The Reunion Chapter 3, a vampire diaries fanfic

A/N Triggers for mentions of violence and racism.

The Reunion

She left his room soon after his admission. Nearly rushing out of there. Seriously, she's surprised she didn't trip over her feet with how fast she got out of there. Because what was she supposed to say? I feel the same? It wouldn't be the truth anyway. And even if it had been. What could be done about it? Absolutely nothing. Because she was with his brother. His perfect, well mannered brother. Who doted on her. And complimented her. And made her feel like an actual human being on the shittiest of days.

Luke was an absolute dream for a girl like her. A girl who's never known up until now how it felt to have a genuinely good guy want her. Not a douchebag pretending to be a stand up guy but truly only wants sex out of her and when he doesn't get it, vamoose. A good guy. A surprise you in the morning with breakfast in bed good guy. A fill every inch of your apartment with roses just because good guy.

What would she look like even entertaining anyone else? Let alone his fucking brother. The same brother who couldn't deal with the fact that he liked her so he decided, Hey I'm going to make her life a living hell instead. He clearly has the emotional maturity of a six year old. Yeah, no, not entertaining.

She heads to her room instead of Luke's. She wasn't in the right mind frame to face him. Plus, she was fairly sure he was well into his Zzz's and wouldn't appreciate being woken up. Not that he would have indicated so. Because that's the type of guy he was, the type to put her comfort before his own.

When she reaches her room, she plops down on her bed, buries deep under her covers and shuts her eyes. She doesn't open them again until light is spilling into the room.

She's surprised to see Kai at breakfast the next morning, she figured he'd be too humiliated to show. But apparently confessing to your brother's girlfriend that you have feelings for her, only for her to run tail right after said confession hadn't affected his self esteem too greatly. Or maybe not at all. Maybe he didn't give a giant fuck. Maybe he was the 'Take it on the chin' type when it came to rejection.

No, that's not right. She hadn't rejected him. Because he hadn't wanted anything from her. She was the one to force him into admitting his feelings. He would have never said anything if she hadn't been such a cunt and forced him to. Plus, she was sure he was aware this was an impossible situation. She was dating his brother. There was no way around that. Not that she wished for a way around it.

Ugh. Stop thinking about it.

It was a non issue. Totally not a thing.

She glances up from her quiche, allowing her eyes to land on him. He's sitting across from her today, not beside her like the other day, the day he'd sauntered into the room with a mischievous smirk on his face with intentions of making her uncomfortable. And like he senses her eyes on him he looks up. She should look away but she doesn't. His face is too fucking perfect and dammit she likes looking at it and judging by that way he's looking at her back, its safe to assume he likes looking at hers too.

Oh. This was going to be a problem.

He turns away first, eyes flicking back down to his plate, she notices his jaw work. He was having a hard time being here, sitting across from her.

What the hell? Why was this her life right now? Because since the fuck when did he like her? Was it the moment he laid eyes on her or did he come to realize it some time after? She didn't understand it because the whole time she'd thought it had been a mutual loathing between the two. She would have never imagined he'd been secretly pining for her.

This was wild.

Who cares if he likes you? You don't like him, her inner self reminds her. Because it was true, she did not like Malachai Parker. In fact, she detested him.

She can't tell if she's avoiding him or if it's the other way around but the rest of the day goes on without the two seeing eachother again. She skips out on lunch and dinner, she'd heard through random ramblings from Liv via text that he'd done the same. She was pretty sure both of their actions were making them look suspicious. Well, if anyone cared to look deeper into it that is.

Bonnie goes out for another run before bed. Kai doesn't sneak up on her this time. And now that she knows how he feels, she can't help but think he'd been looking after her that day and not trying to annoy her to death like she originally thought.

And his rude comments, those were to deflect how he truly felt?

Bonnie sighs, heavily, entering the estate again, deciding she was done thinking about it all. It didn't matter at the end of the day. She had Luke.

She had Luke.

She had Luke.

She had Luke.

She's making her way through the mansion, her breathing finally starting to normalize when she spots Alfred coming out of a room she hadn't even noticed before or maybe she had and just assumed it was just a regular room like all the other rooms here. But apparently this one in particular needs to be locked. She frowns thinking it was odd. What did they think she would want to go snooping around in there? She shook her head, dismissing the thought, continuing on the path to her room. She's hitting the last step of the staircase when her eyes land on a large painting situated over a victorian console table just feet from the stairs. She takes a few steps forward, eyeing the painting for the first time since being here. She'd seen it of course but just never really looked at it. It was a painting of an older man with fair hair and gray eyes. He had a straight nose and an exceedingly thin top lip, his jawline was chiseled to perfection though, it was clear this was an ancestor.

"My grandfather" She'd been staring so raptly, she hadn't even realized she'd been snuck up on.

She blinks her eyes over to the man now standing beside her in his knee length overcoat in umber, tan high neck sweater underneath, gray/brown slim cut slacks and double monk strap dress shoes in cognac. The picture of perfection.

God, why did he have to be so beautiful?

It really was painful to look at him. But she looks still, stares is probably the better word.

She notices how his expression is relaxed for a change as he peers up at his relative. There's also something else different about him, his hair, it's styled different from this morning, it's combed back with some type of product in it, this compared with the overcoat he's wearing tells her he must have gone out for the day and not been avoiding her like she assumed.

Feeling like she should say something, she finally speaks, "The one that left you the estate, allegedly" she teases but now that she thinks about it he probably doesn't find her comment too amusing, losing out on an inheritance was probably no laughing matter to him. Except, he does, a nice velvety chuckle and then he smiles, lips pulling slightly at the edges and then he's confirming, "That's the one"

"You look like him" she notes, eyes not leaving his face.

And he looks surprised to hear this, she knows why, so she clarifies, "Just different coloring. But I see you in the eyes" And the perfect jawline, she leaves off. Ugh.

He doesn't offer anything verbal, just a nod.

"Look" he turns fully to face her, and she immediately wants to turn away because those eyes could be piercing when they wanted to be. "I wanted to extend an apology to you." he begins, expression no longer neutral but grave.

She holds up a hand stopping him from plowing forward, "Not necessary"

Because was he really going to apologize for admitting his feelings about her? She thinks it was best if they never talked about that ever.

"Just listen please. I need to say this" he tells her then sighs jaggedly before plowing on. "I was an asshole." He was. "I said things to you that were unforgivable." He did. "Things that I don't even believe. And I know there's no excuse for my behavior." There isn't. "But just know that that's not who I am. And If you don't want to speak to me ever again I completely understand but I really really hope that you do"

She was not expecting a genuine apology out of him about his previous behavior, she'd thought when he said he needed to extend an apology to her that he'd been referring to the, 'I can't stop thinking about you' comment.

But now that his words were out there, she agreed with him, he did need to apologize, well, properly that is. Because she doesn't count that bullshit apology he gave her the other day in front of his family because he clearly hadn't meant it. This he meant.

"You treated me like shit" she said after a whole minute of silence.

"I know" and his face is fucking agonized.

Did he really feel that bad about hurting her? His usually stormy eyes which are now filled with regret tells her yes.

"You made me feel like I wasn't good enough" she continues on because he needed to hear this. "Do you know how it feels to be made to feel that way?"

He swallows then says, "Yes" his jaw, clenching. He makes to reach for her but seems to think better of it, quickly retracting his limb, "I'm so sorry, Bonnie. If I could take back every horrible thing I said to you I would. I hate how I treated you. I hate the way you look at me because of it."

She shakes her head because who was this person? It was like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sitch. "Are you bipolar or something?" she blurts, not caring if she offends him. He'd offended her no telling how many times now.

"No." he doesn't seem to take offense to her comment. Which tells her he's probably been asked this before. "I'm just done denying my feelings for you"

Oh, whoa, so he was going there. No mind she has a boyfriend. That happens to be his brother.

"You don't even know me" she hisses instead and he looks like he wants to argue her on that but doesn't. Instead, he voices in dulcet tones, "I want to get to know you"

She's pretty sure her mouth is hanging open. Was he seriously this bold? How can he ask to get to know her when she was with his brother? She knew they hated each other but damn..this was some Young and the Restless shit.

"Can we-" he tosses a glance behind him, making sure no one is around and when he sees it's safe, he swivels his head back to face her, his tone low and wondering, "Can we meet somewhere private?"

"No" she shakes her head, disgusted. She can't believe he could be such a cold bastard to his own blood. "I can't do that to him"

"It's not like that" And she knows when he says this, he means, 'It's not on some sexual shit.'

"We can't talk out here, Bonnie" he reminds her, lowering his voice more if that were at all possible.

"And you know why that is?" she says leaning in, her tone vicious. "Because it's fucking wrong" she blinks at him.

"Okay," he sighs resignedly, raking a hand through his thick dark locks, messing up the perfectly coiffed strands, his eyes flickering away from her then back, expelling air through his nostrils. She watches him, the frustrated lines on his forehead, the way his brows crumple down, the despondent look in his eyes, the tight way he holds his mouth. He looks miserable. And then giving it one last shot, he offers, "I'll be in the indoor pool area swimming laps tonight. Midnight. If you want to join me"

He's walking away before she could sputter out a 'No'.

Bonnie's in Luke's room giving him a massage(shirt on) when she notices he hasn't said anything for twenty minutes now. Her fingers stop their kneading, her eyes narrow contemplatively.

"What's wrong?" she asks, leaning over, trying to catch his eyes.

He turns his head, peers at her with those beautiful blue eyes of his, then voices, tone solemn, "It's you. You've been acting weird"

Her hands fall to her side, "What do you mean?"

"You've been missing all day Bonnie. You didn't think I'd notice?"

"I didn't show for lunch. Big deal." she responds, lowering herself to sit on his bed.

"Nor dinner" he points out, moody.

"Okay, and?" She draws out the words, stretching her eyes at him. The gesture informing him that he was making a big deal out of nothing.

"Neither did Malachai" he points out, then with narrowed eyes, he asks, "Did something happen?"

"No, of course not" she immediately rushes to say, feeling every bit of insulted. He'd honestly thought she would do something vile with his brother?

"Not like that." he clears up, knowing where her thoughts had gone. "I know you despise him, I just mean.." he scratches the back of his neck out of nerves. "He hasn't been harassing you, has he?"

Quite the opposite. He apologized like a decent fucking person. She doesn't say this though, she doesn't want him prying into their conversations.

"No"

"Good, now I don't have to murder him." they both chuckle and then his expression sobers. "But seriously, I thought I'd have to say something. But I wanted to be sure first. And I know you don't want me to confront him but I couldn't let him get away with harassing you again"

She nods, how could she fight him over that? He was just trying to be a good boyfriend and have her back. "I get it" but still she doesn't like the thought of him, them, having beef over her.

He touches his lips to hers and when he pulls away, she inquires, tone hesitant, "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" he asks, blue eyes flickering over her face, wonderingly.

Bonnie licks her lips, stills her nerves for the fact that she's about to insult another member of his family. "Does your brother suffer from a mental illness?"

He doesn't respond how she thought he would with a look of appallness, straight into defense mode like he got over his mom. No, he laughs, guffaws actually, his eyes crinkling at the corners, head bobbing forward as he slaps his thigh.

Bonnie just stares as he gets his chuckles out. She doesn't join in because frankly she doesn't find it funny. She really wanted to know. Because that was the only way to explain his extreme personality changes. But judging by the way her boyfriend had responded it's safe to assume Kai wasn't mentally unwell, at least he hadn't been officially diagnosed with a disorder to anyone's knowledge.

"I'm sorry" Luke comments, finishing up his laugh fest. "I'm laughing because you're dead serious"

"I am. I'm worried about him. I think he may be bipolar or what's the one where multiple people are living inside a person?" She wasn't a medical professional or whatever but she didn't think she needed to have a medical license to deduce that something wasn't quite right with the elder sibling.

"You'd have to confirm with Jo but I'm pretty sure it's multiple personality disorder. But as far as we know, he's just an insufferable asshole"

"So no mental illness then?" she says, almost sounding disappointed. Because that would be the easier situation to deal with.

He laughs again then says, "No, Bonnie. No mental illness"

Instead of getting ready for bed, she shimmies into her swimsuit, deciding fuck it. If he wanted to meet, she'd meet but once he said what he needed to say, she'd leave.

He's swimming laps when she comes down, just like he'd said he'd be. She disrobes, revealing her one piece bathing suit. She decided it was best not to change into one of her skimpier pieces, those were reserved for Luke's eyes not his brother. Sitting at the steps of the pool, she watches him go, not saying anything to alert him of her presence. It isn't until he's swimming back to the front end that he notices her there. He stops mid swim. Pushing water out of his face, he says, "I was starting to think you weren't going to show"

"I wasn't" she admits, making sure her tone is stone. She doesn't want him getting the wrong idea. That this meeting was anything more than clearing the air.

