chapter 43: chaos

Andrew POV:

I walked through the sleek corridors of Bose's original company, where Mika was in charge of, now since Bose made her the CEO. I knew he had one of his old friends as the CEO of the company, but I've only found out recently that it was Mika. My heart was racing. I shouldn't be here, but after Bose's encouragement, I felt compelled to confront Mika about what had happened between us. The kiss was still fresh in my mind, a dream I couldn't shake off.

When I stepped into her office, I found her focused on her computer, her brow furrowed in concentration. As soon as she looked up, surprise flickered across her face, quickly replaced by a guarded expression. "Andrew? What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Can it wait? I'm really busy right now," she replied, turning back to her screen.

"No, it can't," I insisted, stepping further into the room. "We both know this is important."

Mika sighed and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms defensively. "What's there to talk about? It was just a mistake, a stupid mistake."

Frustration surged through me. "Just a mistake? You think that kiss meant nothing? I can't believe you'd say that."

"Andrew, please. We don't have time for this right now," she shot back, her voice rising slightly.

"Oh I've got all day!" I retorted, my emotions boiling over. "You can say whatever you want, but I know it wasn't a mistake. I felt it, and I know you did too. You wouldn't just kiss some random guy."

Her eyes narrowed, and I could see the tension building. "It was a moment of weakness, okay? I wasn't thinking straight."

"Come on, Mika. You're better than that. You don't just throw around kisses without meaning them. You know it was more than that."

She leaned forward, her expression hardening. "I really don't want to argue about this right now. Can't we just leave it alone?"

"Leave it alone? You can't just brush this aside like it didn't happen! Besides, you kissed me first." I was pacing now, struggling to contain my emotions. "You're acting like it was nothing, but it felt real to me."

Mika shook her head, frustration etched across her face. "I can't deal with this, Andrew. Not now. Please just go."

"Is that really how you feel?" I asked, my voice softening, still firm.

"Yes! Just go," she said, her tone final.

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her words. "Fine. I'll go," I said, trying to keep my voice steady as I turned to leave. "But don't think this is over."

As I stepped into the hallway, the door clicking shut behind me, a mix of anger and confusion swirled within me. How could she deny what we shared? That kiss had meant something, and I wouldn't let her convince me otherwise. I needed to find a way to make her see that.

Miles POV:

As soon as I stepped into Blaise's birthday party, the vibe was already relaxed but lively. People milled around the living room, casually chatting over drinks. I looked around and I didn't know anyone. That wasn't a problem; I was here for Blaise, Bose, and Chapa anyway.

I barely had time to get my bearings before Lena, Blaise's little sister, who I babysit one week ago, came running toward me. "Miles!" she called, grabbing my wrist. "Come on, Blaise is in the kitchen!"

I chuckled and let her lead me, trying to keep up with her energy. We weaved through the small crowd, and sure enough, Blaise was busy at the stove, stirring something that smelled amazing. She had that focused look she always got when she was working on something, whether it was art, cooking, or even managing her friends. Multi-tasking like a pro, she didn't notice us right away.

"Blaise," Lena said, tugging on her shirt.

Blaise turned, a spatula in one hand, and smiled when she saw us. "Hey! You made it," she said, her tone warm despite the obvious chaos around her.

"Of course," I said. "Happy birthday."

She grinned, but before she could respond, I added, "I've got something special for you from Bose, Chapa, and me. But we'll have to wait for them to get here."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "A gift from all three of you? Wow, okay... but seriously, you didn't have to do anything. I would've been fine with just you guys showing up."

I gave her a shrug, smiling. "We wanted to do something special."

I glanced at the trays of food she was balancing while still chatting with me. "Need any help in the kitchen? You look like you're juggling a lot."

She shook her head. "Nah, I'm good. Thanks, though. I've got most of it under control. Just need to plate everything. But I can offer you a drink."

"Just water's fine," I said, grabbing a bottle off the counter and twisting it open.

As I took a sip, Blaise turned back to the stove, but then she suddenly stopped and looked at me, her expression softening. "I've been meaning to thank you properly for last week, Miles. Babysitting Lena—it was huge. I really owe you."

I leaned against the counter, arms crossed, trying to play it casual but curious. "No problem, really. But I am a bit curious—why'd you leave Lena with me anyway? Felt a bit... last-minute."

She started to respond, but before she could get a word out, the front door swung open, and in walked Bose and Chapa. Blaise's entire demeanor brightened even more. "There they are!" she exclaimed, walking over to greet them.

As they entered, Lena practically dragged her other sisters over, their eyes wide as they took in the sight of Bose. They whispered among themselves, giggling and nudging each other.

"That's him, right? It's really him!" one of them squeaked, pointing in awe.

