He had the grace to look guilty. "I may have waited outside for a few hours. I wanted to make sure you were safe."
"That's called stalking, Kai."
"That's called caring about someone." He ran his hand through his hair nervous habit, same as when we were kids. "Look, can we sit? Please? I need to tell you something, and I don't want to do it standing in the middle of a crowded coffee shop."
We sat. He immediately reached for my hands across the table, but I pulled back, folding them in my lap. Hurt flashed across his face.
"Emma, what's going on? You've been acting strange since yesterday. More than just first-day nerves. What happened?"
"You tell me." I met his eyes. "What's the real reason you're at Riverside, Kai?"
He froze. For a moment, he looked like he might deny it, play innocent. But then his shoulders sagged. "Who told you?"
"Does it matter?"
"Was it Blake? Did Adrian say something to you?" His jaw clenched. "That bastard, I swear"
"Adrian didn't tell me anything. But you're not denying it." I leaned forward. "So I'll ask again: why are you really here?"
Kai was silent for a long moment, staring at his empty coffee cups. When he finally spoke, his voice was raw. "My dad. My dad worked for Blake Enterprises. He was their CFO for fifteen years. Trusted, respected, paid well. We had a good life, Emma. You remember nice house, family vacations, college fund set aside."
I nodded. I remembered. Kai's family had always seemed so stable, so perfect. The opposite of mine after Sarah died.
"Dad discovered some irregularities in the company finances. At first, he thought it was just accounting errors. But the deeper he dug, the more he found. Money laundering, offshore accounts, payments to people who didn't exist. He tried to handle it internally went to Marcus Blake, Adrian's older brother, thinking he'd want to fix it." Kai's laugh was bitter. "Instead, they fired him. Not just fired destroyed him. They planted evidence making it look like he was the one embezzling. Had him arrested. Dragged through the courts."
"Kai, I'm so sorry"
"The charges were eventually dropped. Not enough evidence. But by then, it didn't matter. His reputation was ruined. No one would hire him. Mom couldn't handle the shame, the whispers, the loss of status. She left us." His voice cracked. "Dad started drinking. Lost our house. Lost everything. And the Blake family just… moved on. Like destroying someone's entire life was just another Tuesday for them."
I wanted to reach for his hand now, to comfort him, but I held back. I needed to stay objective. "So you came here for revenge?"
"I came here for justice." He finally looked at me. "Emma, I know how this sounds. I know it seems like I'm using you to get to Adrian. But I swear, that's not what this is. When I saw you yesterday, when I realized you were here…" His eyes were wet. "You were my best friend. The girl who knew all my secrets, who I told everything to. And then you vanished. For three years, I wondered if I'd done something wrong, if I'd pushed too hard, if you just didn't want me in your life anymore."
"It wasn't about you"
"I know that now. After Sarah died, you shut everyone out. I get it. I do. But Emma, I never stopped caring about you. And yes, part of me sees an opportunity here you have access to Adrian that I could never get. But that's not why I want to be around you.
That's not why I've been texting you, or why I waited outside your dorm like a creep, or why the thought of something happening to you makes me physically sick."
The intensity in his voice, in his eyes, was overwhelming. This was the Kai I remembered passionate, loyal, wearing his heart on his sleeve. But was it real, or was he just a really good actor?
"I need time," I said finally. "To process all of this. The fact that you're here with an agenda, that you want something from Adrian's family"
"I want them to pay for what they did to my father. But Emma, I would never put you in danger to get it. If being around me makes you uncomfortable, if you want me to back off, I will. But please…"
He reached for my hand again, and this time I let him take it. His skin was warm, familiar. "Please don't shut me out again. Not for another three years. Not when I just got you back."
I looked down at our joined hands. Kai's fingers were stained with ink and photo chemicals. Artist's hands. The same hands that had held mine when we were kids crossing the street. The same hands that had taught me how to climb trees and skip stones.
"I can't promise anything," I said. "But I won't disappear. Not this time."
His smile was like sunrise. "That's all I'm asking."
My phone buzzed. Adrian again: "You stood me up for breakfast. Should I be jealous? Also, Professor Morrison wants to see us at 2 PM about our project. Her office."
Kai's expression darkened when he saw me check my phone. "Let me guess. Blake?"
"We have a meeting about our class project."
"Emma, be careful with him. I know he seems different from his family, but"
"But what? He's guilty by association?" I pulled my hand back. "Kai, you're literally here seeking revenge against his family. How is that different from him being born into it?"
"Because I'm trying to expose criminals. He's protecting them."
"Is he? Do you know that for sure?"
Kai leaned back, frustrated. "No. But I know his brother Marcus is as ruthless as their father. I know their family has destroyed dozens of people. And I know that Adrian has the resources to stop them if he wanted to, but he doesn't."