"Why'd you change your mind?" She can see the curiosity in his eyes even a half a pool away.

She doesn't respond right away and he takes this opportunity to join her by the steps, he doesn't swim though, just sloshes through the water until he's standing two feet before her. Which was a little too close to her liking, so rising up, she makes her way down the steps, eyes catching his in the process, she notes the curiosity in them as he stares back.

She breaks the connection, angling her face forward, moving through the water, settling near the five feet marker, planting her back against the wall.

"I don't know" she finally answers, feeling the slight lift of her shoulders. She catches his eyes again, and his has nearly formed slits.

"Are you sure?" the words are honeyed. And she melts at the sound because God was it sexy.

"Stop" she closes her eyes. The word was supposed to be commanding, instead it sounds pleading, like she's asking instead of demanding.

"What?" his voice is closer, she's afraid to open them and see just how close he is.

"Making it more than what it is" she answers, her tone clipped.

She can feel the heat of his body practically beating against her. Oh, he's definitely close. Her hand itches at her side, she wants to pull him even closer. What the hell..? "You're still mad" he notes, his tone is still velvety smooth but also holds just a itty bitty smidge of frustration.

Her eyes fly open and suddenly she doesn't care about his closeness, she takes in his depthless eyes and spits out, "You treated me like shit for five days, I think I have that right''

He proceeds to watch her with an unsettling intensity, his body is a mere foot away from her, if that. If she reached out, she'd be touching him. A sexy thought crosses her mind. She suddenly wonders what it would feel like to lay a hand on his chest. Which is calling for her to do, his skin glistening from the chlorine, his perfect pecs so tanned, so incredibly taut. He was in really good shape, she notes. Too good of shape. Not an ounce of fat on his perfectly lean body. She wondered if this was achieved from swimming. He looked practiced enough at it.

"So what can I do to gain your forgiveness?" the smooth voice says, pulling her out of her very inappropriate musings. Seriously, she wondered how Luke would react to knowing she thought his brother's body was literal perfection. And now this perfect body of his is edging in closer, in turn, causing her breath to stall in her lungs. She watches as he brings a hand up and tufts a loc that hadn't made it into her bun behind her ear, the tips of his fingers sending a fire hot blaze over her skin, "Hm?" he wonders, erotically low.

Jesus christ. She's pretty sure that's the first time her body's ever done that.

"You feel it too. It's why you showed" he intones, letting his hand fall, taking his warmth with him. On a positive note, with him no longer touching her, she's finally able to gather her wits about her.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't see you that way"

She hadn't seen him that way, at least not until breakfast this morning when she realized she couldn't stop staring at his face. Because before, she only thought he was handsome in a 'Duh it couldn't really be denied' sort of way. Like it was just fact, the same way Biden is president is.

But now this was beyond acknowledging his obvious good looks. She wanted to touch him. She wanted to press her tiny hand onto his big chest and lean in and..

"You're lying" he calls her out on it too, the bullshit, those false words she'd just muttered into the quiet, his tone no higher than a few octaves. But what was the alternative? Admitting to having miniscule feelings for him? Because this was nothing really, what she felt. So what he made her lose her breath when she looked at him? So what he caused a fire to blaze across her skin when he touched her just now. So what he caused more feelings inside her than her own boyfriend did? So fucking what?

She changes the subject because she would never be ready to get into that. "You're funny and you're the one to talk. You've been deceiving me this whole time, pretending that you hate me when all along you've quite fancied me" she shifts the attention back to him, because that's what this was about, him not her.

"You know, I'm not the only liar in this family" he voices, his gaze continuing to bore into her. Had his eyes always been so gorgeous? Especially now, she thinks, with the light illuminating from the pool they looked more blue than gray.

So what if they're crystal clear and pierces through you?

Listening to her inner self, she forces herself to ignore these things, allowing her brows to slant down on her forehead, "What does that mean?" she squints at him. Because yes, this is what she needs to concern herself with, the insinuation that Luke's a liar, not the color of his eyes.

"It means you see what you wanna see" his voice is clearer now, less honeyed. Less like he's trying to seduce her and more like he's trying to wake her up.

"So this is about Luke?" she concludes, he's been making off hand comments all week. He just needed to come out and say it already instead of dropping these little suspicious remarks here and there, being purposely vague.

He switches topics entirely, nearly giving her whiplash, "Do you love him?" and he looks genuinely curious to know.

Automatically, a frown begins to trace her brows, "Why? What business is it of yours?"

He licks his lips. She really wished he hadn't. It just brings attention to his plump bottom lip. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did," he goes on as if she hadn't said anything at all. "Everyone does. He's the golden boy around here in case you haven't noticed"

"So this is what sibling rivalry looks like." she nods, curt. "I never experienced it up close before"

He snorts.

And her eyes narrow. "Is that a denial? Because I really think I'm onto something here" she watches his face for the teeniest change in expression, but he remains aloof. "Admit it. You're jealous of him. That's why you invited me here. Isn't it? To take what's his. To prove that you're better than him." She takes his silence as confirmation. "That's really fucking disgusting." she tells him, her tone completely admonishing. "You're a horrible brother, you know that?"

And finally a reaction from him, a scowl. "Yeah, cuz he's such a stellar sibling to me" he scoffs out. And then he's telling her, tone laced with bitter resentment, "Your boyfriend hates me. But you don't see that of course."

She ignores this because Luke doesn't hate anyone, not even his asshole brother who deserved all the hate in the world. Plus, her honey had already told her how the hatred was one sided, on Kai's end. And she'd believe him over Liar McLiar here.

"Whatever revenge scheme you have going on in that diabolical head of yours, leave me out of it. I refuse to be a pawn in your sick little game."

Because duh that's what this was about. He didn't want her; he wanted to get back at Luke.

"Don't be silly. This" he states with emphasis, gesturing between the two of them. A fierce look in his eyes, "Has nothing to do with him"

Every word he said just now rang true. But it doesn't change anything, he was still Luke's brother, she was still his brother's girlfriend. Kai could have all the feelings in the world for her, nothing could ever come of it. So she relays just as much, "If you think something is going to happen between us, you're wrong"

His face doesn't fall. In fact, it's the picture of pure sereneness, like he knows something she doesn't. "You're wrong," he remarks, his voice low but confident. "-something already did happen, it's happening right now"

Her mouth creaks open, it takes a moment for the words to come, "You're unbelievable" she states in awe of his gall. "There is nothing happening between us." She drops the words out slowly so it sinks in, "Get that through your head" and when he doesn't respond she takes the opportunity to make her exit.

Bonnie doesn't join the Parkers for breakfast the next morning. She doesn't think she could face Kai after last night. So she stays in her room, tucked in bed, fiddling with her phone. She's scrolling through Facebook when there's a knock on her door. She checks the time on her phone. It's nearly a quarter to nine.

Already knowing who it is, she drags herself out of bed. She's proven right when she swings the door open and sees the concerned face of her boyfriend, "Hey" she greets him, then stepping aside, she lets him inside.

His blue eyes, worried as he crosses the threshold, "You didn't come down" he states the obvious, not venturing fully into her room, turning almost immediately to face her.

His expression is demanding answers to unspoken questions.

God, he must have thought she was the worst house guest ever. She hadn't even sent him a text saying she wouldn't be down; he had to go searching for her.

"I wasn't hungry" Lie. She was starving. She could honestly eat her hand right now.

"Are you okay?" the words are flat but she can see the concern in his face. He probably was just tired like her.

"Uh huh" she nods, making her way toward the bed, she hears him behind her, following her lead. She takes a seat back on the bed suddenly wondering how breakfast went. Had Kai even shown? Probably, he seems to be getting bolder. She bet he'd like nothing more than to ogle her at the dining room table while his family sat by clueless. Yes, it was best she hadn't shown. She doesn't care if it makes her look bad.

"Why don't I believe you?" he's finally saying.

Because you're too gosh darn perceptive.

"It's true. I'm okay and I'm not hungry"

He continues to eye her, skeptical, but doesn't call her out any further, "Okay, well, let me know when you are and I'll have the chef prepare you something and bring it up if you'd like."

"Actually," she poses because this was a good opportunity to ask her next question. "Could we get out of the house today? I was thinking we could go to the ranch again" she ventures, hopefully.

She knew if anything could take her mind off things it would be riding again.

"Yeah, of course. Liv was just telling me the other day that we should all go back up again before we leave"

She wants to say no baby, just me and you but doesn't. Clearly he'd want to do something that involved the entire family, since the reason they were even here was for family bonding time.

And like she thought, a day at the ranch really had been what she needed to unwind, having cleared her mind from all the nonsense that was cluttering it. She's on such cloud nine that she doesn't even care that she didn't get her day alone with her honey. Actually, she's enjoying the company of his siblings, with their jokes and laughter like the night in the pool. They were such a vibe. We'll most of them, apparently someone extended an invitation to Kai, because he'd shown with his off putting personality and sharp looks.

They decide on riding the trails again. She, of course, had wanted to saddle up on Empress again. After the ranch hand had guided the beaut out of the stables and helped Bonnie mount the mare, she, Luke, Liv, Rafe and Jo hit the trails. The rest of his siblings stayed behind.

They're ten minutes into the ride when Luke comments from behind her. "You're a natural baby" Other than swimming, she's never felt like she's been good at anything, so to hear the compliment has Bonnie grinning like the Cheshire cat.

She tosses a look back at him, flashing white teeth. "This is the best feeling ever"

"Isn't it?" he agrees, unlike her, he's smiling with his eyes.

The trail ride ends way too soon. They make it back at the stables just before twilight, when the sky's still a vivid purple color. Bonnie, still mounted, not wanting to give up on the feeling just yet watches her boyfriend as he approaches her, having already dismounted from a thoroughbred named Ronet, his blue eyes gleaming with warmth as he closes in.

When he finally makes it to them, he runs a gentle hand down the bridge of Empress's nose. But either she doesn't appreciate the gesture or she's starting to get fussy because she starts to snort, "It's okay" he soothes tenderly, stroking the horse once more. She can tell he's being extra careful with her. But the Clydesdale doesn't calm down, in fact, she gets even more excited, making all kinds of noises. Bonnie is starting to panic because she's never seen Empress act like this.

"Whoa" Luke is raising his hand but not to pet Empress this time but in a way that relays he has no ill intentions. And with all the sounds coming from the mare, because she hasn't stopped with the hysteria, is starting to attract attention. The ranch hand and several of his siblings all head over, expressions alarmed.

Yeah, same here.

"I need to get down" she tells him panicked and Luke approaches to help her, but Empress is squealing now in loud alarming sounds. And blowing and grunting as if in warning but Luke doesn't listen, he draws in closer then reaches up for Bonnie and the horse starts to shift on her hooves, in frantic jerky movements that scares the shit out of her.

Luke stops trying to get her down. He's backing away now, finally taking heed to the horse's warnings. Liv, along with the ranch hand has now approached them but has just as shit of luck handling the animal. Empress is having a fit for absolutely no reason at all and there is no way of calming her, even when more siblings try to help.

Bonnie is two seconds away from just jumping off but with her luck she'd land fucked up and break a finger or something. It's a nightmare, the entire scene, the horses squeals, plus the Parkers and ranch handlers all speaking at once, everything you shouldn't do she's sure, scaring the poor animal even more. And because of this, it has the horse lifting on her forelegs a bit, enough to cause her soul to leave her body but not enough to throw her off. Immediately, her legs lock down tighter around the unruly animal, grip tightening on the reins so there's no slack and jerks her body forward. The horse is just coming down when Kai shows up, hands in the air, approaching carefully. His siblings are starting to quiet down now, relieved looks on their tan faces, "It's okay, girl" he assures in a calm soothing voice. And only then does the animal start to settle. She's no longer trying to jerk Bonnie off, or backing up in fear, or grunting in warning. When he reaches the quivering horse, he places a gentle hand on the horse's cheek and Empress knickers at the soothing gesture, "There there girl." he says and Bonnie can feel her heart for the first time tick below a hundred beats a minute.

"Such a good girl" he continues to coo, lovingly, running his hand over the length of the Clydesdale nose. Empress loves the attention, neighing and knickering. And while he's lavishing it upon her, Luke makes to approach. She's sure his intent is to help her down but she needs him to stay put. She doesn't want to risk Empress getting overwhelmed again.

She shakes her head at him relaying ab-so-fucking-lutely not. He stills in his movements, expression showing a flicker of annoyance. But she doesn't care if he's hurt, she doesn't want his help, he's not the one who was almost thrown off a horse.

