He makes a face, “Really?” “Yup, try me.” Cole says nothing for the next few seconds. He runs his hands through his hair and I can almost see the wheels in his head running as he’s thinking of what to tell me. “Well, huh…It was about new marketing ideas for the brand. It was actually the direc
LESLIE’S POV “He’s here. Where are you?”—Cole. I stare at the message from Cole that was sent about five minutes ago. That’s also how long I have been parked in the company’s parking lot, doing nothing but pondering on whether coming here is a good idea. When I asked Cole two days ago to invite
LESLIE’S POV I should have stayed in the car. That regret comes only after I have intervened and now I catch myself wondering why exactly that happened. Was it because I couldn’t stand seeing Kian get punched in the face? Or because a boy who looks up to me as an older sister was about to get pumme
KIAN’S POV I’ve had a terrible day. First, I woke up all sore from the cheap mattress at a motel room which is the only place I could afford during my stay here in Seattle. Then I was served the most terrible meal I have ever eaten courtesy of the motel’s room service. After that, I got into an
LESLIE’S POV I waited for his call for an entire day but it never came. Every time my phone lit up or vibrated, I dropped everything I was doing to run to it only to be met with spam calls and messages. My daily routine that included going to the gym, grocery shopping and then designing was disrupt
I nervously usher him into the living room and go to the kitchen to get him water. When I return, I see his eyes wandering around the room and I wonder if he suspects anything. If he does, he doesn’t show it. He perches himself on one side of my couch and takes the cup of water from me. I don’t kn
KIAN’S POV Her warmth encircling me is everything—everything I’ve missed, everything I’ve craved and everything I thought I would never have again. With that one word, she has my knees so close to bending and has my rage at her disappearing into oblivion. I didn’t mean to be angry or to say those
LESLIE’S POV How I went three years without Kian is beyond anything I can comprehend. Before him, I felt like I was enough. I told myself often that I didn’t need anyone and if I’m being honest, it served me well. It made me focus, knowing that all I had was myself. Even with my found family co
LESLIE’S POV I join Kian’s mother outside the room, closing the door behind me. She is still stewing in anger, face red with rage that’s waiting to be unleashed. Usually, I would do anything to pacify her so I wouldn't be at the receiving end of that unbridled rage. Now? Irritation is all I feel at
LESLIE’S POV (One Week Later) “If the police show up again, spray them in the face with the fire extinguisher or something.” Cole’s irritated voice filters through my phone’s speaker and it makes me crack a smile for the first time in a week. “Pretty sure I would get arrested for that.” “Not
LESLIE’S POV My reflexes work faster than they ever have. Fast enough to help me roll away, and bump into Beverly in the process. Mike relentlessly stalks towards me and that’s when I get a good look at his affected leg. I time his movement and before he can take another angry swing of his weapon
LESLIE’S POV Seconds after Beverly crumples to the ground, my breath is still caught in my throat. I’m still trembling as I watch her sprawled on the floor, body jerking uncontrollably. I’m amazed at my strength to still remain standing despite the traumatising scene in front of me. To still grip t
LESLIE’S POV Our hearts are already in our mouths before we see what jumped at us—a ginormous rat, every bit as scared as us. It runs at full speed and scurries into the nearby bush. “All clear.” She mutters and we both step into the shed using her phone’s flashlight. It’s a full shed; a bunch of
LESLIE’S POV We’re barely two minutes away from the abandoned school gate when the engine starts to sputter, the entire truck shaking with the intensity. “No…no…no…no, not now!” Beverly lets out a panicked groan. I am preoccupied with looking behind us to make sure we’re not being followed but at
LESLIE’S POV Kian doesn’t know it—the name of Mike’s sister. I can tell from the way his entire face has gone even paler than it was before. Earlier, it had been pale from the pain of the injuries from the accident that I still don’t know the extent of. Now, he has turned ashen from something m
LESLIE’S POV The sound of my name reaches me from somewhere distant. The sound is repeated just like the throbbing ache in my head. When I finally manage to pry open my eyes, the feeling of deja vu washes over me. My hands and legs are bound tightly just like three years ago in that warehouse.
BEVERLY’S POV The familiar beeping sound that comes from my phone causes me to jerk upright. My eyes train on the screen, following the movement of a blinking red dot on the map. He’s on the move. I slam a couple of bills on the coffee table before hurrying out of the cafe where I had been havi