"We've seen all your photos! We have your posters all over our room!" the youngest one blurted out before covering her mouth with her hands, realizing how loud she'd been.

Bose smiled warmly, handling the situation like a pro. "I appreciate that. Glad you like the photos."

Blaise gave her sisters a look, but there was a fondness behind it. "Alright, alright, don't freak out."

Chapa smirked at the scene and leaned into Bose, giving him a playful nudge. "Seems like you've got some hardcore fans here," she teased.

Bose chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, looks like it."

After the initial excitement settled, I reached into the small bag we'd brought and handed Blaise the gift. She gave me a curious look before pulling out a simple plastic bag with a Japanese fortune cookie inside.

Her brow furrowed. "A fortune cookie?"

"Open it," I said, trying not to laugh.

She did, cracking it open carefully, and pulled out the little slip of paper. As her eyes scanned the words, they widened in disbelief. "You'll be enjoying your time at the concert of Billie Eilish next week."

She blinked a few times, trying to process what she had just read. "Wait, what?! The Billie Eilish concert? It's sold out!"

I grinned, watching the realization hit her. "Yeah, we, well Bose... managed to get tickets."

Blaise shook her head, still stunned. "How?! And how did you even know I wanted to go?"

I nodded toward Lena. "You can thank your little sister for that. She told me when I was babysitting that you've been dying to go."

Blaise looked between us, her expression shifting from disbelief to sheer gratitude. "This is too much. Those tickets must've been insanely expensive, and I can't even go. I'm babysitting."

"That's where we come in," Bose chimed in, smiling. "Miles and I will take care of the babysitting."

Chapa crossed her arms, her voice dry but amused. "Yeah, I'm not babysitting with Bose. Your sisters will be too busy swooning over him."

Everyone laughed at that, and I nodded in agreement. "She's not wrong."

Blaise's face lit up, a huge smile breaking across her face. "I seriously can't believe this. Thank you, guys. You have no idea how much this means to me."

As the excitement over the Billie Eilish tickets settled down, Blaise still couldn't get over it. She glanced at the little fortune slip again and then back up at Bose, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Wait, hold on," she said, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes at Bose. "How did you even manage to get these tickets? They've been sold out for months. Did you, like, bribe someone?"

Bose smirked and shrugged nonchalantly. "Nah, I just knew a guy."

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "You knew a guy?"

Before Bose could reply, I chimed in, grinning. "Trust me, Blaise, when you're Bose, you have a mega network of influencers, celebrities, and all that stuff. He could probably call up half the industry for a favor if he wanted."

Blaise stared at me, her mouth slightly open, still in shock. "Seriously?"

Bose laughed, scratching the back of his head. "It's not that crazy. I just reached out to someone I worked with before, and they helped me out. No big deal."

"No big deal?" Blaise said, shaking her head with a smile. "This is a huge deal! You didn't have to go to all that trouble. I'm still not even sure I deserve this."

Chapa, who'd been watching the exchange with a smirk, rolled her eyes. "Blaise, trust me, just take the win."

Blaise smiled warmly, her eyes flicking between the three of us. "You guys are seriously the best. I can't believe I get to go see Billie Eilish. I'm still freaking out."

I smiled at her, my voice sincere. "You deserve it, Blaise. Happy birthday."

Blaise's sisters, who had been hovering nearby, still couldn't stop staring at Bose. The youngest whispered loudly to the others, "He's so cool. He got Billie Eilish tickets."

I chuckled to myself as the party continued, watching the pure joy on Blaise's face.

—

Later in the evening, after everyone had enjoyed the party, the energy at Blaise's place began to wind down. People were chatting in smaller groups, and the atmosphere became more relaxed. I was leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping my water and watching as Blaise's sisters finally calmed down after spending the entire evening glued to Bose's side. Everything seemed to be going perfectly until my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I casually pulled it out and glanced at the screen. The notification was from the Man's Nest. It was an emergency alert, but after reading the details, it seemed like a basic criminal disturbance. Nothing major, just a small-time crook causing some trouble.

I sighed, feeling the pull of responsibility but also not wanting to disrupt the night. I quickly fired off a text to Mika, knowing she could handle this one easily. I asked if she could take care of the situation for me, since I was at Blaise's party. A few minutes later, my phone buzzed again with her reply.

"Just got back from work but sure, I'll handle it."

I smiled, feeling a bit of relief. Mika always had my back when it came to these things. Knowing she'd be on top of it, I tucked my phone back into my pocket and returned to the conversation, trying not to let the disruption linger in my mind.

Blaise, who had been standing nearby, noticed my slight distraction and gave me a curious look. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just some work stuff," I replied smoothly, waving it off. "Handled now. All good."

She nodded and smiled. "Good. I was worried you'd have to leave or something."

