Rain's POV
We walked toward a bar just a few blocks away from Sofi's restaurant. Alice, Michelle, and Sofi were ahead of us, chatting and laughing like nothing had just happened. Meanwhile, Khai and I trailed behind, the air between us thick with unspoken words.
Then, in a low voice, Khai broke the silence. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have come here. I didn't know Sofi was your friend," she admitted, her voice laced with something-regret, maybe, or hesitation.
I kept walking, not even sparing her a glance. "It's fine," I replied, trying to sound unaffected. "We're good." But the moment the words left my mouth, I knew they were only half true. Then, without thinking, I added, "Besides... she likes you."
Khai let out a small breath-almost like a quiet laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Sofi's nice," she said simply. "She's warm, kind... easy to be around."
I clenched my fists inside my coat pockets. "Yeah," I muttered. "She is."
There was a pause before Khai spoke again, softer this time. "But she's not you."
That made me stop in my tracks. I turned to look at her, but she was already staring at me-like she was trying to read between the lines of my silence. Like she was waiting for me to say something, anything.
But I didn't.
Instead, I exhaled sharply, shaking off the weight of her words, and started walking again. "Let's just get this night over with," I said, forcing my tone back to indifference.
Khai didn't argue. She just walked beside me, quietly, like she always used to. Like she always did before we became nothing but memories in each other's lives.
As we arrived at The Queer, the bar known as a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community, I instinctively maintained my distance from Khai. The last thing I wanted was to get caught in another awkward conversation. The air inside was vibrant-music pulsed through the speakers, rainbow lights flickered across the walls, and groups of people laughed, danced, and lost themselves in the moment.
Glasses of drinks came one after another. Alice was already a little tipsy, Michelle was laughing loudly at one of Sofi's stories, and I found myself nodding along to the conversation while my mind drifted elsewhere-back to Khai, back to the past, back to the way she looked at me tonight.
I needed a distraction.
Then, as if the universe heard me, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Mel.
I exhaled, relieved, and quickly stepped outside, where the cool night air helped ground me. I answered on the third ring.
"Hey, babe," I greeted, forcing a smile into my voice. "The girls and I are spending time here at The Queer. I wish you were here."
Mel chuckled on the other end, her voice warm and familiar. "You know I'd be there in a heartbeat if I wasn't stuck with this project. How's the night going?"
I glanced back through the bar's window, my eyes unintentionally finding Khai. She was sitting at the booth, listening to Sofi, who leaned in a little too close as she spoke. My stomach twisted.
"It's good," I lied. "Just drinks, some stories, the usual."
"You're not drinking too much, are you?" Mel teased. "I don't want to deal with a hangover video call tomorrow morning."
I chuckled, trying to focus on Mel, on the life I built after leaving everything behind. "No promises."
Mel sighed dramatically. "I swear, you and Alice together are trouble."
"That's why you love me," I shot back, hoping the words would feel as natural as they always had.
But tonight, something felt off. Like I was playing a role I wasn't sure I fit into anymore.
As soon as I ended the call with Mel, I took a deep breath and headed back inside. The atmosphere was buzzing with energy-music blared, laughter filled the air, and everyone at our table was well into their drinks. I could tell Alice and Michelle were tipsy, caught up in their own flirtations with women from the next table. And then there was Sofi-leaning into Khai, twirling her hair, eyes locked on her like she was the most interesting person in the room.
I ignored the strange feeling in my chest and turned my attention back to my drink. It doesn't matter, I told myself. Khai can do whatever she wants.
Just as I was about to take another sip, a woman approached me. She was tall, striking, with a confident smirk that told me she was used to getting her way.
"Hey there," she purred. "Haven't seen you around before. I'm Luna."
At first, it was harmless. Small talk. A few polite exchanges. I wasn't interested, but I also wasn't in the mood to be rude. Besides, it was nice to have a distraction from the way my thoughts kept drifting to Khai.
But then I noticed it.
Khai's gaze.
She wasn't paying attention to Sofi anymore. No, her eyes were locked on me and Luna, dark and unreadable, but intense enough that it sent a shiver down my spine.
I ignored it.
I kept talking to Luna, but then she got closer. Too close. Her hand brushed my arm, then my waist, and suddenly I felt cornered. The conversation shifted from casual to something heavier, something more insistent.
"Relax, babe," Luna murmured, leaning in even more. "I don't bite... unless you want me to."
I stiffened. Okay. This is getting out of hand.
I tried to move away, but she wouldn't let up. My body tensed, my pulse quickening. I wasn't enjoying this. I wasn't comfortable. And before I could push her back-
Bang!
A sickening crack filled the air.
Before I could even register what was happening, Luna was on the floor. Stunned gasps erupted around us. Blood trickled from her lip, and standing over her, fists clenched, chest heaving-was Khai.
