Chapter 18

Iblink hard several times, adjusting to the painfully bright lights.

"Finally, you're awake," Nola says, jumping to her feet and engulfing me in a smothering hug. I clear my dry throat and wrap my tired arms around her, being cautious of the IV sticking out of my arm, feeding me clear liquid. A brief memory of passing out and then nurses fussing over me and jamming this thing in my arm comes through, but the rest is blurry.

"Where's Eden?" I croak.

Nola steps back, revealing furrowed brows.

"Tell me." I glare at her for an answer as she worries her bottom lip.

"He's still being questioned. Olivia's giving me updates, though. She's at the police station now."

I force my heavy body up, groaning. Every inch of my body aches like our time in captivity has finally caught up with me. Despite my fuzzy head, I try to yank the IV out of my arm and climb out of the bed.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"I need to go to him."

"Kai, no," she commands, pushing me back down and prying my shaky hands away from my arm.

"Kai, you're seriously dehydrated and in shock. You need to rest. There's nothing you can do right now."

"But you don't understand. This is all my fault."

"You're not seriously blaming yourself for being abducted. Don't be so ridiculous."

I puff out a breath of frustration. Nice to see Nola's sassy as ever. Obviously, my being abducted hasn't changed that.

"No, of course not, but I hate that he's taking the blame for something I did."

"What the hell are you talking about, Kai?"

I peek around the room, ensuring no one is in earshot, then pull her closer by the wrist and whisper, "It was me. I shot Jeremy because he stabbed Eden."

Nola's hazel eyes pop, and her hand covers her gaping mouth. She doesn't speak for several moments, which is a bloody shock, considering I can never usually get her to shut up.

"Say something," I demand.

"So, what you're telling me is you tried to kill for him, and he's willing to sacrifice himself and go to prison for you. Fuck me, that's the most romantic shit I've ever heard. So, fucking extra, but I'm here for it."

"For fuck's sake," I groan, rolling my eyes at her even as my cheeks twitch with the urge to smile at how theatrical this really is.

"Come on, you have to admit that's one hell of a declaration of love. I wish someone would kill for me."

I weakly laugh, which turns into an unexpected sob.

"Oh shit, sorry, Kai. I shouldn't be joking right now. I've been a fucking wreck for days, and now I have you back, I'm being weird and inappropriate. I can't even imagine what you've been through. Are you ok?"

She looks steeped in guilt, but honestly, I'm not mad. I'm happy that I'm free and I'm back with my best friend, but also so fucking sad at the same time. I could've never imagined that in such a short time and in the most barbaric conditions, I'd fall for someone, but I have. Not knowing when I'll next see him again fucking guts me.

"I'm ok. I just need everything with Eden to be alright. He can't take the blame for what I did. I'm not sure if I could live with myself."

"Hey, it's going to be alright. As far as the police know, it was self-defence. I'm sure it's standard procedure."

I shrug my shoulders and close my eyes, sucking in a deep breath. Nola takes my hand and kisses my knuckles, making my heart contract.

"I love you, Kai."

I open my eyes and pull her over so she's awkwardly lying beside me on the edge of the bed. Wrapping my arms around her and snuggling in close, I kiss the top of her head and let tears fall into her auburn curls.

"And I hate you."

* * *

After several hours and a grotesque hospital meal later, I convinced the nurse to discharge me and let me go to the police station. It was a waste of time. No one but Caroline, the detective, would speak to me. Apparently, she isn't at liberty to give me information on Eden's arrest. She insisted I go home, get some rest, and she'll be in touch if she has any further questions about our abduction. I'm not sure what else I could possibly tell her, and to be honest, the less I repeat our escape story, the less chance I have of fucking up and getting caught in a lie.

Nola has taken me back to hers, but being in an actual home and not an eerie warehouse with a chain wrapped around my neck feels oddly bizarre.

As I lay awake in her crisp white sheets, I can't help but wish I was back on that grotty mattress with Eden's large body curled against my back. The tickle of his breath on my neck and the pinch of his fingers on my earlobe. But I'm not. The space beside me is cold and empty. Violent thoughts assault me, robbing me of sleep.

He regrets going after you. You've ruined his life. He'll hate you when he realises you're not worth it. He never wanted you. He was forced to be with you in captivity.My toxic thoughts make my head feel close to erupting, like brain matter could spill out and ruin Nola's fluffy white pillow. There's no space left inside my head for anything but despair. I scrub my face, trying to shake the demons that infiltrate my ailing brain.

"Nola," I call into the living room where she's set up camp on the sofa. Usually, Nola's a diva, but she was kind enough to let me have her bed tonight.

"Yes." She rushes in and plonks herself on the edge of the bed.

"Can you sleep with me?"

"Well, I'll be damned. I never thought I'd see the day you'd ask to sleep with me." She gives me an eyebrow flash and a cheeky grin. "But hell yes."