Kai has stopped showering the animal with attention and is now rounding to its side, making his way over to her on the saddle. His face peers up at her and he nods, the gesture telling her it's okay to dismount. Bonnie inclines her head in response then removes one hand off the rein, while the left holds on still. Removing her right foot from the stirrup, in a fluid motion she swings it over the horse's backside. He reaches up, closing in as his hand falls down her side, "I got you" is said in a gentle voice and she places her hand inside his own. The warmth from his touch suffuses her and she ignores the feeling, allowing him to help her down. When her left foot is finally dislodged from the stirrup and both of her feet are on the ground, she shifts around until she's facing him, hand still in his. She notices right away how his cheeks are slightly colored, when their eyes meet, that unamable something happens again where it's just the two of them and no one else. But then all too soon, he's taking a step back, dropping her hand as if suddenly realizing how there was no reason for them to still be touching, effectively breaking the moment.

He clears his throat and asks in a very controlled voice, "Are you okay?"

She can't form any words, still too shaken up. All she could do is nod, not taking her eyes off him.

Seeing that she's fine, he returns the gesture, offering one last incline of the head while avoiding her gaze and stepping away, leaving Luke and Tabitha and the rest of the Parker clan to fuss over her.

After the horse wrangler has Empress back into the stalls, Luke loses it.

His usually calm eyes, deranged. "That horse is freaking nuts," he barks, gesturing wildly with his hands to emphasize his point. He shakes his head, eyes darting to Tabitha, "Maybe we should put her down" he voices to his mother in a way that told Bonnie they've had this discussion before.

"What? No. You can't." Bonnie blurts. Her heart nearly stopping in her chest at the thought of them putting her pretty girl down.

"She's volatile." Luke tells her, his voice a wee bit calmer but not by much. "She almost killed you" he blinks at her like he can't believe she's defending the creature.

"She was just frightened" Bonnie supplies, eyes burning, signaling oncoming tears.

"Frightened by who, me?" he asks, eyes wild, clearly insulted by her comment.

She's immediately shaking her head because that's not how she meant it. She wasn't trying to say he's the reason the horse lost its shit. "Sorry, wrong wording. I mean, she's just exhausted probably. We've been riding for a long time. She just probably needs to rest. Please, you can't put her down, she's a sweet girl. She was just in a mood" Because if that was their solution for moody individuals then Malachai should have been first on their list.

Luke runs a tired hand through his shoulder length blond hair. "You're right, I'm sorry I even suggested that. I don't know what I was thinking. It just upset me seeing you so scared. I felt like I went five whole minutes without breathing"

"I'm okay" She assures him, voice soft. "It was nothing. Really"

Except, it was. She could have been seriously hurt. She would have been hurt if it wasn't for Kai.

The ride home is a blur. Hell, dinner is a blur. Bonnie's so stuck in her head about the incident today that she blanks out the entire thing. She doesn't even recall eating or even what for that matter but apparently she had because her plate is clean. Again, Kai was absent from the table. Why hadn't he shown? He redeemed himself a bit today by saving her from Empress. His family isn't patently ignoring him anymore. So then where was he? Locked in his room brooding somewhere? Was he purposely staying away out of resentment for his family shunning him priorly or was he just antisocial and hated to be around people in general? She didn't get it. Why even come here if he wasn't going to interact with anyone? Or maybe this was about her. Maybe he regrets helping her today. She hated that she needed the answers to these questions.

Of course curiosity gets the best of her and she joins him in the indoor pool area after a gory movie night with his siblings that she's pretty sure traumatized her for life. She wasn't sure what was up with the Parker clan but they only seem to want to watch movies where heads were getting decapitated or chainsaws were sawing bodies in two. She could contribute it to them being heavily into the spirit of Halloween but being there were depictions of violence all over the walls downstairs she didn't think that was the case.

Entering the pool area, she spots him perched at the edge of the pool, legs in the water, hands gripping at gunite, head tilted as he stares down into the brightly lit pool that has been made a beautiful seafoam green color by the she's sure, LED light fixtures. His eyes are drawn away from the water and land on her when he notices he's no longer alone. His dark eyes follow her as she makes her way over to where he's sitting. His expression isn't unpleasant but it for sure isn't welcoming either, so she ponders, a single eyebrow rising, "Do you mind if I join you?"

"It's a free country" he states it in a way that tells her it doesn't matter to him either way.

She takes a seat beside him, allowing the water to drench her feet and shins. "I didn't get the chance to thank you earlier, for what you did at the ranch..you saved me" For the second time now..her mind supplies the image of him saving her just in time from tripping over a tree root and face planting into the ground.

"You're welcome" but his tone is crisp, like he's pissed maybe, and then he gives her a look that translates to, 'Is that all?' effectively dismissing her.

He's definitely upset about something.

"How'd you do it? No one could calm her down but you. Don't tell me you're like the horse whisperer or something" she comments, laughing lamely.

"Yep, you cracked it" is said with absolutely zero inflection.

Okay…

"Are you mad at me?" her voice is lower now, wondering. She peers at him with curious eyes.

Does it matter Bonnie? Who cares if he's mad at you? That's his problem not yours.

"Why would I be mad at you? It's not like you accused me of being diabolical of anything" And with that, he launches himself into the water.

Her mouth drops open and stays that way until his head is breaking the surface. And then he proceeds to effectively ignore her as he swims his way to the opposite side of the pool, when there, he sprawls his arms over the edging, not facing her, no, just presenting her with a gorgeous view of his muscle-y back.

"You're mad about that, seriously?" she finally calls, willing him to turn around.

No, Bonnie, he isn't. He's mad about the fact that you ignored him all day up until the incident with Empress and even after he saved your ass, you continued to do so despite catching him watching you several times, desperate to catch your eyes, to have that moment again where it was just the two of you, for you to just turn away and proceed to shower his brother with loads of affection. He had to watch every caress, every hand hold, every kiss–all day, that is what he's mad about. "Or is it about something else?" she dares.

Which, honestly, he doesn't have any right to be upset. Luke was her boyfriend. Was she not supposed to kiss him and touch him and just be their typical lovey dovey selves all because he decided he wanted her? Talk about entitlement..and audacity for the matter.

This gets him to turn around. He proceeds to blink repeatedly at her. "Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be upstairs with the good brother?"

Her eyes narrow on him, taking in the lazy contempt glinting his dark pupils. "So you're back to being an asshole" she notes, nodding once.

A grin pulls at his mouth, wickedly amused. "I figured I might as well play the villain role everyone casted me in"

"You don't get to do that" she can feel her features darkening, her scowl turning hot.

"Oh? What am I doing?" she watches one of his brows disappear into his hairline, staring at her like he isn't aware of just what she's referring to.

She gives him an unimpressed look. "Being a jerk because you can't have your way"

"You have no idea what you're talking about" and his tone is one of pity.

"Well, enlighten me then" she waits for it. And when he just stares at her, providing no answers, "Yeah, that's what I thought" she shoots him an ireful look, the words tight leaving her lips.

When the seconds pass and it doesn't look like he'd be initiating any talking points, she prompts, "You said something the other day about Luke being a liar. What did you mean by that?" she levels him with a look but before she knows it he's turning around, giving her his back again.

Very mature of him.

"That's a conversation you should be having with your boyfriend, don't you think?"

Bonnie scoots to the very edge of the pool and drops herself into the water, swimming her way over to him.

And when she's come up beside him, he turns to face her, intense gray eyes boring into her own.

She tries something, she's not good at these kinds of things but she's desperate for answers. She reaches out for him, placing a hand on his forearm, a gentle touch that has him glancing down at the action. "I'm asking you" she shaves down all the edges in her tone, making her voice sweet, airy.

He laughs but it's bitter sounding, snapping his eyes back up to her. "Use my feelings for you to get what you want out of me. And I'm supposed to be the manipulative one here"

Her hand falls away, she's immediately embarrassed, her face flaming hot. He peeped what she was doing and called her out on it.

But she doesn't let the shame engulf her for too long because he wasn't perfect either.

"But you are" Because he was definitely playing at something. "You think you can just casually drop the, 'Your boyfriend is a liar bomb' and give no explanation what-so-ever. You're playing games. And I don't appreciate it. This is my relationship." she stresses, heatedly. "If you know something, tell me. Otherwise, I'm just going to assume that this is just a ploy to fuck up my relationship"

He doesn't seem moved by her response one bit. In fact, he turns away from her, to where she's looking at his profile. His voice, low and easy when he addresses her, "You should go find your boyfriend, I'm sure he's looking for you"

Bonnie decides she's had enough. She's leaving. She's in the midst of transferring her things from the armoire to her suitcase when she hears a knock on the door. It's a gentle rap and she knows right away it's Luke. He's the only one who visits her room, plus, she's sure if it had been Kai he wouldn't have even bothered to knock. He seems like the rude type to just stalk into someone's room, invited or not.

"Come in" she beckons flatly.

Might as well get this over with.

And he does, his expression good-natured until he sees that she's packing up her things. Then it falls, confused blue eyes holding on her nearly packed luggage. "Whoa, what's going on?" his baby blues flick up to her face, "Why are you packing?"

"I'm leaving" she sighs out, stuffing her olive green chunky cable knit coat into her suitcase.

"You're what?" he chokes out, goggling at her. "Why?"

Because I hate your brother.

But also because despite how much I hate your brother, I believe him when he says you're hiding something from me.

But also I hate this house. And all of its creepiness. She doesn't say this though, just continues to pack her things.

And when he gets nothing from her, he grabs her, not in a rough way and turns her until she's facing him. "Babe, what's going on? Is this about my brother?" he asks, eyes flickering over her face, "Is he still bothering you?"

Bonnie shakes her head but not out of denial, out of frustration. She turns away from his questioning eyes, landing her gaze back on her luggage, starting to zip but having a hard time getting it to close shut, so she starts to lean on it, putting all of her weight on it in order to get it to flatten out. "I can't be here anymore" Whatever. She doesn't care she's being vague, everyone else was around here.

It's a moment before he speaks, clearly turning things over in his head. "I pressured you" he says with sudden realization. "This" he gestures vaguely around the general vicinity. "Meeting my family. It's all too soon." he places a hand over hers, stilling her movements, peering into her face with pale rueful irises.

"Listen, we can take it slow. As slow as you like. I just want to be with you" And dammit if he doesn't always say the right thing. Always so considerate, this one. If only he wasn't a possible liar..

"It's not about that" she finally clears up and this puzzles him, his brows turning down into a frown.

"Then what is it about?" he wants to know, voice gruff.

"Are you lying to me about something?" she asks point blank. Heck, she was a straight shooter about most things, why tiptoe around this?

He looks shocked by this and then insulted. "What? Where are you getting this from?"

She doesn't even have to tell him, he already knows, "Kai" he states, grounding out the name.

"Tell me what you're keeping from me or I'm leaving right now" Her eyes flicker down to her luggage which is all packed albeit sloppily.

He pushes out a tired breath, his expression weary but also aggrieved. He looks like he wants to jam the heels of his palms into his eyes, "Okay" he says resignedly, but also like he's prepping himself. "Bonnie," he goes on, taking a seat on her bed, looking at her–full on, locking their gazes until she's nearly bursting with anticipation, "I'm sexually fluid" he finally says.

She feels the rapid blinking of her eyes, "Wait," she states, beginning to shake her head because she was not expecting that. "You're into guys?" she blurts. But the way it'd come out, it almost sounds judging and that was far from what was going on right now, she was just shocked is all.

"And girls.'' He's quick to remind her. He pushes out a sigh, "Which, I didn't know about that until I met you. I never knew I could feel that way about the opposite sex, turns out I can" And now his expression has gone all sheepish.

She should be flattered that she's turned a gay guy bi but all she feels is confusion still.

"Well, that explains the shocked looks on your family's faces when you introduced me as your girlfriend"

"Yeah" the word is drawn out with a slight cringe, like that wasn't his proudest moment.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Because she would constitute six months as ample enough time to bring the topic up.

"Because I was afraid. I thought you wouldn't have wanted to keep dating me if you knew I hooked up with guys in the past." he voices, his expression collapsing before her eyes. And she nearly reaches up to comfort him but remembers he technically lied to her even if only by omission but she can't help wanting to smooth the worry lines away, she related to him more than he knew. That anxiety of not wanting to disclose something to the person you're with because you knew you'd be abandoned because of it.

"So annoying Drew is not a girl" she asks for clarification.

"No" he admits, his expression going from wretched to shame-faced.

