The Bad Boy's Addiction

Chapter 7 - Wanted

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Kiara

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“Hey, mom,” I raise my head, taking my headphones off as she makes her way over to me on the patio.

“Hey, honey. What are you doing?”

“Nothing, just listening to a podcast,” I reply as she settles next to me on the sofa. “Watermelon?” I ask, pushing the tray more toward her and she takes a slice, thanking me. Watermelon and rock melon are my two go-to snacks.

“Are you sure you don’t want to use the jet next week when you travel to your shoot?” she asks, and I tell her, I’m sure. I booked first class so I’m okay.

I’m super excited about the shoot. I couldn’t believe it when I got the call, and the pre-hired part was just crazy. I guess dad really heard me after all. I plan to visit his grave again before I go.

“What is this I hear about Cam and you having beef?” she asks snapping me out of my thought and I can’t help but laugh at her use of beef. I’ve never heard her speak like that before. She joins me and we both laugh together as she admits it felt weird saying that. It's what you guys use to refer to conflict right?" she adds still laughing and I ask her who told her about my 'beef' with Cam.

“Do you seriously have to ask?” she asks raising her brow, and she's right. I don't have to ask. I know who it is that told her.

“He’s terrible,” I mutter, and she agrees, both of us laughing again, now laughing at Asa, the little snitch. Nothing gets past him in this house, and he tells mom all of our business. If you don’t want mom to know, make sure Asa doesn’t even catch a whiff of it, otherwise, she will know. How the hell does he even know about my disagreement with Cam?

“It’s nothing, mom. He was just being stupid as usual but he apologized, and we spoke about it. We are good now.”

“Good, I’m glad. Listen, honey. I know he can be overbearing at times, but he means well.”

“I know,” I agree with her. Cam frustrates me when he acts like our father, but deep down when it's all said and done. I know he’s just trying to look out for us. We appreciate it but wish he could tone it down a bit. We are adults and we don’t need him hovering over us and trying to dictate to us.

“Ooh!” I mutter, sitting upright remembering something.

“What is it?”

“I promised nana I was going to help her out with something today and I almost forgot,” I tell mom getting to my feet. Every other Sunday we have Sunday lunch with our biological grandparents like it used to be when dad was still alive. Mom made sure we kept the tradition and she comes with us too. Sometimes uncle Chris comes as well but not all the time. We used to do it every Sunday, but when we blended our families, we had to split our time. So we go to them one week and the next we spend with our other grandparents. But because I’m not in the country most of the time, I try to spend extra time with them when I am here. Tyler also spends more time with them. He spends every school holiday over there and he and grandpa work on projects together and go on hikes. He only comes back if we are going on a vacation or something. Sometimes all our grandparents join us, like last summer when we went to Mozambique. All of us went, including uncle Matt and his family.

Mom passes me my phone and just then it rings, but my face turns into a frown, looking at the unknown number.

“Hello,” I answer with a serious face but instantly become a blushing mess as I walk away from my mother after making out his voice. I was not as drunk as Cam thinks but how did he get my number because we hadn't exchanged numbers yet when Cam happened?"

He tells me he got it from a friend before I can ask him and I have no idea what friend he’s talking about. But I don’t ask him. I don’t mind hearing from him again. He asks me if I have any plans for this evening, saying he has been invited to a work function but does not have a date. I tell him I don't have any plans as of yet and he asks if I would do him the honor of being his date for the function.

I ask what sort of function it is, so I can make sure I have something appropriate to wear and maybe do my hair accordingly and he tells me. I make as if I’m contemplating even though I’ve already said yes before he was even finished in my head. I don’t want to appear too eager.

I went out of the dating game after what my fiancé did and I thought I would never get back in again. But now I feel like I’m ready again. Especially after the long talk I had with nana yesterday. Nana is easy to talk to, like my dad was. Mom is always there. Her door is always open and she's always willing to listen; both she and uncle Chris are, but it’s not easy for me to talk to them. It’s not easy for me to open up to anyone. The only other person I sometimes feel like I can talk to, especially when I look in his eyes, in my father’s eyes, is Cam. But I hold myself back remembering what type of person he is. Cam is a hothead, and he always wants to take over all our problems and lock us away for safekeeping and it’s exhausting at times.