Her entire body radiated fury. Her eyes were dark, burning, filled with something wild and dangerous.
Luna barely had time to react before Khai grabbed her by the collar and threw another punch. Then another. And another.
"You fucking bastard-" Khai's voice was a snarl, raw and violent, as her fists kept landing, each punch fueled by something more than just rage.
Luna's friends rushed to intervene, grabbing at Khai's arms, trying to pull her away, but she was relentless.
"Khalia! Stop!" My voice cut through the chaos.
And just like that-she froze.
Her breathing was ragged, her chest rising and falling in harsh, uneven gasps. Her hands trembled. Blood splattered across her knuckles. But it wasn't just fury that I saw in her eyes when she turned to me.
It was something deeper. Something raw. Something terrified.
Her voice broke when she finally spoke, and the weight of her words sent a shiver down my spine.
"Don't you ever fucking touch her."
The room was silent.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
And all I could do was stare at Khai-the woman I once loved, the woman I told myself I had moved on from-and realize, with a sharp, painful clarity, that no matter how much time had passed...
She still burned for me.
The weight of the moment pressed down on me. I could feel every pair of eyes in the room locked onto me, but I couldn't tell if they were shocked by what Khai had done to Luna or by the fact that I had called out her name.
As if to add insult to injury, Khai turned to Luna's friends, her voice sharp and biting.
"Is that how you treat a girl?" she spat, her rage still simmering just beneath the surface.
Without hesitation, she reached into the pocket of her trench coat, pulled out her wallet, and tossed a handful of bills onto the counter.
"If they want to press charges, they can find me at The Hilton," she stated coldly, her voice devoid of any remorse. Then, without another word, she stormed out of the bar.
For a moment, I was frozen in place. My mind screamed at me to let her go. She's not your responsibility anymore. But my body had other plans.
Before I knew it, my feet were moving.
"Khai, wait-Khai!" I called out, chasing after her.
She came to a sudden halt. When she turned to face me, I expected anger. Maybe even frustration. But all I got was a single word, spoken so softly I almost missed it.
"Sorry."
Her voice wavered.
That's when I saw it-the pain she had buried deep inside for years, now bleeding into her expression like an open wound. Her chest rose and fell in uneven gasps, and her hands trembled at her sides.
Then I realized-she wasn't just upset. She was struggling.
Khai was having a panic attack.
Her breath hitched. Her body went rigid. And before she could even try to mask it, she broke.
Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over as her knees buckled slightly. Her hands clutched at her coat, as if grounding herself, as if trying to keep it together-but she was losing the battle.
I took a hesitant step forward. She needs someone. She needs me.
"Khai..." I whispered, reaching out.
But she wouldn't-couldn't-look at me. Instead, she let out a ragged breath, shaking her head as if trying to fight against whatever was tearing her apart from the inside.
And in that moment, watching the strongest person I've ever known crumble right in front of me, I realized-this wasn't just about what happened tonight.
This was years of pain. Years of guilt. Years of us-everything we never said, everything we pretended didn't hurt.
And now, it was all unraveling.
As I started to get closer to Khai, someone called her name. It was Sofi.
"Khai!" Sofi's voice was urgent, full of concern. She quickly checked on Khai, her hands gentle, trying to assess the damage. Then Michelle and Alice appeared behind me, both of them looking a bit too calm considering the chaos that had just unfolded.
Sofi's voice broke the silence, soft but firm, "Let's get you to the restaurant and clean up those bruises."
I nodded, watching as Sofi and Khai began walking ahead of us. The tension between Alice, Michelle, and me was palpable. I could feel their gazes shifting between me and Khai, their curiosity almost suffocating.
When we arrived at the restaurant, Alice stopped me before I could enter. She reached into her bag and pulled out a cigarette.
"Khai-Khalia, isn't it?" Alice's voice was low but sharp, as if she was probing, testing my reaction.
I froze. How did she know her full name?
I didn't answer immediately, unsure of how to react, but Alice didn't press. She just studied me for a while, waiting.
"Go on," she said finally, "I won't judge."
I hesitated before responding, the weight of her gaze still on me. Should I tell her everything?
"Don't tell Sofi," I said quietly, the words feeling heavy as they left my lips. "I don't want her to get hurt."
Alice's expression softened slightly, understanding something in me that I wasn't ready to fully confront. She nodded slowly.
"So she was-" Alice started, but she was cut off by Michelle's voice from behind us.
"Hey, do you guys want some tea?"
The abrupt shift in tone snapped me out of my daze. I turned to Michelle, trying to shake off the tension in the air. But even as I followed them inside, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the truth hanging between us all.