He reaches for her hand and she lets him, letting it lie limply in his warm grasp. "I should have told you about my sexuality and let you decide if you wanted to keep seeing me or not. It wasn't fair to you to not even give you that choice. It's probably the single most selfish thing I've ever done in my life and I'm so sorry"

She doesn't tell him she forgives him. She doesn't say anything for a long time.

When she does finally speak, her voice is steady, low. "I wouldn't have judged you, you know?"

His expression, that was so bleak moments ago, was starting to reveal flickers of hope, "Does that mean you're okay with it?"

"Not with the lies, no." she shakes her head sternly. "But your sexuality," she says, squeezing his hand. "Yes. As long as you are pursuing me and only me"

And immense relief covers his features. He seriously looks like a defendant in a murder trial and the judge just having read off a not guilty verdict. "I am." he's saying, blue eyes truly earnest in their sincerity. "I don't want to be with anyone else, Bonnie."

"Good" and she plops herself on the bed, then lies completely back on it, extending out one bare foot to him, "But you're not completely forgiven just yet." she tells him, grinning. "I think a foot rub would be a good start at earning my forgiveness"

He snorts out a laugh but agrees readily, "Yes ma'am" And then he proceeds to give her the best foot rub of her life.

She didn't dream that night. But only because she hadn't been able to sleep. And she hadn't gotten any Zzz's not because of gory paintings or scary movies or hell, even Kai. No, she couldn't sleep because the moment she hit the lights, tucked herself under the covers, she thought she saw a figure standing at the foot of the bed.

After summing her soul back into her body, she'd hurriedly reached for the lamp on the bedside night stand, frantically thinking maybe someone was in her room. But when lights flooded it, there was nothing there.

And she searched the room high and low just to be sure. Closets, under the bed, the ensuite bathroom. Hell, even the armoire. Nothing. There was no one in her room. And despite her not finding anything, she still hadn't been able to get herself to fall asleep. Her mind going a million miles a minute, wondering just what she had seen then. Because if it hadn't been an actual person, what had it been?

The next morning when Bonnie enters the dining room, bags under her eyes, mood grumpy from no sleep from the previous night, her eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets when she lays eyes on her boyfriend's face, which is sporting a fresh black eye. Which meant one thing, he'd been fighting. She asks anyway, "What happened to your face?" this said rushing to his side. Frowning, she proceeds to examine his eye, gently running her fingers over the purplish skin beneath.

He winces at the feel of her touch and immediately she stops her prodding, dropping her hand. Demanding of him, in a reprimanding tone, because he knew how much she hates violence, "Did you fight him?"

He looks chagrined when he answers, "I just wanted to talk him but things went left"

No shit..

"And when did this all happen?" she ventures, not afraid to raise her voice since currently it was just her and him in the room.

"Last night, after I left your room"

Last night. He went the whole night without telling her.. "Why am I just finding this out?" She'd forgiven him for not disclosing his sexuality upfront but keeping more secrets from her she wouldn't allow, it'd start becoming a pattern.

"I didn't want to worry you over nothing" is his excuse. And a pathetic one at that.

"You call this nothing?" her voice continues to climb with each word spewed. "You have a fucking black eye, Luke."

"Language" sings Rafe, joining them in the dining room.

"Did you see his face?" she ignores the censure, eyes snapping up to him.

"Oh, that." he flickers a lazy hand at his brother's mug. "Yeah, I saw it last night." he admits to her.

So he told Rafe but not her..

Pulling out a chair and taking a seat, his face proceeds to scrunch up as he continues to peer at Luke's injuries. "It does look alot gnarlier today though. You need like an ice pack of something, dude?"

They both ignore his brother.

Bonnie eyes flick from Rafe to Luke again, watching him for long moments, the closest thing she'd ever given him that resembled a glare. "What?" he says finally, looking self-conscious, like he wants to bring his hand up to hide the expanding bruise.

"I'm mad at you" she can't believe she's having to say this, she thought it was obvious.

And then he's saying dismissively. "I told you, it's nothing"

"You fought your brother" she clips out.

"For you." Rafe cuts in, smirking nauseatingly at them both. "It's actually kinda romantic"

"Shut up Rafe" they both say in unison.

"You know I didn't want that" her eyes are on Luke again, making her disappointment clear with her expression.

"And wait," she starts to shake her head. "What does he mean you fought him for me?"

There goes that wince again, which honestly it looks like it hurts him to do. His eye looks positively painful. "I may have gotten some other stuff off my chest"

For a minute she thought this was about Kai maybe confessing his feelings about her to Luke. And the two of them duking it out for her. She's relieved to know it isn't.

"I'm so disappointed in you" she makes known, causing his face to fall. Because this means that he'd been the aggressor. Why was he even stooping to Malachai's level anyway? Didn't he know Kai was probably itching for a fight? And he just gave him what he wanted.

"You sure you're not his mother?" she hears Rafe say and she comments not even bothering to glance at him while doing so.

"Shut up, Rafe"

…

Not soon after, the rest of the family joins them in the dining hall, one by one they trickle in until the table is full with yapping Parkers. He arrives last. Luke right away, bristles beside her as the darker haired brother saunters into the room. Immediately, she places a hand on her boyfriend's thigh, the act, an attempt to settle him. She doesn't turn to face her boyfriend, instead, her eyes remain fixed on the cruel dark eyed man who'd apparently caused the black eye her boyfriend was sporting. As if he feels her intense stare, his dark eyes flick over to her as he pulls his chair out, making all the noise in the world as the legs drag against the polished wood. By then, all eyes are on him. But his does not once leave hers. And since she has his attention, she glares at him. The act causes a slow smirk to climb his lips.

"You gave him a black eye," she accuses, approaching him after breakfast. She waited until Luke disappeared to run errands with Liv before hunting him down. She found him in the game room, playing pool by himself.

Of course he was because his siblings all hated him.

Not bothering to turn around, he bends over the table, lines up his shot and responds to her accusation, "You should be thanking me. I went easy on him"

"You went easy on him?" It's a feat to keep her voice level. "Have you seen his face?"

She watches as stripes fall into several pockets. He still doesn't give her the courtesy of turning around when speaking to her, "He threw the first punch. What was I supposed to do?"

Bonnie crosses her arms over one another, starting to get ticked off. "Not fight your brother. You could have restrained him or something. You didn't have to beat the shit out of him"

This gets him to look at her. He turns, then positions himself against the pool table, his rear resting on the edge, using both hands he holds onto the pool stick between his parted legs. She hates that she can't find even a hint of bruising on him. What did Luke hit like a girl? It was almost pathetic. "I don't know what world you live in but in the real one, if someone hits you, you hit them back and if you don't want to get your ass kicked maybe don't go around hitting people"

She's approaching him now, her tone having taken on an irritated edge, "You started the fight when you stuck your nose into our business." she reminds him of all his prior shit stirring. "You were itching to try to break us up, and look how well that turned out"

He nods but the action is brisk. "You're right. I shouldn't have warned you about anything. No worries, I won't make that mistake again" His words are sharp just as the nod had been as he pulls himself from off the table. He turns, places the pool stick down on the surface, clearly done with his solo game and apparently talking to her.

"And while you're at it," she went on, not done, and certainly not liking being dismissed, turning her voice to frost, she requests, "How about never speaking to me ever again. Think you can do that?"

He doesn't respond right away, but Bonnie can see the muscles in his back bunch up. When he finally turns around his expression is clear of emotions. Not that she was expecting to see any heartbreak or anything, "I'm sure I can manage that"

And with a curt nod, she responds with an icy, "Fantastic" then leaves.

Bonnie goes for a run that night with the hopes of releasing some of the pent up energy churning inside her. Of course he spoils it for her, she doesn't notice him right away until her ears register the sounds of tennis shoes connecting with earth. Bonnie slows down on her sprint until he pulls up to a jog beside her, "What are you doing out here?" she questions, tone gruff, not even bothering with faking pleasantries. Because of course he was out here. The only thing that could be worse at this point is if Luke pulled up on her opposite side.

"I'm not supposed to be speaking to you, remember?"

But stalking is fine..

"Kai-" she grits out, starting to get frustrated and they've only just begun their conversation.

"You really think I'm going to let you run out here all by yourself. I told you there were monsters out here"

"The only monster I see is you" she accuses, unable to control the growl that crawls up her throat.

He gives her an unimpressed look. "There are worse monsters"

So he finally admits that he's a bad guy..

To this she doesn't offer him a response. But he takes it as permission to stay. She's too tired to challenge him on it.

After their run, when they're making their way through the property, the both of them, quietly panting beside each other, she asks the infuriating man beside her, having not even properly gathered her breath yet, "What's up with the graves?" Her eyes flick to the headstones coming up just to the right of them. Wondering who in their right mind would want a cemetery on their estate. It was like asking to be haunted.

And then she's bringing her eyes to rest on him again. She can't help but notice how there's sweat drenching every inch of his form. She tries not to let her eyes wander down his body, her mouth watering at how the slickness had his shirt clinging to his well defined muscles. She can practically see the etching of his abs through the sodden material.

"What? You don't think the cemetery in our backyard is cool?" he tosses a cheeky look at her and she snorts.

"You're telling me you have no problem sleeping here knowing there are bodies buried in the backyard."

He lifts a shoulder up in a casual shrug, "It's family members, so it's not as creepy at you think"

Yeah, she thought about it and decided it was indeed creepy.

She doesn't relay this though, instead, she asks, "Can I tell you something?"

His perfectly groomed eyebrows rise, in which she takes to mean 'Go on', "I really can't wait 'til this week is over. Until I'm back to my non creepy studio apartment. In my non creepy bed. Having non creepy dreams" she nearly sobs the words, "This house scares the shit out of me." she admits, a sigh gusting out of her.

His expression settles on pensive. "What's scary about it?"

"Um, everything.." she drawls as they pass up the last of the headstones. A chill passing over her.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific," he tells her.

"Okay, if I tell you this, you have to promise to not call me crazy" she's watching him now, seeing if he'll agree.

His mouth moves up on one side as he eyeballs her, "I won't call you crazy, though I have to say I would have every right to considering you diagnosed me with bipolar the other night"

She tries not to smirk at his teasing. "I'm sorry about that." she remarks, not sounding apologetic at all. "You're not bipolar, you're just an asshole" she tells him, repeating her honey's words.

He barks out a laugh. "And look at that, still insulting me"

This gets her grinning. And they walk in comfortable silence for a while, approaching the four tiered massive waterfall that her eyes always ventured over to whenever she dared to come out here. There's no water flowing from it or anything but it was still stunning to her. She hated how they'd just abandoned it. Because she could tell it's probably been around since the Manor was built, which had to be early 19th century. She still couldn't believe this place was over two hundred years old. That's a lot of history.

He bumps her with his hip, "Tell me" it takes a few seconds to realize what he's talking about.

Oh, right. Last night..

So she does. She tells him how she thinks she saw something in her room last night.

"Like a person?" he asks, and she can see the lines of his body stiffening. She watches him closely, his expression having taken on a serious manner, the jokester mood he'd been in just moments ago feeling like a distant memory.

"No, I checked the room thoroughly. There was no one there" she tells him and both of his brows whirl up.

"So what are you saying?" He wants her to spell it out for him.

"I don't believe in these things but.." she shakes her head, not able to get the rest out. Was she really going to tell him she thought she saw a ghost? That was impossible. Ghosts weren't real.

"But you saw something.." he finishes not needing her to flat out say it. He knows what she's afraid to say.

"Yeah." she nods then studies him, his expression is inscrutable.

"Huh" is dropped out of his mouth a second later as his gaze seemingly focuses on nothing. He looks like he may be contemplating something but she can't tell, he could very well just be bored.

"That's all you got?" she whirls at him, giving him a sidelong glance.

He shrugs and his expression clears. "I'm not going to tell you what you did or didn't see. I wasn't there"

"This isn't going the way I thought it would" she drops out slowly. Honestly, she was expecting him to tease her a bit, throw at her, 'Who's the one with the mental illness now?' So when she barely even gets a response from him, it's baffling. She suddenly wonders if she'd told Luke instead, what his reaction would have been. Not good, she presumes, he's the most practical person she knows.

"You thought I'd call you crazy, tell you you're seeing things" he voices, reading her mind.

"Well, yeah." she admits bluntly. "It's what any logical person would say" It's what she would have said if the tables were reversed.

And with good humor he says, "And the insults keep rolling in"

Eyes filling with mirth, a smile playing about her mouth, she brings up a hand, resting it on his arm before squeezing it slightly. And is met with resistance. Because whoa.. that bad boy is hard. Rock hard. Like granite under her fingertips. Ugh. Why did he have to be so in shape? Why couldn't he just be a glob? Just a jiggly glob of a person and then she wouldn't be tempted at giving his bicep another feel. And it's so fucked up because It had been an innocent gesture. She hadn't gone into it with the purpose of feeling him up or anything, it just came as an automatic response to his joke. But that presents another question though, since when did she start to feel comfortable enough to touch him?

