. At least, that’s my interpretation of our binding agreement.

It suddenly occurs to me that if Kai told his brother that story accurately, then there’d be no reason for Kendrick tothink, even for a minute, that I’d have a hard time seeing his brother with some fuck buddy. Am I deeply confused because I’m shitfaced? I definitely drank too much down at the bar. “Did Kai tell you something about him and me?”

Kendrick nods.

“Did it involve something that happened at my twentieth birthday party?”

Kendrick’s nostrils flare, as he subtly nods again. “I promised him I’d never breathe a word about it, though.”

My heart is thumping. “Why did he make you promise that? What was Kai worried about—his bruised ego or Titus kicking his fuckboy ass?”

Kendrick furrows his brow. “Hisbruised ego? No, he wanted to protectyouandyourbruised ego.”

“Huh?”

“Kai wanted to protect you from embarrassment. Not that you have anything to feel embarrassed about, of course. You were young, and what you felt was perfectly natural. But?—”

“Kendrick, I don’t know what Kai told you happened between us, but I’m beginning to think he told you the story in reverse.” Adrenaline is flashing through me. “Because I assure you, if anyone had a bruised ego that night, it was Kai. Not me.”

Kendrick’s lips part in surprise, and suddenly, despite the haze of my drunken stupor, I’m positive Kai has slandered me. Lied, lied, lied, like the motherfucking snake he is.

“Kendrick, tell me right now what fucked-up story Kai told you, in detail, or I’m going to march right down to his room and?—”

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