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Khai's POV
Sofi's hands were gentle as she carefully wrapped the bandages around my bruised knuckles. But my mind was elsewhere-lost in memories I had buried deep. The quiet hum of the restaurant faded as a flashback took hold of me, uninvited and sharp.
"Khai, put the gun down," Poppa's voice echoed in my head, desperate and trembling.
"Khai, listen to me-Khalia!"
I could see him in that dimly lit room, his eyes wide with fear, but all I could hear was the chaos of that night. The weight of the gun in my hand felt heavier with every passing second. I couldn't pull away from the rush of emotion that hit me-anger, betrayal, hurt-all tangled together until I couldn't breathe.
I snapped back to the present when Sofi pressed the bandage a little too hard against my hand. The sharp sting made me flinch, and I realized I had been holding my breath, lost in the past.
When I looked up, I caught Rain's gaze. Her eyes were fixed on me, and I could see the quiet understanding in them, but also something else-something harder, almost like... concern.
She didn't say anything, but I could feel the weight of her stare, the silence stretching between us. It wasn't just about the fight, or the way I had acted, it was something deeper. Something unspoken, but always there.
I quickly looked away, not sure I was ready to face the questions I knew were swirling in her mind. But the truth was, I wasn't even sure if I knew how to answer them myself.
Sofi's hands were steady as she finished wrapping the bandage around my hand, and after a moment of silence, she looked up at me.
"You're good to go," she said, her voice soft but firm.
I nodded, offering her a brief smile of thanks before turning toward the door. I could feel Rain's gaze lingering on me, but I didn't meet her eyes. I couldn't. Not now.
Each step away from the restaurant felt like it gave me a little more space to breathe. I needed to get away. To be alone. Out of her sight. Away from everything that had resurfaced tonight-away from the memories I wasn't ready to confront, from the things I had left unsaid.
I didn't know where I was headed, but I just kept walking. The chill of the night air hit me, and I wrapped my coat tighter around myself, pushing the thoughts of Rain and the chaos of the evening to the back of my mind. I needed time. Time to think. Time to breathe. Time to forget.
For just a little while, I needed to be far away from it all.
°°°
Rain's POV
As Khai walked away, the silence in the room felt heavier, almost suffocating. It was broken by Michelle, who couldn't help but comment, "That was intense."
Alice and Michelle lingered close, their curiosity evident. "Now spill it-how did you know her name?" Alice prodded.
I trailed off for a moment, gathering my thoughts before I finally spoke, "Khai..."
Michelle pressed me further, her voice insistent. "Come on, don't keep us in suspense!"
I sighed, feeling the weight of it all. "Khai was my ex."
Alice's eyes widened in realization. "I knew it! Dang! I knew it," she exclaimed, almost a little too gleefully.
Michelle gasped. "That Khai-the one you were blabbering about in the group chat? The ex you can't stand working with? Khai?"
I nodded, my chest tight as the past resurfaced, but I pushed through it.
Sofi, who had been silent until now, spoke up softly, almost like she was trying to piece everything together. "So, that means you were Khai's ex... the one that got away?"
The question hung in the air, heavy with the implication. I didn't know how to answer, so I just let out a strained chuckle. "I'm sorry, Sofi. I didn't know she was the one you were referring to."
But I quickly bounced back, trying to brush off the weight of the situation. "But hey, we're over. Me and Khai? That's just history now. I have Mel."
Alice, ever the realist, shook her head with a knowing smirk. "Damn, girl. Tell that to the woman who almost killed those dumbwits in the bar."
Michelle's voice was more serious now, probing. "So? How are you going to tell Mel about it?"
The question landed like a punch, and I felt a knot form in my stomach. How could I explain all of this to Mel? How could I explain the chaos, the old wounds, and the woman who once tore my heart apart-who was now somehow back in my life, in a way I never expected?
Rain's POV
As the conversation with Alice and Michelle continued, the weight of the past and the present settled heavily on me. I was caught between two worlds-one where Khai was a storm in my life, and one where Mel, steady and warm, had become my anchor. But as I processed it all, a smile tugged at the corner of my lips, a fleeting moment of clarity in the chaos.
I remembered that night at the bar. The first time Khai had stormed toward me-her fierce presence cutting through the noise of the bar as she confronted the jerks who had dared to get too close. I had been undercover, hunting down the bastard boyfriend of Therese, but in that moment, I was caught off guard by the force of Khai's protection. She had swept in like a storm, fiercely loyal, unwilling to let anyone hurt me. I remembered how her eyes had burned with that protective fire, and how in that instant, she had become my Captain Hero.
But as I stood there, surrounded by my friends and my new life, I couldn't deny the truth. Khai was always going to be my Captain Hero, And I? I was already someone else's Tornado Princess.