She watches his expression soften like he's thinking the same thing, there's a slight pull to his lips that has her nearly smirking as well. Nope nope nope nope nope. She drops her hand. She shouldn't be touching him, despite the innocence of it. She notices his smile falter, he then clears his throat and lets out, "I think if you're not comfortable here and I know I've said it a thousand times-"

"No, it's probably nothing." she sighs out, shaking her head. "I'm sure I'm seeing things. Plus, I can't leave." she tacks on, sort of hurt he would still suggest it after his reveal and everything. "I promised I'd be here for him."

"Because this is about him.." he responds, nodding briskly, mood souring. There was definitely jealousy in his tone. And he doesn't have any right to be.

"Don't start" she warns, they've made it to the back entrance of the estate finally but neither go inside.

And like his bad mood never happened, one side of his mouth pulls up at the end, his eyes brightening, "If you're that frightened you could always come sleep in my bed. I've been told I'm a really good cuddle buddy"

"And of course you had to make it awkward" she says, leveling him with a look, her lips pressing together in a firm line.

The chuckles that teeter out are full on erotic, "I'm joking," he tells her, his voice low and husky.

It's such an appealing sound it takes her a minute to respond.

"You're not" she contradicts, eyes narrowing.

He bites his bottom lip. Then gives her a naughty grin. And now she's starting to wonder, was he putting the moves on her? With his head tilted down, peering up at her through long lashes, he admits, "No, I'm not"

She tries not to swallow at his flirting. Plus, she can't help but notice how striking he looks right now. Like she knew he was gorgeous but damn, up close where his intense dusty blue eyes are drilling into her, fringed by his long dark thick lashes, whew..talk about hot.

"What am I going to do with you?" she nearly groans.

And he steps closer and she's hit with his intoxicating scent, "Whatever you want" he tells her, voice as smooth as honey.

No. He can't say things like that to her. She needs to draw a line. So she takes a step back, putting some much needed distance between the two but he's already holding up a placating hand, "I'm done. That's the last one, I promise."

She nods once, flicking her gaze towards the entrance, expression serious but also kind of wistful. And with sudden realization, she realizes she doesn't want to part from him. But she forces the words past her teeth anyway, "I'm going to head up" She tells him because this is what needs to be said.

He nods, then opens the door, allowing her to walk through first, "Need an escort?" Clearly he doesn't want to part from her either.

Inwardly she sighs, this was no good.

And it was so weird because she was just grilling him on blackening her boyfriend's eye earlier. Now, here she was, honestly thinking about inviting to swim laps in the pool just so she could have more time with him. Her conscience takes care of that for her with a much needed reminder, You have a boyfriend. A boyfriend that happens to be his brother.

Whirling around to face him, she steels her tone because again, boundaries, "No, absolutely not" he doesn't seem hurt by her brush off, just smiles knowingly at her. As if he knows just why she's suddenly trying to get rid of him.

"Suit yourself" But he doesn't leave right away; he walks her until they reach the staircase and she hates that she lets him.

"Good night, Kai" she bids, because she could be polite while putting up boundaries as well. She gives him her back and proceeds up the stairs.

She's made it up a few, when he calls out, "Bonnie?"

She proceeds to look over her shoulder, eyes baring down on him, curious, "Yeah?" her brow whips up questioningly.

"Sweet dreams" and with that he's gone.

She's tossing and turning in her bed underneath her covers because she's too scared to pull them off, because pulling them off would mean making herself vulnerable to whatever's lurking in the shadows. She decides her best bet for getting sleep would be getting the hell out of dodge. Not the mansion, the room. So she hurries up and snatches the covers off of her. Finding the lamp in the dark, she flicks it on and locates her slippers. After sliding them on, she's bringing the room to utter darkness again and darting out into the hall.

She doesn't go to Luke's room. She finds herself standing before his brother after having gently rapped on his door. He'd answered almost immediately.

His expression, amusedly confused. "You know this isn't Luke's room, right?" Kai is asking her after letting her inside.

She tosses him a shy smile, taking in how he's now watching her with careful eyes.

She gets where the wariness is coming from. She'd just shown up at his door. In the middle of the night. In her satin sleep shorts. Messy hair and doe-eyed. Standing there expectantly, like she had every right to be.

"Yeah" she nods, her voice barely a whisper. Turns out the room beside Kai's wasn't occupied with anyone. But still, she'd die if anyone found out she was in here.

His expression loses some of its seriousness. "Just checking" his words rang amused.

She flicks her gaze away from his, looking at him makes her feel things so she pushes forward, allowing her feet to guide her deeper into his room, taking in the tidiness of it all. Still not a thing out of place. He almost didn't seem human. Because who was this neat?

She allows her feet to guide her to his king size bed, taking in the massiveness of it. His pillows, all perfectly aligned. Duvet smoothly in place. It's after midnight. Why hadn't he been in bed?

Her shins hit his bed and she turns to face him, taking a seat on the California King which isn't the easiest being it's up quite high in the air and she's a tiny little thing.

He watches her amused as she gets settled, "Just so you know, the offer still stands"

"I'm not going to cuddle with you" she lets her intentions be known. If he thought this was that kind of party, he was sadly mistaken.

"Why? My cuddles are the best" he teases, approaching her. His words are light but there's something ravenous in his eyes, his gait. She pulls herself higher on the bed, shifting awkwardly under his intense stare.

"Couldn't sleep?" he questions when she doesn't offer a response to his cuddle comment. He's made his way to her now, her shins, two feet from his.

Her head moves slowly from left to right in response to the question.

His eyes are steady on her, they proceed to narrow, "Do you want to lay down or-"

"Kai" she warns but he's speaking before she can get the wrong idea. "I just mean, we can talk if you want." he explains, letting her know he wasn't trying to get fresh.

"Can I ask you a question?" she blurts, this providing the answer to whether she wanted to talk or not.

"You can ask all the questions you want" And because of the way the words hang, she knows exactly what he's leaving off.

"But it doesn't mean you'll answer them.." she fills in his unsaid thought.

He wags a finger at her, smirking lively, "You're catching on"

She rolls her eyes good-naturedly then gets out her question. "Did you paint those paintings downstairs?" the ones that were left unsigned. "The gory ones" What she really wanted to say was the sick ones.

"No, my grandfather did" She must make a face because he utters out, "Too much for you? Is that why you're having creepy dreams?" he asks, replaying her words from earlier, there's a hint of amusement in his tone.

"You don't think it's weird?" she prompts, squinting her eyes at him. It's not like this man had been painting unicorns, this was some really sick shit. "All the violence and gore" she finishes.

He gives a two shoulder shrug, "Granddad wasn't exactly 'normal'" he says, using air quotes around the word normal.

"What does that mean? Was he mentally ill?" And did it run in the family? She leaves off.

"No, he just had a unique mind." So unique was synonymous with depraved now? "But affinity for gore aside," he continues on, oblivious to her thoughts. "He was the best man I've ever known. He was always there. Anything you asked of him, he did it, no questions asked."

"He must have liked you too if he left you his Manor" she notes, recalling his words about being cheated out of the will.

"Yeah, he did" he smiles but it's paper thin, wan.

She nods. And because she could tell he was starting to get sentimental, she changes the subject. She wasn't good with emotional talks because it made her think of her own grief. To this day, she still couldn't discuss her parents or Grams at length with anyone really.

"Did you buy me the riding gear?" She tries her luck with another question.

But also she wanted to know. She knew it had to have been him since it hadn't been Luke or his mother and although she gets along well with his other siblings, she doesn't see them splurging on equestrian gear for her. Hell, two days ago she wouldn't have seen Kai splurging on equestrian gear for her, she still couldn't really.

"Were they to your liking?" She supposes that was answer enough.

Tipping her head down in the affirmative, she says, "They were" And because Grams hadn't completely failed where teaching her manners were concerned, she offers him the smallest of smiles, "Thank you" Though she does want to know how'd he known all her sizes.

He nods but offers nothing else.

Bonnie's eyes sweep over the room because his were starting to do that intense thing it does and she really needed to look away. "Did you grow up in this house?"

Movement from him has her gaze landing back on him. He's taking a seat beside her on the bed. And immediately she's scooching over. He gives her a, 'Really?' look and to this she smirks, eliciting one out of him in response.

He doesn't verbally comment on her extra-ness, just answers her question, "No, I grew up in Marianna, West Virginia" and then he's cocking his head at her, giving her a funny look, "You should know this. Don't tell me you and my brother aren't as serious as you'd like everyone to believe"

She flushes because it does come off that way. These are standard first date questions. "We talk about stuff, it's just I don't pry into his family life because I don't want him thinking he can pry into mine"

His eyes are slits on her, "What are you hiding Bonnie Bennett?" and he says it like she's some criminal hiding a prior rap sheet from a potential employer.

"See, that's what I'm talking about." she nearly growls, slowly growing aggravated. "If I say I don't want to talk about stuff people get suspicious, when it's really just I don't want to talk about stuff."

He's nodding his head now. "Okay, we don't have to talk about your family" he muses and her anxiety starts to ease. "I'll happily tell you about mine. Except, for that one thing I won't tell you about"

She rolls her eyes exaggeratedly and he laughs. She liked when he was like this, all jokey and smiley-eyed. Why couldn't he be like this all the time?

"Marianna is the epitome of the south." she points out. "Aside from your mom, none of you guys really have accents."

He smiles a little. "Oh, it comes out sometimes" he replies, demonstrating what he means in an exaggerated southern drawl.

"That is..wow" she teases and he laughs.

"Too hillbillyish for you?" he queries, face alight with mirth.

She holds her thumb and forefinger up, putting an inch of space between the two, "Just a tad"

Another chuckle, then he tells her, voice back to its smooth cultured cadence, "No, but seriously we've lived everywhere"

That explained the universal accent but how many places could he have actually lived in his twenty five short years of living? But then again he could be the type to despise his southern roots and is purposely hiding the southern twang that rested beneath that smooth generic way he usually speaks.

"Where are you from?" he asks, and in the dim lighting of the room, having been eaten up by his expanded pupils, the grayness in his eyes are practically non-existent.

She smoothes a hand down the satiny material of her sleep shorts, loving the soft feel of the garment. "A town called Mystic Falls"

At this he smiles, slow and toothy. "It sounds like somewhere they would film a holiday Hallmark movie at"

She snorts out a laugh, mouth quirking up at the corners, "Yeah, it does have that quaint small town vibe"

"Do you like living there?" he's curious to know.

But she corrects him on this, "I'm from there. I don't live there. I live in a small college town called Whitmore"

He nods as if remembering. "Whitmore yes, that's where you met Lucas" he seems to be searching for something by the way his eyes are suddening drilling into hers.

"Yep" she states, popping the 'P'.

Silence proceeds to thud down.

And because the mood is starting to change she voices, "We don't have to talk about him"

"Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?" he quips, blinking rapidly at her.

"No. This makes me uncomfortable" she informs him, referring to his current line of questioning.

"Why are you with him?" And the succinct way he'd asked the question has her rearing back.

"Because I like him.." she lengthens the words as if explaining something to someone with a very low intellect.

"But you don't love him" is what he takes from the statement.

"No. But that doesn't mean that I never will"

He doesn't comment and his eyes drop from her hold.

"Does that make you uncomfortable?" she quips, flipping the question around on him.

But he's not here for her games. "Why are you here and don't give me a bullshit answer" Despite the words, his delivery is even-tempered and that's the only reason she doesn't bark at him.

"I'm here because I couldn't sleep" she delivers just as stolidly.

"And your boyfriend doesn't have a bed?" Again, his voice, ever so composed.

Her brows slant down on her forehead, frowning, she lets out, "Do you want me to leave?"

"I want you to be honest with yourself" he remarks, holding her gaze, his tone indelicate. "I want you to tell me why you're really here"

"I don't know why I'm here." she blurts, glancing down at her hands briefly then back up at him, the words sounding harsh leaving her lips. But she's not upset with him, she's ashamed of herself.

"I think you do" he disagrees, his keen eyes knowing.

And he's right. She knows exactly why she's here.

She lets a heavy sigh expel from her lips, wanting to drop her face into her hands, "Can we pretend like I don't?"

Because then she wouldn't have to face her feelings. The same feelings that were telling her she'd fallen for her boyfriend's brother.