She clambers over me, playfully poking me in the ribs and making me squirm.

"Ouch," I complain.

"Shut up and come here. This is a one-time offer only because you were abducted and shit."

A pathetic laugh escapes me, and I shuffle back into a lying position with my back to her small chest. A slim arm winds around my waist, and she pulls me closer so there's no space between us. She's pretty tiny compared to Eden, but nevertheless, I feel a sense of security that only my best friend and Eden have ever provided me.

Nola's always been a consistent anchor in my life. Willing to put up with me even when I'm at rock bottom, but lifting me up when I'm ready to stand again. She's as guarded as me and laughs off her abundance of trauma, but when it really matters, she turns up. She'd move heaven and earth to protect the ones she loves. If everything with Eden bursts into flames, I know she'll be there with a bucket of water ready to douse the fire.

* * *

By the time I'd fallen asleep, it was 3 a.m. It took me hours to drift off, but having Nola close definitely eased the ache in my chest.

"Morning," Nola grumbles from behind me. She's never been a morning person.

I flip over to face her, making the bed bounce. She scowls at me with one eye open.

"Hey, what time is it? I don't have a phone."

She fumbles beneath the sheets, trying to locate her phone.

"Where the fuck is it?"

Sitting up, Nola flaps the duvet like a woman possessed, and the thud of the phone hitting the floor reveals its location. She climbs out of bed, groaning loudly while retrieving it. Looking at her screen, she attempts to run a hand through her fiery bird's nest. Nola rubs sleep from her eyes while scanning the screen, frown deepening.

"Oh shit, it's almost 11. I have a shit ton of texts and missed calls from Olivia."

"Fuck, why did you let me sleep so long? I need to go to the station."

I jump out of bed and start shoving on random pieces of clothing. Pretty sure I'm attempting to wear Nola's gym leggings that are two sizes too small for me.

"Kai, chill. It's ok, let's just call her first. She probably has more info."

"Fine," I say, forcing the leggings over my arse.

I crawl across the bed on my knees, and Nola plonks the phone in my outstretched hand. Swinging my legs around and sitting on the edge of the bed, I hit the dial button and chew on skin around my nails as it rings out. No answer. I try again, getting to my feet and pacing the small space between the end of the bed and the door.

"Nola, hi, how's Kai? Can I speak to him?"Olivia's erratic voice brings me to a stop.

"Hi, it's me. I'm fine. I'm sorry we missed your calls. Have you got news on Eden?"

She lets out a sigh of relief.

"It's fine. I'm glad you're ok. I'm meeting Eden's lawyer now at a cafe near the police station. Can you come? You might have some information we could use to help get him out."

"Of course, we can be there in 30 minutes. Send us the address, ok?"

"Will do, and Kai…"

I pause, my insides pulling tight.

"Yes?" I manage to get out.

"Thank you. I know repeating what you've been through can't be easy."

"It's nothing. I'd do anything to get him out. Anything."

There's a stretch of silence, so I start pacing again.

"You know Eden was so excited to meet you. He popped over on the day of your date. He wouldn't stop gushing about how he'd met someone and thought they might be special. It doesn't surprise me that he went after you."

My heart squeezes in my chest, and my nose scrunches, trying to hold off tears.

"He really said that?" I murmur.

"He did."

There's another long pause as we let the words float between us. Baby cries snap us out of the moment.

"Right, I have to go. I'll send you the address. Let's get our boy out."

"Yes, let's."

Our boy.

* * *

I grab the world's fastest shower and change into some of Nola's clothes. Luckily, she had a baggy T-shirt, wet-look leggings and a hoodie that fit me just fine. As grateful as I am for her looking after me and lending me her things, I seriously can't wait to be back in my clothes and bed, preferably with Eden beside me.

We made so many plans for when we were free, but they feel further away than ever. I understand they have to investigate what happened, but he was a victim, criminal record or not. We were abducted and trafficked. They're not questioning me about delivering drugs across the French border. It's wrong and prejudiced. One mistake at 15, and now he's being treated like some sort of suspect.

"Kai, are you alright? You're scowling pretty hard over there," Nola says from the driver's seat.

"Can you blame me? Eden's still locked up, and now I've got to face his sister and lawyer and straight-up lie about what went down."

Nola reaches over the armrest and takes my hand. Her thumb lightly traces my own. She's never usually this affectionate, so it'll take some getting used to, but god, I need it, and maybe she does, too.

"I don't blame you. This is complicated, but it's where we're at now. You've got to keep it together and stick to the story."

"Fuck, I know, it's just so fucking messy."

She releases my hand to change gear, and we sit silently for several minutes.

"Thanks for incriminating me, by the way." She tips down her sunglasses and smirks.

"Don't act like you don't love this. You're finally in your very own BBC drama."

