Chapter 15

George was taken about by Khai's boldness. The last thing he was expecting was Khai to confess that to him. He blinked, trying to absorb what he heard. He looked back at Khai, who was still staring him down with his hands folded. His jaw was clenched, indicating his frustration and annoyance with the situation. His eyes held confidence, sincerity and a hint of helplessness as he confessed his feelings for Anaya.

Not hearing a word out of George's mouth, Khai grew irritated. "I'm going to pursue her, whether you like it or not." His voice held a strong sense of determination as he spoke. With that, he turned to walk ahead as if he was done with this conversation.

George shook his head to clear it and hurried behind Khai. They reached his car and Khai opened the trunk, pulling out four bottles of water. He handed one of them to George before closing the trunk.

George finished the whole bottle and heaved a sigh. "Look man, I'll help you with Anaya. I have a good feeling about you, as does Meghan. But we've been wrong before."

"Before?" Khai's look grew dangerous.

"Anaya's been hurt before." He said, with a grim look on his face. "No. Hurt is actually an understatement."

"By who?" Khai asked, maintaining an emotionless façade. Internally though, Khai was seething. His muscles twitched to peel the scumbag alive.

"It's not for me to tell. Maybe Anaya will tell you, but she hates talking about that part of her life."

As they walked back George continued. "Take it slow with Anaya. She has a lot of trust issues and she's terrified to get hurt again. She's delicate Khai. The girl has an innocent heart of gold. She'd take a bullet for someone she loves."

As they reached closer to where the girls sat, George held Khai's wrist to stop him with a warning in his eyes. "If you aren't serious about her, I suggest you drop the idea now. If you hurt her, I'll stop at nothing to ruin you." He said.

Khai looked at George, his eyes holding something George could not comprehend. He simply nodded, acknowledging that he heard him. "Thank you." He said before walking over to Anaya.

*****

Anaya held her cup out along with everyone from the group and watched as Austin emptied his flask into each cup.

"Hah! I live for weekends and whiskey." Everyone burst into laughter as he spoke, clearly enjoying his company.

"Alright! Cheers!" Said Jennifer, holding up her cup like a victory trophy, grinning from ear to ear.

"Cheers!" Everyone proceeded to take a shot of whiskey. Anaya, however, saw a hand coming in to grab her cup just before she tipped the drink into her mouth.

Khai held Anaya's cup, staring down at Austin like the devil himself. His gaze turned to Anaya, suddenly softening when she turned around to look at him in confusion.

"Khai, did you want some? I can share." She placed her wounded hand on the log to support herself from tipping sideways. The pressure of her weight fell on her palm and she hissed in pain.

Khai picked up her hand and placed it on her lap, before sitting next to her, allowing her to lightly lean on his shoulder. Their arms touched and sparks coursed through him, leaving him disoriented for a quick second.

"How many shots did you take?" He asked her gently.

"You took my second one." she pouted. Khai smiled, shaking his head before emptying the whiskey from her cup into his mouth.

"Now we're even."

She broke out into an infectious string of laughter at his words, nodding in agreement. "We are, let's get some more?"

Khai poured some water into her cup, swirling it before throwing it on the mud. After rinsing the cup, he filled it with water and pushed it into her hand. "First, you drink this." He said.

"Water's boring."

"Water's fun after alcohol. Trust me." He held her hand and raised the cup to her lips. She didn't argue and gulped down most of it. Khai watched as droplets of water dripped from the sides of her mouth, down her throat and settled at her collar bone. He shifted uncomfortably, his frustration for Austin growing by the minute.

She reached for the water bottle from his hand and proceeded to fill her cup again. Khai looked on as she spilled some on herself, before helping her pour it steadily into the cup. She turned to Meghan, wanting her friend to drink some water as well. When she saw George helping Meghan, she smiled fondly at them.

"Aren't they the cutest?" She asked as she looked back to Khai.

"Mhmm, drink some more." He urged her.

Austin and Andy stared at them dumbfounded. Austin thought Khai was haunted by the spirit of a teddy bear. When had his friend turned so soft?

Jen, who was Natalie's best friend, eyed Khai and Anaya suspiciously. At first, she brushed them off, thinking Anaya was just another girl Khai wanted to take back to his room that night. But Anaya wasn't like any of his usual flings, who threw themselves all over Khai. Besides, his consistent attention on her was weird and the way he cared for her was something Jen had never seen in her life.

Andrea, who was looking at the four people on the other log, grew suddenly sad. She turned to look at Austin, who's affections she'd been trying to win all night. She wondered if he'd even remember her name tomorrow, let alone care for her tonight. She sighed before she stood up dejectedly. "I deserve better." She muttered to Austin before she walked away from him, leaving him confused.

After finishing half her cup, Anaya took an deep breath, filling her lungs, feeling like she had suddenly forgotten how to breathe. Collecting herself, she pulled her phone out to look at the time. It was almost 1 AM and her eyes were starting to burn a little.

"Georgie, I'm tired." She complained as she looked at him.

Meghan was already resting her head on George's lap, claiming to take a 'short nap'. "Lightweights." He muttered as he tried to wake Meghan up. Anaya and Meghan had the worst capacity with liquor. They never paced themselves, always letting their excitement get the better of them.

He looked at Austin and Jennifer, who's eyes were transfixed on Anaya. He cleared his throat, effectively grabbing their attention. "Austin, we had a great time!" He said as they thumped their hands together. "It was nice to meet you Jen. We all have classes together, so I'll see you guys around."

"Anaya, let's go." He called to her as he held Meg in his arms. "Can you walk?"

Ana nodded. She didn't drink as much as Meghan did and the water Khai gave her cleared her head a little. She was stable enough to walk on her own. She smiled at Austin and Jennifer, waving goodbye to them. She briefly looked for Andy before she turned to Khai.

"I'm glad we got to hang out." She stood up, feeling a sudden pang in her heart.

Khai stood up with her, hovering his hand behind her, ready to catch her if she falls. He looked at George and said "Give me a ride, I noticed my tire's flat."

He pulled the key fob out of his pocket and tossed it at Austin. "Enjoy."

George carried Meg in his arms and the group made their way towards the car. Natalie spotted Khai while they walked out.

"Khai, you can't leave! We're just getting started!" She ran to him all excited.

Before she could even reach him, Khai waved to her dismissively. "Later, Natalie."

Natalie frowned, observing Anaya as he walked with her. She was used to him ignoring her and taking other girls home. She usually bullied the girls later, showing them that they were just a plaything to Khai and that she was his endgame. Shrugging off his indifference, she made her way back to Aaron. He was her plaything tonight.

A lot of students were staring at Khai and Anaya walking out of the party, curious to see who caught his attention tonight. But one particular set of eyes narrowed, scrutinizing them maliciously.

Sean Perkins downed his beer staring at Anaya's back with a perverted gaze. He stood in a corner by himself all night, watching as she laughed and chatted with her new friends. Now she made her way back to her room with Khai Heathcliff. He gnashed his teeth together and made his way to Natalie Vilmot.