When the evening comes, I'm already back to pick up Nevaeh from college. Sam parks my car near the gate, and from this spot, I can see the students heading in and out of the place.

It's been quite a long time since I wandered around campus. I finished my study a long time ago and was in charge of Klein Enterprise straightaway.

While I'm waiting for Nevaeh inside the car, I see students talking and laughing with their friends. They look so carefree.

I was once like them, enjoying my life to the fullest.

This kind of atmosphere should remind me of all the good memories, but there's a reason why I'm not fond of this kind of place. It only reminds me of where it all started.

The three of us. Me, Olivia, and Roman.

I've never said that I didn't enjoy my youth.

In fact, I did. I'd felt fulfilled. Contented. Blissed.

We were best friends. The three of us.

We studied in the same university. What more could I ask when I'd already had my best friend who always had my back and the woman I loved by my side?

I'd felt complete.

Until it all crumbled into pieces. Until they left me on the most important day of my life with nothing else to remember but a shattered heart.

Now, I hate to watch this scene in front of me. It tells me that this pain hasn't healed. While watching students walking out through the gate, all I can see is myself with Olivia and Roman heading to a bar across the street, laughing as we talk about our days.

But no matter how bad I don't want to remember my college life, this university gate is where Nevaeh will show up to meet me.

My eyes finally spot her familiar figure and blonde hair. She walks toward the gate, and my heart is immediately on alert.

What I haven't expected to see, however, is a guy walking beside her.

Nevaeh waves at her girlfriends, who walk off in the direction of the parking lot. But the guy doesn't.

The two of them talk about something. I can't ignore the fact that she's talking animatedly and that he gazes at her with so much adoration.

Before I know it, I'm already out of my car. I slam the door shut while my eyes still focus on them.

Now that I look more closely at Nevaeh and this guy, I can guess why he doesn't leave yet.

He doesn't want to leave her waiting alone on the street.

A burst of laughter leaves Nevaeh's lips when he jokes about something. He then ruffles her hair, and she giggles.

My heart clenches with something that I can't bear. Pain.

The sight of them together does something to my heart.

Nevaeh looks startled when she sees me. She halts, and so does the guy.

"You're here," Nevaeh blurts out.

Of course, I am.

I texted her ten minutes ago. Did she forget about that?

Her eyes dart on my car and then me again. Is she wondering why I'm out of my car?

Trust me, I don't even fucking know why.

She turns toward the guy, who still doesn't take his eyes off me. His grey eyes are studying me behind his glasses.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," she says to him.

I scrutinize him, and a knowing look suddenly crosses his expression.

"Ah, your brother?" he asks her.

Silence falls, but then Nevaeh breaks it, "Um... he's actually not my brother."

The stupid guy squints at me, probably wondering why I look familiar. Does he ever watch national television?

The air becomes thick with tension. He and I are facing each other, but none of us offers a handshake.

I still don't know how Nevaeh wants to introduce me to him. It's not like I'm her family even though I came here to pick her up. I doubt that she wants her friends to know that we're living together.

"Your uncle?" the guy starts again, and I'm trying hard not to roll my eyes.

Nevaeh bites her lip. I can sense that she's becoming restless. She shakes her head, signaling that the answer is wrong.

You guess it, kid. I'm not her brother and I'm not old enough to be her father. Neither am I her uncle. You're not an idiot, are you?

My thoughts are so loud in my head, but I can't fucking let them out.

The more seconds pass, the more it becomes obvious that this guy doesn't trust me. The look he tosses me is now close to a glare. He wouldn't trust me to take Nevaeh home.

Nevaeh seems to notice this too, because the next thing she says to him is, "It's okay. I'm safe with him."

His eyes soften as they meet her assuring ones. He stares at her with concern. "Call me when you get home?"

That's it. I'm fucking done with this bullshit.

I grab Nevaeh's hand and lead her to my car. She yelps in surprise but follows me nonetheless.

Once we settle ourselves in the backseat, Sam sighs in relief, as though he's thankful that I didn't make a scene. When Sam starts driving, Nevaeh snaps her head toward the guy, who's still watching my car.

Silence fills the air for long seconds before I speak again. My heart is racing inside my chest. "Who's that guy?"

She finally snaps her head back toward me. "You mean... Kai?" She's slightly out of breath.

"Full name?"

One should know that it means nothing good when I ask their full name.

I face Nevaeh and lock my eyes with hers. I'm trying hard to not swallow the lump in my throat.

"Kai...Walker...?" she echoes with a clueless expression.

She might be wondering why I asked his full name, but the moment her phone buzzes, she gets distracted. She takes out her phone from her bag and opens a message.

I get a glimpse of the name of the sender. Kai.

I quickly tear my gaze away because I don't want her to think that I don't respect her privacy.

Nevaeh types a message to him very quickly, and I can feel her restlessness again. I look out the window, trying to focus on something else. But I can't.

I know what's happening. Kai must be dead worried about her. Goddammit, I bet he even memorized my car's plate number when he kept staring just now. I can't blame him for that.

Nevaeh keeps typing while I fix my gaze out of the window. Even though I can't see it, I know what she's typing. I know what she's trying so hard to explain to him.

She would say that we're nothing.

She would say that nothing is going on between us.

She would say that there's nothing he should be worrying about.

She would even defend me if he accused me of wanting to take advantage of a young girl like her.

Which is the way it should be. I shouldn't doubt that what she's telling him is the truth about us.

My mood is alarmingly sour for the entire ride home, but Nevaeh is too busy with Kai to notice that. I should be grateful for that, shouldn't I?

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I can't stop cursing in my head.

***

AN:

Keep scrolling. It's a double update.