The Memory Keeper: Twisted Roots

Chapter 19: I left, Again.

I turned to her, surprised. "Really?"

Jessica nodded, popping a bite of pancake into her mouth.

A weighted silence settled between us before I finally asked the question I had been avoiding. "How was she... when I left?"

Jessica paused, fork hovering mid-air. Her hesitation was brief, but I caught it. She exhaled, choosing her words carefully. "She was... okay."

I narrowed my eyes. "Jess-"

She cut me off with a sigh. "Fine. She wasn't okay. Or let's put it this way-Khai went through a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean figuratively and literally."

Something in my chest tightened.

I swallowed. "What happened?"

Jessica just looked at me, as if deciding whether I was ready to hear the answer.

Jessica exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. "She should be the one answering that, not me."

I let out a small sigh. "Jessica, please-"

She shook her head. "Since you left, a lot has happened. In fact, you shouldn't be here."

Her words sent a chill down my spine. My brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Before Jessica could respond, the front door opened.

"Hey, you're awake."

That voice. That familiar, deep yet soothing voice.

I turned, and there she was-Khai, slightly out of breath, dressed in her usual running gear. Strands of damp hair stuck to her forehead, and the sight of her, standing there, so effortlessly radiant, made my heart skip a beat.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked casually, her expression unreadable.

I swallowed. "Yeah... I did."

She nodded, grabbing a towel from the counter. "I just need to take a quick shower, then I'll drop you off at your hotel."

I shifted on my feet. "No need, I'll just take a cab."

Khai stilled for a moment before turning toward me. "I understand if you're not comfortable, but I'll have Manuel drop you off if that would make you feel better."

There was something in her voice-something controlled, careful, as if she was trying to maintain a safe distance.

Jessica, who had been silently watching our exchange, cleared her throat. "I'll go check on some things." She slipped away, leaving just the two of us.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The air between us was thick with words left unsaid.

The silence between us was suffocating.

Khai stood a few feet away, her posture rigid, her face carefully neutral-but I could see it. The restraint. The tension in her shoulders. The way she avoided my eyes like she was bracing for something inevitable.

I took a deep breath and finally broke the silence.

"Khai... what happened?"

Her gaze flickered to mine, intense yet guarded. "Last night?"

I shook my head. "No-what happened after I left?" My voice wavered, but I pressed on. "Why didn't you go after me?"

Khai remained still, unshaken, always the same Khai-controlled, measured. "I think it's better to leave things behind, Rain."

"No, it wasn't." My voice cracked as frustration surged inside me. "It will never be."

I could feel my emotions boiling over, no longer something I could suppress. The anger, the sadness, the regret-they all spilled out at once.