"Not tonight," I reassured her, smiling back. "I'm here for the party."

As the night wound down, I felt Blaise's curious gaze on me. It wasn't surprising — after all, she had seen me dart away to check my phone more than once during the evening. Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her.

"So... what kind of work do you actually do, Miles?" she asked, leaning against the counter beside me, sipping her drink with a raised eyebrow. "You've been checking your phone like you're expecting some big mission."

I chuckled, mentally preparing myself. I had rehearsed answers to questions like this a hundred times before. Living a double life made it necessary to have stories ready for whenever someone got too curious. Luckily, Mika and Bose's company provided the perfect cover.

"I work in security for a private company," I replied casually, giving her a half-smile. "Nothing too crazy, but we have a lot of clients with high expectations. Sometimes, things pop up that need handling. You know how it goes."

She nodded thoughtfully. "Security, huh? That sounds... intense."

"It can be," I admitted, playing into the idea. "But most of the time, it's pretty standard stuff. Just making sure things are safe and that everyone's where they need to be." I shrugged like it was no big deal, though the truth was a lot more complicated.

Blaise seemed satisfied with that answer, but she was still curious. "Is it one of those jobs where you have to be on call all the time?"

"Sort of," I said, nodding. "But I get some flexibility. I've got a great team, so we share the load."

She smiled, seemingly impressed. "That's cool. I never would've guessed."

I shifted the conversation, curious to learn more about her. "What about you? Are you originally from Swellview?"

"Yeah, I was born here," Blaise said, setting her drink down. "But my mom's half Japanese, and my dad's Black. They met in college and settled here."

I leaned in a little, genuinely interested. "That's awesome. Do you have family still around here?"

She nodded. "Yeah, although my mom's family is mostly in Japan, but my dad's side is spread out. Some are still here in Swellview, though. We've been in the area for a long time."

"Yeah same."

"I love it here. It's big enough that you've got things to do but small enough that you don't feel lost in the crowd."

I smiled, nodding. "I get that. It's a good balance."

We continued talking for a while, our conversation drifting from family to life in Swellview. She shared a few funny stories about growing up with her sisters, and I told her about a couple of the less exciting jobs I'd handled in 'security.'

Blaise was easy to talk to, and before I knew it, we had been chatting for quite a while. Eventually, the conversation lulled, and she gave me a warm smile.

"Thanks for being here, by the way," she said. "I really appreciate you coming to the party — and the gift. It means a lot."

"Of course," I said. "Wouldn't have missed it."

She laughed softly. "I guess I owe you one for babysitting Lena, too.

"Hey, no problem," I replied, grinning. "She's a great kid."

Blaise smiled again, her eyes softening. "Still... thanks, Miles."

Andrew POV:

After a short day of work, mostly helping clean up the aftermath of the festival, I headed out, feeling the weight of something I couldn't shake. That kiss—her kiss—was stuck in my head like a broken record. Then our argument. I couldn't focus on anything without thinking about it.

By the time I reached her place, it was around 9:30 p.m. The street was quiet, and her house was completely dark. I rang the doorbell once. Nothing. I frowned and rang it again, waiting for any kind of response. Nothing still.

Weird, I thought. It wasn't like her to just vanish.

I pulled out my phone, texting her quickly.

"Hey, can we meet up? I want to apologize."

Not even thirty seconds later, my phone buzzed with an incoming call. It was Mika.

Relief washed over me—until I heard her voice. She sounded breathless, almost panicked.

"Andrew—you need to come to Swellview Park. Right now!" she said, her voice strained.

"What? Mika, why? What's going on?" I asked, my mind racing as I rushed back to my car.

"I've been shot... in my leg. I—just get here. Now!" she exclaimed.

My stomach dropped. Shot? Mika? I didn't wait for another word. "Stay there. I'm coming. Don't move, you hear me?" I ordered, my voice more urgent than I intended.

I hung up and jumped into the car, adrenaline already pumping through me. My mind was racing a thousand miles per hour as I floored it through the streets. What the hell had happened? My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as I sped to the park.

When I finally pulled up near Swellview Park, I jumped out of the car without even bothering to lock it. The park was mostly empty, except for a few streetlights casting long shadows across the paths. My heart pounded in my chest as I called out, "Mika?!"

"Over here!" I heard her faint voice in the distance.

I ran toward the sound, my eyes scanning the park until I spotted her—lying on the grass, clutching her leg, still in her ShoutOut uniform. My heart jumped into my throat at the sight of blood on her leg.

"Mika!" I dropped to my knees beside her. "Holy sh—what the hell happened?" I demanded, my voice shaking with panic as I looked at her wound.

She looked exhausted, her forehead slick with sweat. She winced but tried to put on her tough face. "Some loser tried to rob a convenience store. I handled it... mostly. But he managed to get a shot off before I could take him down."

