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𝔼𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕚𝕝𝕒 𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕣
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The night stretched endlessly ahead as Kai drove, the road dimly lit by flickering streetlights, the hum of the engine a steady background noise. My fingers idly played with the ends of his jacket sleeve, my gaze fixed on him as he maneuvered the car effortlessly, one hand on the wheel, the other resting lazily on the gear shift.

I wasn't even really thinking about anything, just watching him—how his jaw tightened slightly in concentration, how his fingers flexed, how his hair was still slightly disheveled from the fight earlier.

"You miss my face that much?" Kai asked suddenly, his voice tinged with amusement, though he didn't take his eyes off the road.

I rolled my eyes and looked away, but that only seemed to encourage him.

"Oh God," he gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to his chest. "You don't like my face anymore, do you?"

"Uh—"

"Is it my nose?" he interrupted, feigning concern. "Too crooked? Maybe my eyes—no, wait, it's the eyebrows, isn't it? Too sharp?"

"Kai."

"Or my jawline—maybe it's not strong enough? I knew I should've worked on that more—"

"Kai, stop," I cut in, fighting back a laugh.

"I just need to know so I can fix it," he continued, barely holding back his own grin. "You see, there's this girl I really like, and I need to make a good impression—"

I played along, tilting my head. "Oh? A girl?"

"Yeah, she's kinda mean to me, but I like it, sort of, it's a personal issue, anyway," he mused. "She's real pain, though. No taste in men, apparently."

"Sounds like a lost cause. Maybe move on?"

"Maybe," he sighed. "But, you know, I've already put in too much effort. Might as well see it through. Plus, she's like gorgeous. Honestly, cannot take my eyes off her."

I snorted, shaking my head before finally saying, "I was just thinking about how cool it was when you broke the guy's nose with just a punch."

Kai shot me a look, one brow slightly raised. Then he shrugged as he took a sharp U-turn. "Yeah, well, he pissed me off."

I kept watching him, my gaze lingering, and after a few moments, he sighed, his fingers tapping against the wheel. "What do you want, Emmaline?"

Heat rushed to my face at the way he said my name, so casual yet exasperated, and I quickly looked away. "I'm hungry," I muttered.

"There's food at home."

"You sound like my mum right now," I groaned, before lightly chuckling, "no, wait, you sound like your mum."