He lifts up a hand, hesitant at first, eyes watching her with a vibrant intensity. And then he's touching her, running the pad of his thumb under the curve of her bottom lip, his eyes dropping to her mouth, his heated gaze, primal and possessive. She can't help but shiver, "I think we've done enough pretending"

And with that, he kisses her.

….

He doesn't stop kissing her until they absolutely have to come up for air. Both panting from the oxygen they nearly deprived their bodies of. That had to be the most fun she had ever had with her mouth before, usually making out feels like a task, something she needed to get through. Who knew kissing could be so delicious?

Bonnie licks her lips, chest heaving up and down from the breaths she's taking. He has her sprawled out on the bed, his long lithe body parked between her thighs, whispering sweet nothings against her skin, "You drive me crazy," he confesses, whisper soft and then he's gliding his perfect nose up the length of her delicate neck causing little goosebumps to awaken over the sensitive flesh.

"You don't even know what you do to me" He says in a erotically low tone.

Judging by the hardness in his pants, she thinks she does.

And now he's licking at her pulse point and she shudders from the feel of the slick muscle flicking against her hot flesh.

She widens her thighs so he could sink more into her, so she can feel his hardness rubbing against her. Her hands are everywhere, running down his back, tunneling through his hair, kneading his ass.

Jesus, he has a great ass.

And then the kisses on her neck cease, she goes to protest but then he's pulling back to stare at her and the reverent way he regards her has her mouth clamping shut, "So beautiful." he whispers, tracing the soft angles of her face with the gentle tips of his fingers.

"I could stare at you all day" And by the way he's looking at her, she knows he means it. Her cheeks itches with heat.

She's never had anyone look at her this way, anyone touch her this way. And she knows it's corny but she swears she feels butterflies take flight in her stomach when he does these things. This is the feeling she'd been hoping to feel with his brother.

Years of not feeling anything with anyone but she feels it with him.

Running a lazy hand down his side, she stops when she reaches the hem of his shirt. She's dying to feel his bare skin, the warmth of it, the hardness of it. Unable to resist, she allows the digits to travel underneath the cotton, running the tips of her fingers against the taut skin of his abdomen.

He shudders under her touch.

Her eyes are flicking up to his face, his mouth is parted, breath falling across her lips, eyes heated, there's a maelstrom of need swirling in it's dark depths, "Compliments, yeah that'll ensure this keeps happening"

"Oh, yeah?" he breathes, dipping his head to kiss her lips. She tilts her chin up catching his mouth, fusing their lips together. Her fingers burrow deeper into his skin, digging viciously. She wants to drag them over every inch of his flesh. Not just that, she wants to kiss, flick, lick every inch of his flesh. Her mouth waters at the thought. "Well, have I told you that you have the greenest eyes I've ever seen in my life?"

She grins against his mouth then pulls away a bit to use the tip of her tongue to run along his smooth top lip, tracing the curve of it. He growls, clearly loving the feel of her slick tongue teasing him. He sinks more into her, causing the heat from his body to soak into her, turning her body into a furnace, capturing her mouth in a passionate kiss, only parting to say, "And the softest lips"

"No you hadn't" she breathes against his mouth, now making use of both her hands, dragging up the sides of his torso, the expanse of his muscled back, learning the hard planes of his body.

"Well, you do " he lets her know, his voice rushing over her. And then his lips rain down on her, kissing her again, soft sweet pecks that have her nearly growling for more. She wants his tongue but he's being stingy.

"And your body." he continues in a low honeyed voice, his breath fanning over her mouth, tickling the skin there, causing involuntary shivers to rack her body. "God, your body.." he muses, nearly growling, his tone weaved with notes of worship. "It's what wet dreams are about" And that is when she feels his thumb brush the underside of her boob.

Her breath catches in her throat.

Loving the feeling, she leans into his touch, pulse stuttering, feeling the pebbling of her nipples. Yeah, this is definitely new. Using the hands that's dragging over his back, she presses him further into her, nails digging into flesh. Heart beat thumping, she flattens her lips against his, nestling them into his mouth, so they're just barely brushing, uttering out to him, sweet and seductively, "Well, aren't you the casanova"

She can feel him smile against her lips. And then he's peeling his sensuous mouth away, leaning back just enough to study her, revealing a hungry smirk on his lust-addled face. She watches him as his eyes flicker over the contours of her face, his gaze devouring, her skin growing warm where his eyes touch her.

Bringing up a hand, he cradles her jaw, blinking his pretty lashes at her then says with unfiltered emotion, "I'm serious. You're perfect"

Well, this was a far cry from, 'You're not my type'.

But now she knows why those words were said so viciously, he was trying to push her away. She bites down on her lip, runs a thumb over his cheekbone, falling into his depthless orbs, "You're just saying that to get into my pants"

"Is it working?" he asks, lifting his brows in question.

Her eyes peel wide.

He laughs at the reaction, "I'm joking" he tells her, stroking her face, his lips curving slightly, eyes soft on her.

And then his head is dipping and he's kissing behind her earlobe, then licking it, and taking it into his mouth causing the quietest of moans to slip past her lips. "Seriously though," he says, after having released her lobe. "We don't have to go beyond this" he tells her in a whispered voice. The way his mouth is skimming her skin is pure torture. How could he say that while making her feel this way? Or course she doesn't want to stop. "We can just kiss. Or not. Whatever's fine with you"

She grips his hair, pulling at it, signaling for him to stop but not because she doesn't want this but so she can look him directly in the eyes. And when he's peering into her face, gray eyes– so soft and tender, she tells him, "I want to"

And she does. She hasn't been more sure of anything in her life.

His eyes burn, need and something unnamable filling its dark depths. "Good." he breathes, one hand skimming down her leg, his dick growing immeasurably harder against her, "Because I really want to make love to you."

She hadn't been exactly sure what to have expected from her first time, but what just happened now, far exceeded anything she could have ever imagined.

The moment he rolls off her, his back hitting his side of the bed with a quiet thump, she says, voice husky and sated from the orgasm he'd just given her, "That was-" but she stops because there were no adequate word to describe what just occurred, amazing for sure but that sounded so cliche.

"I know" he agrees, not needing her to finish. She can hear him breathing beside her, each inhalation deep and rasp. She shifts until she's laying on her side, peering up at him. His profile, flawless in the dim lighting of the room with his thick long lashes curling just perfectly, that uber straight line of a nose, the plump bottom lip that looks so delectable as it parts slightly to let air into his body.

He really did have a mouth made for kissing.

And she wants to kiss it so bad right now, feel his talented tongue brush against her, taste the sweet mint of his mouth but then he's speaking before she can, "I think it's safe to assume you're not asexual"

She discovered that a few days ago actually.

And to think she'd gone her whole life thinking she was one, turns out she just hadn't met Kai yet.

But this gets her to laugh, and not just a one syllable one, she's rolling, covering her face with both hands, she lets the tinkles titter out. He chuckles beside her, pulling her into his side, his bare skin warm and inviting, she can feel the tremors still passing through his body from his prior orgasm. He's still feeling the effects and it's been minutes since he's been inside her. "Ugh, man. We are so dead. He's going to kill us, you know?" she comments, unburying her face and looking up into his beautiful mug.

His eyes flick down to catch hers, his pupils tracing the contours of her face, "Yeah, but-" he breaks off to kiss her sweetly on the forehead then hedges on, "It was totally worth it"

She smiles, feeling warmness spread through her at his words. She snuggles more into his warm body, her fingers skating over the ridges of his abs, he shivers under her touch. It makes her happy to know she can incite these kinds of responses out of him. "Seriously though," she goes on, voice growing sober. "What are we going to do tomorrow?"

Because they needed to talk about this. She had a feeling this wasn't just a fuck for him judging by the reverent way he'd worshiped her body just now but she wanted him to confirm this and also Luke was very much a factor in their lives right now. They needed to discuss how they would handle that situation.

She waits for the answer to come but it doesn't, so she tips her eyes up, list her gaze onto his face. But he's staring off into space, just like he had been earlier after their run. Same zombie-eyed look. Her brows furrow and she props herself up on her elbows, calling for his attention, "Hey" she speaks, snapping her fingers in front of his face. And like that his eyes flick to her, that spacey look, gone, "You okay? You went all dead eyed" she asks, her brain working overtime at trying to guess what had been brewing in his mind just now.

Could regret be setting in? Could he suddenly be feeling like absolute shit for fucking his brother's girlfriend?

Not that she didn't feel like absolute shit for her part in the betrayal against Luke but a tiny part of her wanted him to not feel any regrets for what they've just done. It was completely selfish, she knew.

"Yep. Fine" And the way it's said, way too quick, she doesn't believe him.

"You sure?" she asks, feeling her brows wonder up, and then the words are drawled out, "You're not regretting-"

"No, Bonnie" He says almost immediately, taking hold of her face and forcing her to peer into his fathomless eyes. "God, no. I'd never regret being with you"

Some of the anxiety inside her releases at the declaration but if guilt hadn't been causing the dead look in his eyes then what had?

"Then what's wrong?" she questions, sitting up in the bed, pulling the sheets close to her naked body. Which is hilarious being she models nude for a living. But still, his eyes were greedy and he wasn't a stranger, he was someone she really liked and she didn't want him noticing all her flaws.

The moment trickles by and no words come, she's just starting to think he's not going to answer when he turns to face her again, his expression unreadable.

"There's something you need to know" he responds, eyes holding hers.

"What is it?" flies out of her mouth, her pupils flickering over his face in anxious worry.

He swallows, the act making his Adam's apple bob. If she wasn't so racked with nerves right now she'd be tempted to lick it.

"What?" she repeats when he still hasn't said anything. "Kai, you're making me nervous" she intones, heart in her throat.

"What you said earlier about seeing ghosts" he ventures, watching her carefully.

"Yeah?" She stretches the vowel, apprehensive to hear the rest.

"You weren't the first one to have made that claim"

Now this gets her attention, she sits up straighter, blinking hard. "Are you serious?" she says in a harsh whisper as if they weren't the only ones in the room. "So your house is really haunted?" she prods, nerves starting to prickle.

"Yeah, apparently" he lets out an awkward sounding laugh.

Her mouth hangs open for an undisclosed amount of time. She doesn't know how to process what he's told her because that means he's known this entire time, that Luke had known.."Why would Luke bring me here if he knew there were spirits-"

God, she couldn't believe they were having this conversation because spirits..really?

"He doesn't believe in spirits" Well, that's something they have in common. Because honestly, she hadn't even fully convinced herself of what she saw, thought she saw... There had to be a logical explanation for this other than Casper roaming the place. Was this someone's idea of a sick joke? Because there were ways to fake this kind of stuff.

Kai stops her right there with a look and her eyes narrow on him. "But you do?"

"I believe in a lot of things" And the way he says it is almost wistful.

His expression becomes commanding as he gets his next words out, "I'm telling you because you need to leave, the day after tomorrow is Halloween and-"

But she's cutting him off, "So this is why you've been trying to get me to leave this entire time? Because your house is haunted.."

"Will you?" His expression is serious, hopeful. Like what he's asking he needs her to do.

"Yeah, okay" she finally agrees, forehead creased.

She sees him visibly let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Go pack your things. You need to leave right now. I'll give you some money for a hotel, call you an uber"

She wanted to say why the fuck would he do that when the Parkers had a personal car service but something more importantly sticks out to her, "Wait, you're not coming?"

Something foreign flashes in his expression and then he says without inflection, "I have to take care of some business tomorrow"

Her mind whirs. "Why does it feel like now that you've fucked me you're kicking me to the curb?" Calling her an uber in the dead of night, really? Like she's some random booty call..

Fury burned through her. Was this truly how he treated girls after he seduced them? And to think she cheated on her boyfriend for him. Lost her virginity to him. This wasn't about a fucking ghost. This was about getting one over on his brother by fucking his girl and now that he's done so, he's tossing her out on the ass.

He looks insulted, his face folding before her eyes, a frown etching deep into his brows, his mouth pulling down on the sides, "That's not what's going on here" his wounded voice expresses to her.

"It doesn't feel that way" she grits out, eyes cutting, unable to control the hurt blooming inside her.

"You've got the wrong idea." he tells her, voice dropping. And now he's sitting up in the bed, the white sheets barely covering his intimate parts, his expression heavy with an emotion she can't even place. He reaches out to her, using the back of his fingers to caress her face lovingly, she hates that the act sends a current through her body, "I can never want to kick you to the curb, that's not how my brain works when it comes to you" he says, staring soulfully into her eyes.