He can’t live our lives for us, and he isn’t innocent either. I see what he and his friends do and sometimes I feel like it's the reason he’s like this with us. He knows what he’s doing is wrong and it’s like someone is going to do it to us. Mom always tries to talk to him about it, about getting a girlfriend and committing to one person, but it never helps. Uncle Chris is chilled about it. He feels that Cam’s just doing what boys his age are doing and shouldn’t be rushed to grow up. But I disagree. I don’t think anyone is a boy at the age of twenty. What are Tyler and Asa then if Cam's still a boy? What are they even going to learn from him?

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After speaking to Kayden and agreeing to the date, I grab my car keys and head out, telling mom I will see her in a bit. I’m not going to stay for long since I have to come back and get ready for my date tonight.

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Lia

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“Mom! Mom!” I wake up to someone calling me and I realize I fell asleep. I’m struggling with insomnia these days and it makes me tired all the time. Merlot comes to me running, all giddy, before grabbing my hand and pulling me inside the house, saying I must come and see.

“What is it?” I ask her, but she just repeats that it’s beautiful, all excited as she continues to drag me across the house to the living area. When we get there I find a garment bag and two other bags next to it. “What is this?” I ask her as she starts unzipping the bag to reveal a beautiful gold mini-dress. I ask her who it belongs to and where it comes from, and she hands me a card. I read the card, and it says ‘please accept this as a thank you for agreeing to accompany me and a way to make up for asking you at such notice…. Kay’

“Who is Kay?” I ask Merlot, and she says Kiara’s boyfriend, obviously.

“This is for Kiara, and you opened it, Merlot?”

“She won’t know, I'll close it again. I just got really excited by the garment bag-”

“-Merlot-”

“-Look at the shoes mom,” she says, disregarding me and continuing with her nosiness, taking out the box inside the bag and showing me the heels.

“They are beautiful.” I agree but she cuts me off just as I'm about to tell her to stop now and put Kiara's things away.

“-Right?! He’s got good taste and Kiara hasn’t even told us about him, mom. I wonder if he's also a model or an actor. Do you think it’s someone we know, like even a famous celebrity?” she continues, moving to the other bag, but I stop her and tell her to put the box back in the bag and help me take the things to Kiara’s room.

“You're right. If Cam sees them, he’ll probably throw them out the window.”

“He means well, Merlot.”

“I know, mom. I’m just joking… or not,” she whispers the last part, but I hear her.

I wonder who this Kay is. I didn’t even know Kiara was seeing someone. I hear the door open just as we head to the staircase and just then my husband appears.

“Hey,” I greet him as he walks over to me, and we share a quick kiss. “How did it go?” I ask about the meeting he went to. His father had a meeting with the board but couldn't make it due to other commitments and asked Chris to represent him. He tells me it went well.

“Hey, dad,” Merlot says coming down the stairs and they share a hug. “Hey, sweetheart. What’s all this?”

“It’s from Kay… for Kiara,” she says with a mischievous smile, causing Chris to look at me before asking who’s Kay.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? What are these?”

“An expensive dress and shoes,” Merlot replies first, causing me to tell her to go and put the dress in Kiara’s room. Damn! Does she ever stop? She laughs at me and runs upstairs while Chris and I follow behind her.

“I’m going to ask Kiara when she comes back from nana’s house, who this Kay is,” I tell Chris as we get to the top of the stairs and he hums in response, looking at the bags in my hand again. Chris is just Cam when it comes to the girls. He’s super protective, especially when it comes to Kia, and is probably going to grill her about this Kay when she comes back. I think he sometimes forgets that Kiara is twenty-three.

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Kiara

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“Thank you,” I whisper as Kay helps me out of the car. He takes off his jacket and puts it on me since it’s a little cooler now before placing his hand on the small of my back. Kay and I are currently in front of my favorite jazz bar. His work function finished early, and we weren't ready to call it a night yet, so I decided to show him around and show him some of my favorite spots since he’s not from here.

When I got home from nana’s I found a dress and shoes waiting for me at home that he bought for me to wear to the function. He said he felt bad about asking at such short notice and felt it was only fair that he helped me with something to wear. I was surprised and impressed. I love the dress and the shoes. Kylo never got me a dress when we went out on our first date. He never bought me a dress period. Mom and uncle Chris had lots of questions. I didn't tell them about Kay because there was nothing to tell. I didn’t even know if I was going to see him again. I was a little drunk and decided to live a little. I had just gotten the biggest break in my career. I got a job from one of the biggest fashion houses and they weren't even taking me through an agent. It’s big, and I was on top of the world, so I kissed him. I didn't tell them that though. I just told them I had just met him and nothing is going on between us. I was going to tell them if things got serious. I can't tell them about every guy I cross paths with.

