Chapter 4
Before opening the door, Peach pointed at my forehead and warned, “If you make up with him again, I swear I’m going to cut you out of my life.”
I laughed, replying, “Okay, okay. I’ll be the sucker if I forgive him.”
In the end, Dad ended up opening the door for him.
He threw out all the bags that Kai brought, but Kai stubbornly picked them up again. After several back–and–forths, the neighbors from the units next door came out to watch the spectacle. With his head bowed, Kai kept apologizing relentlessly, and only then did Dad, with a stern face, allow him inside.
Once in, Kai, as if it were second nature, headed straight to the kitchen and started preparing.
Mom and Dad exchanged glances, and Peach, in a low voice, muttered something about his lack of shame before sending me a message to vent.
I watched his back, a swirl of emotions flooding through me.
I remembered what happened during our fifth year together, when our relationship was only beginning to stabilize. We had exchanged anniversary gifts for the first time.
Back then, he had put a necklace around my neck and tentatively asked if we should meet each other’s parents. I agreed.
We went to his family’s residence first, where his mom gave me a generous gift. Mr. and Mrs. Yale also thanked me for taking care of Addison and gifted me a pair of bracelets.
Kai knew I was uncomfortable, so he came over to my place the next day. He was busy helping out in every way, from cooking to cleaning the apartment.
He came over several times, and people started saying that my parents had found a great son–in–law. My parents had started thinking along those lines as well.
Back in the present, Dad sighed lightly. “What’s going on now?”
Mom turned to me, asking, “Should I drive him out?”
But before I could respond, Dad advised me, “He seems genuine. We know about Addison’s condition, so maybe this isn’t entirely Kai’s fault.”
He patted my hand and continued, “Why don’t you give him another chance? If it’s really over, I promise not to open the door for him again.”
Peach secretly rolled her eyes at the sight, which made me laugh uncontrollably. When Kai came out of the kitchen holding a dish, he caught me laughing and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
He invited us to sit at the dining table, acting more like the head of the household than my parents. Not wanting to embarrass Dad, I pulled out a chair and sat down.
Peach grabbed the chair on my left, and when she saw Kai was about to sit on my right, she quickly grabbed the back of the chair.
With a fake sraile, she said to Kai, “The seat’s taken.”
Just then, the doorbell rang. Peach hurried to open it, letting in a tall, slim figure. It was her younger brother, Clementine Harmon.
Clementine stood to my right, half an inch taller than Kai. The two siblings flanked me, effectively creating a barrier between me and Kai.
Peach served me a piece of meat, while Clementine, too shy to do the same, silently peeled shrimp and placed them onto a plate next to me. It was obvious to anyone that he was doing it for
- me.
Meanwhile, it was equally clear that Kai was eating with little appetite.
Halfway through the meal, his phone rang. He answered the call, and a delicate female voice rang from the speaker. “Hey, Kai. The surgery’s tonight. Aren’t you going to visit me?” The dining hall suddenly fell silent.
Kai paused, then answered, “Mr and Mrs. Yale will be there for you.”
He ended the call.
Dad’s expression softened a little. Deep down, i felt nothing but emptiness, unsure if I was mocking Kai or myself.
Sure enough, his phone rang again. This time, Addison sounded like she had been crying. “I only want you here, Kai. I’m in so much pain… Could you please come and see me? This could be
our last chance…”
Her stinging voice prompted Dad to slam his utensils on the table.
Kai glanced at Dad, then at me. i could see the bulging veins on his hand as he held the phone.
I grabbed another piece of meat and casually said, “Go on
As if given an instruction, Kai looked at me with gratitude, then immediately stood up. “Wait for me, Lexi. I’ll make it up to you with an even grander wedding.”
I had planned to let this go for now and talk to him about breaking up later, not wanting to ruin my good mood today. Still, I was surprised at how good he was at repulsing me.
I set down my utensils and slowly wiped my mouth. Then, I stood up. “I’ll come with you… to be there for her final moments.”
After a brief hesitation, Kai replied, “Okay.”