Before she can respond, his fingers are tunneling into her hair, pulling her face to his, her mouth to his fleshy pillows. He kisses her slowly, with intent, unlike the fervent kisses before, he really takes his time with her, lush mouth slanting over hers, slick tongue slipping decadently inside her mouth in sweet perfection. They kiss like that for a while, learning each other's mouths all over again and then she's pulling away to tell him, drawing in a shuddering breath, "I'm not leaving now. It's like three in the morning"

"I just told you my house was haunted" he remarks, not looking satisfied at all with her decision to stay.

"Yeah but I'm with you." is her reply, her voice having gone all soft around the edges, making her sound vulnerable. "You make me feel safe"

It's true, she hasn't thought once about gory paintings, or backyard cemeteries, or ghosts since she stepped inside his room. Not to mention when she's in his arms, snuggled so close, his warmness cocooning her, breathing in his intoxicating scent. Nothing in the world matters to her but being held by him.

"You just agreed" he reminds her, tone unbending. That displeased look hasn't relented at all.

And then the sheepish words come. "Yeah, when I thought you were coming with me."

She wants to duck her head away, hide her eyes from him. Because yeah, there was a huge possibility that she was dickmatized. And she can't understand it for the life of her. Well, she can, the dick was sublime but sublime dick aside, the fact still remained is that they barely knew each other. And she was almost positive she couldn't part from him.

"So basically you're only staying for me then..?" he responds, reading her thoughts. There's a smug look on his face now, a lazy smirk in place, all the hard edges erased from his expression from her admission.

"Shut up" she smacks him on the arm playfully.

He laughs but then when he sobers, says in a heated whisper, "You can't be without me can you?" It should be a joke but it isn't. He's completely serious. And it's kind of embarrassing that he knew how much he meant to her already.

If her mom was alive she would scold Bonnie for even entertaining answering the question. Her mom was a firm believer in a man should always love you more. Not that she loved Kai or anything. She just liked him alot. So much so, she would stay in a haunted house just to be with him.

"It's weird. I feel tied to you" her voice is low, hesitant and she knows he can tell she doesn't want to admit this.

But her confessions are like crack to him because he continues to probe, "Like soulmates?" he ventures, expressing how she felt but was too scared to say.

If this was a book she'd be rolling her eyes so hard right now. Because soul mates, really?

"Tell me how you feel?" he demands of her, wanting more, greedy for it.

She suddenly wonders if this was an ego boost for him but the thought is quickly banished away at the softness that overcomes his features as he waits for her response. He's hanging on to her every word, she doesn't even think he's breathing.

"I feel like I don't ever want to leave you" she tells him, being completely earnest. And why is she so readily honest? It's in her bones to constantly have her guard up but the words had just flowed out freely, "Like it's physically impossible for me to leave you right now."

This incites a small grin to appear on his lips. She lifts her fingers, runs the pads over the soft pillows of his mouth. Remembering how they felt on her skin just now. "That's crazy right? I don't even know you"

His hand lifts to her face, his touch a mere whisper against her skin, "But you do" he says, eyes stretching a bit.

She wants to believe the words because they've come from his lips, but they weren't true. She met Kai a week ago. "I just met you" she tells him this and he gives her a look that translates to, 'You silly girl you'.

"Not your soul."

She doesn't leave that night because they make love again and when he falls asleep, she stays up peering into the dark night.

She doesn't see any ghosts.

Bonnie's starting to see the first inkling of dawn through the slits of the blinds. She hadn't been able to sleep, so she just laid in Kai's arms all night, cheek resting against his chest, counting his heartbeats, playing over and over in her mind the time they spent last night. The soft feel of his fingertips as they ghosted over her skin. The delectable way his mouth felt as he licked her most sensitive zones. The greedy way her body had accepted him as he drove his way inside her core.

It had been pure bliss. And she wants to do it again. She'd always want to do it again and again and again and again with him.

And she would initiate it right now but it's getting late or early rather, and the staff would be scurrying around soon and she could not be seen wondering from his room looking freshly fucked. She plans on telling Luke about them because there would be a them, she was done denying it, her feelings, the way her body burned when he was near, the overall giddy sensation she felt just being around him. They had a rough start but she knew if she'd allowed him to stick around then they could have an amazing ending. She would make sure of this. But she couldn't break the news to Luke here, not in his family home, not while she was his guest, the one presented on his arm to his family. It wasn't right. But when they got back to Whitmore, she'd tell him in the most gentle way possible. And then she'd start her life with his brother. But first she needed to get the hell out of here, not the Manor, she'd promised Kai she'd leave sometime today, but from his room right now. It was imperative she'd get back to hers. She needed a shower, she's sure she reeked of sex and of him, though, the latter she wasn't too keen to scrub away. She loved the masculine way he smelled, the woodsy notes of amber, vetiver. It was intoxicating.

She tries to extract herself from his iron embrace, but he doesn't let her go. In fact he only seems to snuggle more into her, shifting them until they were spooning, his grip tightening around her waist. It nearly makes her smile. She was embedded into his soul just as much as he was in hers. Inwardly, she sighs. This was not the time to get all mushy, she needed to leave. So once again, she tries to extract herself from his vice-like hold but he only groans and she feels the awakening of his cock against her ass.

"No. You're not allowed to leave" he whispers into her hair, pulling her tighter against him. She hates her body for relaxing into him.

"Really? Because I recall you trying to kick me out last night" he snorts and she continues on because his hold still hasn't loosened one bit. "I have to get back to my room" she says, whisper soft, but finds her ass rubbing against his erection instead, bellying her words.

He moans and loosens his grip on her but only to play with her breast. Grabbing a moundful he says, squeezing ever so slightly, her body humming at his touch, her naked breast still tender from the sucking and biting they endured last night, "No, stay in my bed with me forever"

And now he's playing with her nipple, tugging and pinching at the erect bud, causing a delicious shiver to sweep over her.

He's no longer half mast, he has a full on erection now and she's so tempted to allow him to make use of it.

She so wants to. If her life could consist of making love to Malachai all day she'd be the happiest girl in the world. But that's not a reality for her. For either of them.

She ignores the fact that her nipples are as hard as diamonds, that her core is totally moist, scratch that, she's nearly dripping for him and he hadn't even done anything but play with her nipples. "I can't. I have to leave before everyone wakes up" And she does it. She's finally able to get out of his hold, albeit unfairly, using her ass grinding to temporarily distract him. He growls when she manages to slip out of bed.

"Fine" he mutters, except he isn't fine, there's a somber note to his voice, a joyless look to his eyes.

And because she doesn't like him looking so glum, she promises sweetly, "We'll get to make love again and be together and all that good stuff" her eyes rove over his room, searching for her clothes and finding them in a pile on the floor. "Just-"

But he's cutting her off. "What exactly classifies as the 'good stuff,' hm?" he's wanting to know.

She laughs, pulling on her panties, the lacy material sliding up her skin causing tingles over her overstimulated flesh. She's still on a high from last night. Body still buzzing. Body still wanting. She can feel his eyes on her, so hers darts to his, he doesn't even attempt to level his gaze to her face, he's too busy watching her shimmy into her thong, "I can't show you right now" she intones in a seductive lilt. And her flirting, it doesn't sound so awkward now, the way it had with Luke. It comes out natural, no forcedness, just pure want.

He groans, scrubs a hand down his face in clear frustration. She pulls on her bra. The hook is in the front so it's easy to clasp. Thank god she'd worn this one because asking him right now to help her out would have been a disastrous idea. They'd be back in his bed in no time exploring each other's bodies. Yes, each other's bodies because there's some things she wants to do with her tongue that she'd hadn't been able to do last night. He'd been too wrapped up in exploring hers to allow for anything else. But she wants to please him this time around. She needs him to know just how much she wants him. How deep the crave goes for her. But she can't, she has to get going. "You're way too sexy, Bonnie. I don't think this is going to work out" she hears him say miserably.

"Is that a bad thing?" she asks, bending over to pick up her sleep shorts.

"How am I supposed to keep my hands off you today?" he groans.

She slips them on and tosses him a quick glance. He looks pained. Good. She likes to know he's having such a hard time watching her go.

She finds her tank by the foot of the bed. She slips it over her head and replies, "You'll manage, I'm sure"

Clearly, not what he wanted to hear because he ignores this and commands of her, "C'mere" the words are uttered in a soft whisper. His arm outstretched, reaching for her.

"No, I have to leave." she reminds him trying to sound stern.

And then he gives her the saddest puppy dog eyes ever and she's sighing aloud.

Contemplating, she bites her lip then decides, "Can I kiss you?"

"Bonnie you can do whatev-"

"No, I mean can I kiss you and not have to worry about you holding me hostage again?"

He seems to think on it for a bit and then tells her with ragged honesty, "I can't promise you-"

"Fine," she interrupts him abruptly. "I'm leaving then" she starts making her way towards the door.

"Okay" he agrees, begrudgingly, "I won't hold you hostage" the words leave his mouth on a groan.

She turns, gages his face. He looks pained. He looks absolutely tortured because she won't fuck him. How sweet.

Bonnie decides she can trust him, trying not to laugh at his expression as she makes her way towards him. He's all wrinkled brow, pouty mouth, looking absolutely adorable. What was she going to do? How was she ever going to part from him? Not just now, but everyday, they had separate lives. He was based in Portland, she, in Whitmore. How would she deal with the distance? How would they?

That was definitely a talk they needed to have later.

His expression has lifted up on the glumness by the time her shins hit his bed. He holds up a hand and she takes it, leaning down to meet him for a kiss. He doesn't offer her a quick peck on the lips, no, he's set on devouring her. Bonnie, knowing she should stop this, doesn't and his hold on the back of her head increases, pulling at her scalp, drawing her closer. They kiss like that for a long while, his lips becoming more urgent, his touch greedier. She hadn't realized he'd gotten her into the bed until she felt the hardness of his cock beneath her. Her eyes fly open, her lips immediately stop moving. He's still holding onto the back of her head, their mouths are just centimeters apart, ghosting each other.

"I should go" she voices but makes no attempt to leave because his erection is still rock hard beneath her and all she wants to do is grind on it.

"I should go" she repeats again, trying to convince herself to get up more than saying it to him.

But he isn't liking that kind of talk. He has a better idea, "You should stay" he whispers, his sweet breath tickling her lips.

"You promised" she points out, groaning, feeling desire pool low in her womb as his hands start to travel up her thighs.

"I lied" he utters, bringing her lips back down on his.

And then, they make love again.

After round three in just a six hour time frame, Bonnie finally heads to her room, body still buzzing from the aftershocks of her orgasm, the grandest smile on her face, nearly floating to her room on cloud nine. Luckily, she doesn't run into anyone, forget ghosts scaring her to death, the mortification of being caught coming out of Kai's room alone would have been enough to send her into cardiac arrest.

The first thing she does when she enters her room is hop in the shower.

She thinks about Kai the entire time she's in there, unable to tame her smile no matter how hard she tries. Even the soreness down there that was starting to increase couldn't dim it. She still can't believe she lost her virginity. And to her boyfriend's brother at that. Talk about reckless. Not to mention irresponsible, they hadn't even used protection. She'd have to purchase the morning after pill the first opportunity that arose. There was no way in hell she could get pregnant by her boyfriend's brother. Future ex-boyfriend, she mentally corrects herself.

When Bonnie is all showered and done with her morning routine, she joins the family downstairs for breakfast which includes everyone but Luke, Liv and Kai. She's shocked to see Tabitha at the end of the table, not at the head where she'd been sitting all week. No, that spot was occupied by a silver haired, hazel eyed man instead.

The Patriarch of the Parker clan she's to presume. Nice of him to show up on the nearly last day.

His eyes immediately flick to hers and a soft smile stretches over his lips. She finds herself smiling back, naturally compelled to, it's her body's response to friendly pearly whites being flashed at her.

"Well, Hello. You must be Bonnie" he greets getting up and making his way towards her. She's surprised to see he's not as tall as the person she imagined in her head. In her mind, her boyfriend's father had been tall and shark eyed and intimidating. The guy in front of her couldn't be more the opposite of that.

"That's me" she confirms, her tone a touch higher in pitch than normal, taking his outstretched hand into hers and shaking it.

"Joshua. It's nice to finally meet you" he says, his grip firm but not overly so.

Bonnie flashes another smile at him, "You too" she responds, releasing his hand.

Once niceties are done being exchanged, Bonnie takes her seat at the table, the same one she's been sitting in for the past week, trying to ignore the fact that her boyfriend is absent and what that could possibly mean because Kai was notably absent as well.

They'll be down any minute. They are not somewhere pounding each other's faces in.

"So, Bonnie," Joshua prompts, having reclaimed his seat as well, his hazel eyes kind and wondering, "Tell me about yourself"

By the time Bonnie's done giving Joshua the parts of her life that she knew wouldn't cause him to cringe, she's learned her lesson from her initial conversation with Tabitha, no more mentioning school gaps.