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The first thing I did when we got inside his car was to tell him that I’m not that girl tonight. I didn’t want him thinking it was going to be the club all over again. He laughed at that, saying he had a feeling.

We head inside and the server takes us to our table. We had dinner at the function, so we just order a snack and a bottle of wine.

“So, how long are you going to be in the country for?” I ask him when the server walks away after pouring our glasses and he tells me his business will be concluded in three days, and he’ll be going back to New York. I'm sad about that and I don't know why. I just met the guy. I know nothing about him. We fall into a deep conversation after that, and I also apologize for Cam’s behavior the other night and tell him he’s my little brother. He says there’s no need to apologize, any brother would have reacted the same. I ask him if he has any siblings, and he says no. He says he only has cousins and the guy he was with at the club is one of them.

I have figured out by now that Kay is rich, so I’m not surprised when his father turns out to be one of the wealthiest businessmen in the United Kingdom. It’s been a long time since I’ve been attracted to someone the way I am to him, and I thought I felt that way because of the alcohol that was in my system. But it seems I was wrong. I’m attracted to this guy. It feels good to be wanted again and it doesn’t help that he’s hot and the Irish accent is a total vibe. God, Kiara, are you even ready to do this again?

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Allira

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“What the hell are you doing in my room?” Mati asks finding me inside her room waiting for her. We are leaving for varsity in twenty minutes, but I’m tired of this animosity between us. I just want us to get past this and at least be civil with each other, even if we can’t be friends.

“I’m sorry about what I did, Mati. I know it’s no excuse, but I was drunk, and I don’t even know how it happened. I think someone gave me a spiked drink,” I tell her and see something change in her eyes when I say that. I’ve thought a lot about the fact that I can’t recall what happened. I searched on the internet and all the symptoms show I was possibly given a spiked drink. The only two people that gave me a drink that night were Mati and Ney. But I concluded that Ney is the one that gave me the spiked alcohol since he’s the one who had a motive. They were all probably in on it. It’s probably what they do. They drug girls and sleep with them and then move on to their next victim. I cried when I thought about that. I felt like I was raped. I was raped.

“I would do anything to make it up to you. Anything-” I start to say, but she cuts me off.

“-Fine, I forgive you… and I’m sorry I hurt you,” she says, and I tell her it’s okay. I forgive her too.

“We need to get going or we are going to be late,” she says, heading to the sofa to get her backpack and I head out to get mine, too.

“Thank you, Mati,” I say again before exiting her room. I know what I did hurt her. She really liked Cam. He’s no good though. I hope she gets over him. She can do so much better than a rapist.

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“You are glowing. Making up with your cousin has done you wonders,” Demi says as we walk out to our transports.

“I’m sorry, I left you alone,” I tell her, feeling bad.

“It’s okay, you have nothing to be sorry about. I’m a lone wolf… and I don’t mind it. Too many people cramp my style anyway,” she replies, draping her arm over my shoulder.

I have only known Demi for a week but I can say for sure there’s never a dull moment with her. I do feel bad though for leaving her. I was sad seeing her sitting alone at that table, even though she didn’t look sad. Now that Mati and I made up, she asked me to come and sit at their table. I asked Demi to come with me but she didn't want to. I like her, she's different from all these rich kids here.

I don’t really care about sitting with Mati and her friends, especially after I still felt like I was sitting alone even though they were there. I never have anything to contribute to their conversations, plus I’m sure now that Noelle hates me. But I didn’t want to say no after we had just made up. Maybe after a few days, I can slowly start pulling back, but now it’s too soon. I want to mend our relationship or build one since we kind of didn’t really have one. Today though she has tennis practice, so she’s staying behind. Sergio will come back later for her.

“Well, I will see you tomorrow,” Demi says hugging me but suddenly lets out a soft squeal next to my ear just as I'm about to reply. I pull back from the hug confused as to what got her suddenly excited but my eyes widen when I turn around to look.

“Hi,” he says and I freeze, looking into the hazel eyes that have caused me so much misery these past few days.