Kiera approached the gate slowly. She ran out without even bothering to think about what she was wearing, which were old pajamas that were not in the slightest flattering. She had slippers on her feet and her hair wasn't combed or anything. It was too late to turn back around, though. Mikael was looking at her in a way she couldn't describe. His eyes were hooded and he looked like he hadn't slept a wink last night. It made her feel immediately guilty but she stopped herself before she went down another spiral of self-hatred. She didn't know what he was doing at her gate or what he wanted to say to her. It was risky to assume that he was coming to apologize. She tapped the button next to the intercom and the gate opened. She was sure that Simone would wonder where she had gone but she couldn't wait for her to return. Her bedroom was on the other side of the house. Mikael stood up straight once they were standing face to face. He glanced at her clothes and her face burned. She said
In the following days, Kiera found herself once again swamped with work. She was slowly recuperating. It was taking longer than she initially expected but the worst was behind her. Her symptoms worsened during the evenings but she felt she was fit to leave the house and better yet, meet with Mikael again. She missed him dearly. He called her nearly every night and their conversations were animated and heart-warming for her. One thing that astounded her, though, was that he spoke so much without ever giving anything away. She still knew nothing about his personal affairs except for his occupation and the home he lives in with a few of his distant relatives. He, however, knew quite a lot about her, including every detail of her career and even who her boss was. He was particularly interested in her childhood and she couldn't blame him. Her childhood was a peculiar one. She gladly told him everything he asked but there were parts that she kept to herself for the time being. She didn't
Kiera returned home and discovered that Simone was awake and in the kitchen. She had just started preparing dinner when she walked into the kitchen carrying the cheesecake. Simone wiped her wet hands on a kitchen towel and asked, "What's this?" "I bought a cheesecake for dessert. It's strawberry, your favorite."A smile lit up her face. "I'll put it in the fridge, then. I'm sure it's going to be delicious. I'm making a vegetable curry with flatbread.""I'll make the bread," Kiera announced and got started with the preparations. As she worked, she realized that Celia was on her mind. She wished it weren't the case but she couldn't deny it. The encounter disturbed her more than she thought it would and it was strange to think that a stranger could have such an effect on her. She hadn't thought of the men who attacked her that night as much as she was thinking about Celia. She thought of telling Simone the story and getting her opinion but something stopped her. She felt it was silly.
The police assured her that they'd look into her case. And because she mentioned that she had been harassed days before by a group of men, it made her case more urgent. When everyone had left, she and Simone sat across from each other on the kitchen counter. Kiera was oddly speechless. She didn't know what to say and since Simone made me effort to break the silence, she figured it would be best if they said nothing at all. Kane had been contacted and he promised to return home when he got the opportunity. He said at most two days. Kiera decided, in her mind, that it was the perfect opportunity to invite Mikael over for dinner. She didn't tell Simone yet because she felt it wouldn't be appropriate considering the fright they got but she would eventually. Perhaps even later in the day, when things calmed down a bit more."Breakfast?" Simone asked."No," Kiera replied, shaking her head, "I'm not hungry.""Me neither."Kiera wouldn't get any work done, she knew it in her heart. Whenever
Kiera finished by applying lipstick. Mikael would arrive at any moment and she wanted to be downstairs to greet him. Leaving him alone with Simone and Kane would be awkward and the last thing she needed was to make him feel uncomfortable. The mauve lipstick complimented her skin tone well. She loved how confident she looked and felt. Things were finally happening. It was all becoming real.Sharing Mikael with her family meant more to her than anyone would ever guess. It was making him official, in a sense, even if it was only in her heart. He was coming to her home and he'd sit at her table. It meant a big deal to her. And sure, there was the incident that left the atmosphere tense but it was something that Mikael would easily overlook. But she couldn't say that the mood was altogether sour; she and Simone were on speaking terms. Kiera was glad when Simone approached her with the menu with a smile on her face. They discussed the three-course meal they'd serve and Kiera agreed that
Kiera looked back and forth between the two of them. She couldn't believe what was happening. Where did the sudden hostility between them come from? She blinked and tried to speak but no words came out. She was in absolute shock. "Kiera," Kane said after a moment, "take it away."She peeled her eyes from Mikael and asked, "W-what?" "The silver," he said, "take it away."She did as she was told without overthinking it. She carried the tray back to the kitchen and then stood near the counter for a few beats without turning around. Frankly, she was afraid of what she might see when she looked over her shoulder. Her hands were shaking and she was out of breath. She looked at the chocolate mousse and wondered what the hell had happened. She couldn't wrap her head around it. Kiera heard movement behind her and when she turned around, she saw that they were once again seated but they weren't saying anything to each other. She was afraid of approaching them but she knew she couldn't hide
Kiera woke up with a heavy heart. The world was dark to her. She felt so heavy that it was almost as if she would never be able to rise from the bed again. She turned on her side and stared at the wall of her bedroom for what felt like hours. She didn't feel like doing anything. She had no interest in going downstairs for breakfast and working was the farthest thing from her mind. Besides, Simone and Kane were down there and she wasn't ready to face them. Kiera still didn't know what to make of the dinner. She wasn't sure if she believed Kane but she was hurt nonetheless. Her mind was a mess. Would Mikael have said that about her? That she was easy to please? That translated to being desperate and it wasn't how she meant to portray herself. But what if she had done so unintentionally? She groaned into her pillow. Thinking about Mikael wasn't healthy but she didn't know what else to do or how to avoid it. Going downstairs to distract herself wasn't an option. Doing work was imposs
Kane was in the living room when Kiera arrived. She spent the entire day with Mikael and so she was in an excellent mood. The whole incident at dinner was miraculously forgotten and she was relieved that he wasn't the person she had begun to think he was. It was all Kane's fault. He was the one who told her lies. She almost broke off all ties with a perfectly good man because Kane decided that he wasn't good enough for her. She wanted to confront him. When she stopped by the door to close it, she gave herself a few seconds to think things through even though it wasn't enough time. She gave up on the idea because confronting him meant that she would have to reveal to them that she had met up with Mikael. It would be best if she kept that a secret for the time being. "Hey," he said, searching her face with his eyes. "Hi," she said, stopping in front of him. She saw that Simone wasn't in the kitchen. Had she gone to bed? "How was lunch?" "Great," she said, remembering that she had