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.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
𝕂𝕒𝕚 𝕂𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕠
»--•--«

The morning sun filtered through the house, casting a warm glow against the hardwood floors. I let out a quiet yawn, rubbing the back of my neck as I wandered out of the kitchen, an almost-empty glass of orange juice in my hand. It was way too early for me to be functioning, but my mom had already made sure I was awake. I wasn't exactly looking forward to it.

I took another sip of my drink, stepping into the hallway, when the sound of laughter made me glance up.

Amelia.

I narrowed my eyes as she came into view, walking beside Zade.

That wasn't what made me pause.

It was the hoodie she was wearing—the one that was way too big on her, the sleeves covering half her hands. The one that was definitely not hers.

My gaze flickered to Zade.

Yeah. That was his.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I watched Amelia say something to him, her voice light, filled with amusement. Zade let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head before nudging her lightly with his elbow.

And then her eyes landed on me.

Her face lit up instantly. "Kai!" She beamed, rushing forward before I could react. "Happy birthday!"

Before I could open my mouth, she threw her arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug.

I barely managed to stop myself from spilling my orange juice as I stood there, caught off guard for a second before I sighed, patting her back. "Thanks, Amelia."

She pulled away with a bright smile. "Excited for your big day?"

"Absolutely not."

Zade snorted. "You ready for what's about to happen?"

I shot him a look. "Don't remind me. I'm still in denial."

Amelia laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, this is going to be so fun. I can't wait to see you suffer."

I let out a sigh. "I really don't know what I did to deserve this."

Zade smirked. "Oh, don't act all innocent. This is karma, and you know it."

"Karma for what?" I asked, incredulous.

"For existing," Amelia said sweetly.

I scoffed. "Wow. You know, I expected this from him, but not you, Amelia. This is betrayal."

She shrugged. "What can I say? Watching you squirm is fun."

Zade nodded in agreement. "One of the best things in life, really."

I glanced between them, blinking at Zade blankly, "take your girlfriend and go before I lose my appetite."

Zade smirked before turning to Amelia, wrapping an arm around her waist as he pulled her closer. "Alright, we'll leave you alone so you could reflect on your sins and ask for forgiveness."