I stared at her, my mind racing. "Why didn't you call for backup? Mika, why didn't you call earlier?"

"I didn't have time," she muttered, gritting her teeth. "The whole thing just escalated. I thought I could handle it on my own."

I looked at her leg—it wasn't good. The bullet had missed anything vital, but it was deep enough to cause real damage. Without thinking, I placed my hands over the wound, focusing on the one thing I could do.

"Andrew..." Mika began, her voice weak.

"Hold on. I'm going to heal this," I said, closing my eyes and concentrating. I could feel the energy leaving me, flowing into her wound. My hands warmed as the wound began to knit itself back together, slowly but steadily.

Mika inhaled sharply as the pain began to ease, her body relaxing a bit. "Thanks," she whispered out of breath.

I let out a deep breath, opening my eyes and checking her leg. The bleeding had stopped, and the wound had healed over. It wasn't perfect, but it was a hell of a lot better than before.

"You scared the hell out of me," I muttered, leaning back on my heels, still trying to steady my breathing. "You can't just call me out of nowhere and tell me you've been shot. Jesus, Mika, I thought—"

She cut me off with a soft laugh. "You thought what? That I was actually in danger? Come on, Andrew, I've been through worse."

"I don't care," I snapped, surprising both of us with how harsh I sounded. "I was terrified. I thought something had happened to you. You can't... you can't do that to me."

Mika looked at me, her eyes softening for a moment. "Andrew... I knew you'd come. I knew you'd fix it."

I stared at her, feeling the tension between us, the unspoken things left hanging in the air. After everything that had happened between us—especially after that kiss—it felt like there was this invisible line we were standing on, not sure if we should cross it or not.

Finally, she spoke again. "Look... about what happened—"

"No," I interrupted, shaking my head. "Not now. We'll talk about that later. You were right. You need to rest. I'll take you home."

Mika raised an eyebrow, clearly not used to being told what to do, but she didn't argue. She was exhausted, and I could see it in her eyes. I helped her up, wrapping an arm around her waist to support her weight as we walked to my car.

As we drove in silence, I couldn't help but steal glances at her, trying to make sense of everything that had happened in the past few days. Something had changed between us, and I didn't know what to do about it.

"I'll drop you off, and then you're going to rest, okay?" I said as we pulled up in front of her place.

"Sure, Doctor Andrew," Mika replied with a half-smile, but I could see the tiredness in her eyes.

After I parked in front of her place, I turned to Mika, who looked exhausted but still managed a small smile. "You sure you don't need a real doctor?" I asked, my tone half-joking but completely serious.

"Just a little help getting inside would be great," she admitted, her voice softening.

I nodded, shifting into protective mode as I got out of the car and came around to her side. "Alright, let's get you in."

Again, I wrapped my arm around her waist, supporting her as we walked slowly toward the door. Mika leaned against me more than I expected, her body grateful for the support. "You know, I can handle myself," she said, trying to sound tough, but the weariness in her voice gave her away.

"I know you can," I replied, glancing down at her. "But right now, you need to rest. Let me help."

When we reached her front door, I fished her keys from her pocket, careful not to let my fingers linger too long on her skin. As I unlocked the door, I glanced back at her, noticing the way she bit her lip, a mixture of embarrassment and gratitude.

Once inside, I helped her sit on the couch, making sure she was comfortable. "Do you need anything? Water? Snacks?" I asked, moving around her big villa, trying to keep my mind focused on her needs.

"A glass of water would be nice," she said, leaning back against the cushions.

I poured her a glass and brought it to her, watching as she took a few small sips. "You should probably eat something too," I suggested, scanning her kitchen. "Do you have any snacks?"

"There might be some chips in the pantry."

I went to check, and sure enough, I found a bag of chips. I brought it back, plopping down beside her on the couch. "Chips and water—dinner of champions," I joked, opening the bag and handing it to her.

"Just what the doctor ordered," she laughed, though it quickly turned into a wince as she shifted her leg.

"Hey, take it easy," I said, my voice dropping. "You really should rest."

"Andrew, I'll manage."

"You still need to rest, pouring so much energy in you to heal your wound requires rest afterwards, you've said it yourself," I replied, our eyes locking for a moment.

"You're right." she admitted. Something I thought I'd never hear her say.

The air felt charged, and I realized how much I wanted to say—how much I wanted to bridge the gap between us that had widened and narrowed over the past few days.

But for now, I pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on her. "Just promise me you'll take care of yourself. No more lone heroics, okay?"

She smiled softly, her gaze softening. "I promise."

I stayed with her for a little while, making sure she was settled before I finally stood up. "I should head out, let you rest," I said, reluctant to leave.

"Okay, thanks again." she said and offered me a smile.