Page 51 of The Chaos She Brings
“What’s up with you two?” Happy asks, his voice jolting me as I spin around to face him.
Shaking my head, I load up a new game. Silence stretches between us uncomfortably before I speak. “I don’t know,” I sigh, “I can’t seem to do anything right.”
“You like him?” he probes, curiosity and something else lacing his tone.
I shrug. “I just wish it wasn’t so awkward being here with him. He won’t talk to me about what happened between us.”
Happy nudges my shoulder playfully. “What happened?”
I turn beet red.
“Nothing,” I mumble, clicking play on the next race but Happy forces the controller out of my hand.
“Come on!”
Rolling my eyes, I turn to face him. “We got a little frisky. Then my new brother turned up and my world turned upside down—more than it already had.”
Happy lets out a low whistle, waggling his eyebrows. “Frisky, huh? Now this is getting interesting.”
I groan, snatching the controller back from him. “It’s really not.”
He tilts his head, studying me. “So, what? You’re into him, he’s into you, but neither of you know how to deal with it?”
I grip the controller a little tighter. “Something like that.”
Happy leans back against the couch, his grin fading slightly. “Look, Tess, I joke around a lot, but I know what it’s like when things get… complicated.”
That catches me off guard. I glance over at him, expecting another smirk, but there’s something almost wistful in his expression.
“I don’t think he’s mad at you,” he continues, stretching his arms behind his head. “I think he’s mad at himself. And if I had to guess, he’s probably scared shitless.”
I scoff. “Kai? Scared? He doesn’t do fear.”
Happy chuckles, shaking his head. “Everyone does fear, T. Some of us just hide it better.”
Something about the way he says it makes my chest tighten. For all his teasing and constant grinning, I realise I don’t actually know that much about him.
“You ever been in a situation like this?” I ask, nudging him with my foot.
Happy gives a half-shrug. “Maybe.”
I arch an eyebrow. “That’s vague.”
“That’s intentional,” he shoots back, flashing me a smirk. But then his expression softens. “Look, I can’t tell you what to do, but I do know this—when shit gets weird, you either talk it out, or you let it eat at you until there’s nothing left but regret.”
I swallow hard.
“I’m just saying,” he adds, nudging me playfully, “if you wanna keep brooding, fine. But I’d rather kick your ass at Mario Kart, so maybe get your head in the game.”
A small smile tugs at my lips. “Best of three?”
Happy grins. “Oh, you’re on.”
Kai
Sweat clings to my skin as I run, pushing myself to my limits. Each breath feels like I’m inhaling glass shards.
Nico matches my pace silently. I’ve heard Tess refer to him as ‘Happy’—the statement’s pretty accurate. I’ve never seen the guy without a smile on his face.
