Page 99 of Hyperspeed
When I opened the door, I wished I’d let her answer it instead.
Standing on my doorstep, holding a bright bouquet and a stuffed black cat, was Kai. I frowned while he stood there, wide-eyed. We said nothing for a moment, just stared at one another, taking everything in.
I leaned against the doorframe, relieving some of the weight off my injured leg.
“Kai,” I said, and he blinked back to awareness, shoving his offerings into my hands.
An array of floral scents filled my nose, and I eyed the fluffy cat toy. The cat toy’s ugliness was almost cute; its black fur stuck out as if it had been electrocuted. The huge purple eyes stared into my soul, and it held a sign between its oversized paws that read,“You had me at meow.”
I glanced up at him, one eyebrow raised, and he scratched the back of his neck. His cheeks flushed a satisfying shade of red.
“I saw it and, uh, I thought of you, y’know?”
“Right.” I used the bouquet to cover the lower half of my face, hiding my shy smile. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” he explained. “I got your address from Zylo—”
“That man is a walking data protection lawsuit,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.
“Yeah,” Kai chuckled. “He wanted to come with me, but I persuaded him not to.” He shifted from one foot to the other. “I didn’t hear from you, and I was worried. I . . . I just wanted to check on you.”
“Sorry,” I replied, my skin glowing bright orange. “I was going to text you, but I got distracted with—”
“Who is it,zyli?” Mum called, interrupting our awkward exchange.
With Kai’s surprise drop-in, I’d forgotten I already had company, and now I wasn’t sure what to do.
Beyond my family, I’d never had visitors, so I wasn’t sure of the social etiquette. Did I tell him to go home? Invite him in and introduce him to my family?
I didn’t have time to decide, because Mum appeared, beaming at Kai.
“Oh, hello!” Her skin flickered with golden light. “You’re Kai Mercer, aren’t you?”
I watched, mesmerised, as Kai shook off the awkwardness and transformed into his usual charming self.
He smiled back at Mum, holding out his hand. “I was the last time I checked. You’re Rev’s mum?”
“Yes, I am.” She took his hand in hers, then spotted the gifts in my arms. “Oh, they’re lovely. Are they from you, Kai?”
His cheeks burned brighter than the red lights on the track. “I wanted to make sure Rev was okay,” he explained, eyes shifting to me. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You’re not,” I replied, trying to reassure him.
“Sorry. I’ll leave you to it—”
“No,” I blurted, a little louder than I meant to, startling Mum and Kai. “You don’t need to go.”
Kai bit his lip, and Mum picked up on his uncertainty.
“I’ll take these for you,zyli.” She removed the gifts from my hands and smiled at Kai. “There’s plenty of food if you’re hungry, Kai? Rev’s grandma cooks enough to feed an army.”
I could see him struggling with an internal debate, and when he looked at me, I nodded, trying to let him know without words that he was welcome to stay.
Whatever he saw in my face put him at ease, and he returned Mum’s smile with a charming one of his own. “That would be great, Mrs Arathiel. Thank you.”
“Please,” she called over her shoulder, disappearing into the main living area. “Call me Mina. Mrs Arathiel makes me feel like an old woman.”
“What’s wrong with being an old woman?” Grandma retorted, while Dad muttered a quiet wisecrack in response.