"Do not." She scoffs. "I was actually fucking terrified. When I texted you saying I love you and you replied love you, I almost had a heart attack. Cried and everything."

"Like actual tears?"

"Kai, my face was wet," she deadpans.

A laugh creeps out, but I quickly cover my mouth, smoothing down the smile I don't deserve to have until Eden's free.

* * *

I scan the crowded cafe for Olivia and the lawyer. The noise and activity swirling around make my heart accelerate, and my skin feels like lava. I've never had issues with crowds, but my senses are overstimulated.

"Kai, this way. They're over there."

Sensing my internal anguish, Nola places a hand on my lower back and leads me to a set of teal sofas with a low, dark wooden table in between. They both stand as we approach them, and I can't help but feel intimidated by the lawyer in his fancy suit and shiny shoes. He looks of East Asian descent and, if I had to guess, in his early 30s.

Olivia captures me in a hard hug, taking the air out of me. She sure is cuddly and radiates momma-bear energy. It makes me happy to know Eden has her as family.

"Thanks for coming, both of you," Olivia says, moving on to Nola to give her the same treatment.

"Hello, Mr Ellis, my name is Jacob Park. I'm Eden's lawyer."

"Hi, nice to meet you. You can call me Kai."

He takes my hand in a domineering handshake, making the hairs on my neck bristle.

"Very well. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, but I appreciate you coming to meet us today. I imagine you've been through a lot."

"You could say that. I'm just desperate to get Eden out of there."

"Ok, good. I'll need you to tell me everything."

Jacob's formal tone and straight face make me feel like I'm being interrogated already, but I know this is all to help Eden, so I'll answer his questions as best as I can, with a sprinkle of lies intertwined.

After everyone's completed the awkward introductions, we sit down. Jacob informs us that he's not only Eden's lawyer, but they've been best friends since primary school. This only heightens my nerves, and I suddenly feel the need to impress him. As silly as it is considering the circumstances, I want the important people in Eden's life to like me.

Olivia adds that most of Eden's friends abandoned him when he was arrested at 15. Still, Jacob stuck around, and seeing Eden battle an unfair criminal justice system was part of why he became a lawyer. Jacob waves it off like it's nothing.

I relay our abduction and time in captivity, but when I get to the escape, that's when the real grilling starts. He's firing more questions at me than I can keep up with, and I feel my eye twitching, and my palms grow slick with sweat.

"So please confirm for me one more time. Jeremy stabbed Eden in the leg, and that's when Eden shot him?" The way he emphasises Eden's name makes my face and neck heat.

"Yep, exactly. Jeremy tried to stab him again, so he acted quickly." My voice trembles, and my knee bounces up and down. Jacob squints at me like he knows I'm full of shit.

"That's a very quick reaction."

"Yep, must have been the adrenaline," I stutter.

Jacob strokes his chin like some fucking detective. I'm really starting to dislike this guy with his suspicious looks. I don't care that he has a history with Eden. He's purposely trying to antagonise me.

"The gunshot wound was at the top of his chest, right?"

Fuck, he knows something.

"I-I don't remember," I stammer.

"Is that important?" Olivia asks with a puzzled look.

"No, not really. Just wanted to confirm." He smiles at her, and I release a breath. Maybe he isn't such a hot-shot lawyer after all.

We wrap up our meeting and I head to the bathroom before leaving. Standing at the urinal, I feel eyes lingering on the back of my scalp.

"I can't pee if you're watching," I grunt.

Jacob huffs a sound of amusement, and then I hear the tap turn on. I relieve myself, joining him at the sink to wash my hands. Looking up at the mirror, he's staring right at me through our reflections.

"He must love you."

I pause what I'm doing, letting scalding water attack my skin. Jacob grabs my wrist and pulls my hands away from the water before I burn myself and hands me a paper towel.

"Why do you think that?" My voice wavers.

"Well, he must if he's taking the blame for something he didn't do."

My heart battles against my ribcage, trying to find words to argue, but it's useless, he knows.

"Look, I'm not here to scare you, but you're a terrible liar. I suggest you avoid any more questioning until Eden's out. Realistically, they can only hold him for 24 hours unless they charge him with something, which, considering the circumstances, isn't likely."

"I don't get it. How did you know?"

"Let's just say an officer on the scene owed me a favour so he was more than willing to share some information about Jeremy's injuries."

Jacob places a soft hand on my shoulder and gives me an affectionate squeeze accompanied by a small smile.

"I meant what I said earlier. I'm sorry we had to meet like this. Eden means a lot to me, and I'm glad he's found someone. Hopefully, it'll be under better circumstances the next time we meet. I'd like to properly meet the guy Eden's willing to go to prison for."

He grins at me before swanning out of the bathroom. I release a long sigh, and my shoulders uncurl. Maybe this big-time lawyer isn't so terrible after all.