The final members of the family roll in. Luke first, then Liv then Kai in tandem, causing her to believe they'd been having a conversation just now.

Please God, don't let it be about her fucking Kai.

And though eventually she'd plan on telling Luke, those plans didn't include admitting to her sins at his family estate in front of all of his loved ones.

Bonnie shifts in her seat, nervous energy buzzing about her, eyes flitting over the siblings, trying to judge their moods. She sees exactly what she doesn't want to see, tension radiating over every inch of their forms.

If she thought she was nervous before, she's nearly fidgeting like a crackhead now.

She tries to make eye contact with Kai but he doesn't look her way, just pulls out the chair across from her and takes a seat.

Wow, okay. This was the same guy who'd sucked on her clit mere hours ago.

Her eyes dart over to Luke, his are already on her as he makes his way beside her, his expression hasn't lifted up on its stoniness.

"Hey babe" she delivers with false cheeriness as he takes a seat.

He nods but says nothing else. She has no choice but to avert her attention away. Because there's no way she could ask him what's wrong because he'd only follow up with, 'You slept with my brother you fucking whore' in front of his entire family. Yeah, it was best she remained silent.

It's the longest meal in the history of meals. She swore she'd thought it would never end. She was proud of herself though for keeping some semblance of her cool, making her face neutral as she idly sat by listening to lackluster convos about stocks and bonds and other shit she doesn't care about, picking at her food while slyly throwing looks at Kai. She'd manage to catch his gaze once, which hadn't revealed a thing, his face couldn't have been anymore expressionless.

He could have at least let his lips tilt up a fraction of an inch. She wasn't asking for much, just a millimeter or so, some reassurance here, he had to know she was freaking out.

When plates are collected and bodies are in motion, Bonnie makes sure to slow her pace to match Luke's. The second they are out of ear shot of anyone, she pulls him to the side, "Is everything okay?" The fact that he hadn't said a word to her this entire time should have given her her answer.

He lets out a heavy sigh, "Just some family stuff"

"What stuff?" she asks and makes sure the words don't sound too curious. She knows now he doesn't know about her and Kai, he would have said something the moment he had her alone. But she's still curious to what the siblings are beefing about.

"My brother, he's getting on my last nerve but that's not your problem"

She hated how he was always so vague about everything but she doesn't push it, she didn't want him side eyeing her.

"Hey, there's some things I need to take care of so I'm not going to be around much today." he tells her when they've made it to the staircase. "Text me if you need me" he says and it almost sounds like a question.

She nods. "Yeah, okay"

He smiles but it doesn't light up his features, "I'll see you later" and with that he kisses her on the cheek.

The day goes on, lunch comes and goes, Luke, Liv and Kai all missing. What the fuck? Just like this morning when they all sauntered in late together. Was that a coincidence? And what's even weirder? The staff disappears just after lunch.

The clock is in the process of chiming five times, signaling the fifth hour of the day the moment she's pulled into an empty room. She'd been making her way to the game room when she was snatched up.

She nearly yelps but there's shushing near her ear, her eyes adjust to the dark room and at the same time he utters out in a low whisper, "It's me"

Kai.

And like that she's no longer frightened.

"Jesus christ, you scared me" she tells him, her hand moving up to her heart, trying to calm it.

"I'm sorry" The lowness of his voice, calming. "But I needed to talk to you"

It isn't completely dark in the room, the curtains are drawn closed but there's slivers of light peeking through the edges, helping her make out his features.

Features that were still just as attractive in the dimly lit room as they were in the openness of daylight.

"What's up? Where have you been?" She doesn't waste any time spouting out questions.

"I told you I would be busy today"

Yeah, just like Luke had said. What the hell were they even busy with?

"Yeah, I know. It just feels you've been avoiding me all day. You ignored me at breakfast" There's a hint of hurt there that registers with her own ears.

"I know"

And her heart sinks, her expression must relay the turmoil inside her because he assures her, voice dropping in octave, "Not because I wanted to"

"Kai-"

But he cuts her off. "You don't know how bad I wanted to kiss you this morning. It's been on my mind all day"

She inches closer, feeling daring, her hand moving up to grip hold of his dress shirt, pulling him closer, "Kiss me now then" she whispers into the darkness.

And he does.

She doesn't know how long they go at it. He finally pulls away eventually, much to her dismay. "I could do this forever" he tells her wistfully.

And she'd let him.

He swears under his breath, an expletive her Grams would have tanned his behind for, "I didn't pull you in here for this" And then his face takes on a severe expression. "We have to leave"

"We?" Because this was new.

"You and I" he informs her.

Her mouth creaks open. She shakes her head, not understanding. He'd made it seem like he couldn't leave today but now it seems to be an urgent need. It causes her spidey senses to tingle, she hates to be suspicious of him but she needs to know what is going on. This can't simply be about a 'ghost'.

"I can't explain everything right now. But I will, I promise. In an hour I need you to meet me out back. Leave your things. Everything Bonnie. The only thing of your personal items that you need to take is your ID"

Whoa whoa whoa.

What?

"I can't just leave all of my belongings here" It's all I fucking have.. Is what she doesn't say. And why the fuck do I need to? she thinks.

Her head was spinning.

"I'll buy you new things. Whatever you want."

To be able to be rich and just say things like that, so casually, not even considering that maybe her things had sentimental value. They were so privileged and didn't even realize it.

"We need to get out of here"

And the desperate way he says it has her eyes narrowing. "What is going on?" she asks, expression scrutinous.

"Do you trust me?" he asks, voice low, inquisitive.

"Of course" She hasn't known him for but a week, but their limited time together doesn't matter. She trusts him, wholeheartedly.

"Then do what I say, Bonnie. Please" he demands of her, his voice desperate.

"Okay" she finally drops out, lowly, still confused but willing to do what he says.

"An hour" he reiterates then kisses her quickly on the lips and leaves.

Bonnie can't get the weird way Kai had acted earlier out of her mind. Why was he so pressed about her leaving? Them leaving..

And the demand about not taking her things? Why would he request this? Nothing made sense.

It was far from the time she was supposed to meet him, only a half hour had passed since he'd left her in the dark with an ominous kiss goodbye but she couldn't wait any longer, she needed answers. She needed him to tell her what the fuck was going on.

She heads to his room, praying he was there. He wasn't. But his door was left open just like the night she snuck inside and found that drawing of herself.

She invites herself inside, knowing he'd show soon, shutting the door behind her. She sits on the bed but within minutes of waiting to get answers, she gets up, antsy, pacing the room. Trying to rid some of the nervous energy buzzing through her.

Something catches her eye, a knife sitting on his desk like it was normal to have knives just lying around your room. What was the knife for? No, dagger. This was no regular kitchen knife according to the intricate markings on the handle. Jesus. Did he plan on using this on her later when he has her alone? Is that why he was trying to get her away from his family? So he could murder her? Bonnie edges in closer to the table ready to pick it up, but her eyes snag on something else. A photo of her, not a drawing like before, but that's not right, this isn't her. Whoever this is isn't even from this era, the clothes, the styling of the hair, the overall datedness of the photo tells her this.

Before she could peer at it for too long she hears a voice sound behind her, urgent and succinct, "What are you doing in here? You're supposed to be-" and then he cuts himself off when he sees what she's looking at. Even all the way across the room he could see what she'd been staring at.

"Who is this?" she questions, picking up the photo of the woman who looked exactly like her and holding it up slightly in the air.

It's a long moment before he answers. "She's someone I used to love very much" And then he's making his way towards her.

But she's shaking her head because that wasn't possible. "But I don't understand, this photo has to be over a century old'' she points out the obvious, Kai was only twenty-five and yet the sepia colored photo told a different story. She watches him expel out a weighted breath but he doesn't offer an explanation. She can see he's torn about what to reveal to her. "And why do I look like her? Are we related?" she piles on more questions that she needs answers to.

When he's finally approached her, he tells her, "You're not related." And then he's taking the photo from her, handling it with care, she notes. He peers at it for an undetermined amount of time, a look of pure reverence on his face. "You're her doppelganger" he finally says into the quiet room.

Then dropping the photo on his desk, he turns to face her, his whole visage is tortured.

"Doppelganger" She repeats the word because she's heard this term before but only in old folk tales.

"Yes" he confirms, tipping his head down. He's watching her closely through dark lashes, gauging her reaction. "That's the technical term for it but I think-"

"Wait,'' she cuts in, holding up a hand, stopping him for a minute. "You said you were in love with her.." she says getting back to that because nothing was making sense and she really needed some answers.

"I did"

"How?" the word comes out forcefully as if demanding him to really answer her instead of giving these vague one syllable responses. He doesn't answer verbally, instead, he pulls out a book—or photo album, she notes as he starts to sift through it. Stopping on a photo of himself and the woman who resembled her down to the distinctly defined cupid's bow of her mouth.

"Oh my god" she mutters, not taking her eyes off the photo. "This is you?" the words are whispered in the quiet. The hair was different, longer, but she could tell it was him.

"Yes" he confirms.

"How is this possible? You should be dead"

"I should be, yes"

Her stomach bottoms out but this was him admitting that something wasn't quite right with him. How did one live for, if judging from that photo, two hundred years and not age? It was impossible. Could this be a joke? Him doctoring up some photos to scare her, for the sake of Halloween. That was it, he was excellent at photoshop. He'd found some pictures of her on social media, or maybe Luke provided him with some. This was them getting her. And good apparently. The prank of the century.

"Good one. You guys are good. You can stop with the jokes now."

"I wish it were that simple" he sighs, sounding incredibly tired.

"Are you telling me this is real?" she snatches the photo album from him, ripping the photo out of its slot in the album. When she has it safely in her hands, she flips it over, reads the calligraphy on the back. Malachai Parcar, Delphine Boudreaux 1867.

"1867" her hand flies to her mouth, eyes snapping up to him, horrified, "What are you?"

"Del-" and then shaking his head he starts again, "Bonnie-"

"Were you just going to call me Delphine?" her voice is starting to sound angry. "You don't even see a difference do you?"

He takes the photo album from her, along with the photo and places it on the desk then says to her, his expression beaten, "Let me explain." he requests, voice sounding completely depleted. "Not here though"

"No, I don't even want to know." she sighs out. At that moment she decided she didn't even care at this point. The fact that he was God knows how old was enough knowledge for her. "I just want to get out of here"

"And we can." he says gently, trying to take hold of her hand, "Together"

She snatches her limb away from him, eyes darting to the photo of him and this Delphine person on the desk then denies his offer, "No" shaking her head because over her dead body. "Without you." And when he tries to close in on her, she picks up the dagger she'd seen laying on the desk and holds it up, "Stay back" she slices the blade through the air letting him know she means business.

He holds his hands in the air, letting her know he was of no danger to her.

Yeah, right..

"Bonnie, put the knife down" he requests of her, speaking in an incredibly calm tone. She doesn't think she likes the fact that he's so unbothered by her waiving a knife at him. Honestly, it's insulting. He could at least pretend to be afraid.

"Stay the fuck back or I swear to God I'll slit your fucking throat. I'm not playing, I'll do it" she threatens, using the most volatile tone she could muster.

"I know you will" he acknowledges as she maneuvers around him and towards the door, slowly creeping away, not turning her back on him for a second. And despite his words his face and posture tell a different story. He isn't afraid of her. He's probably laughing in his head right now at how non-menacing she is.

"I swear I won't hurt you" he promises, using a tone one would use when approaching a scared kitten.

"The vampire says he won't hurt me. Yeah, right." she scoffs, unbelievingly.

"Bonnie-"

"Give me the keys to your car" And when he doesn't attempt to locate them. "Now" she hisses, threateningly.

"Okay" he finally gets out, lowering one of his hands to sift through the pocket of his slacks. He pulls them out and holds them out for her to retrieve. As if she was going to fall for that one.

"Toss them to me" she orders him.

He doesn't give her lip, just does what's ordered of him. Unfortunately for her, it's hard to catch it with her wielding a knife in the other so she misses and they hit the ground with a clunk.

Her eyes flick down to where they landed just at the edge of his bed, a few feet away from him. His eyes track the movement as well.

She needs to retrieve them but she doesn't trust him to not try something.

"Stay right there" she demands, the knife still pointing at him, threatening to slice at him if he dares try anything.

"Bonnie, I'm not going to hurt you. I love you."

"You love me?" she scoffs out a laugh. "You don't even fucking know me, you, whatever you are" she looks at him disgustingly. He doesn't comment, so she bends over, eyes still watching him as she sifts them from off the floor.

"I'm going to leave and you're not going to fucking follow me" is the directive he's going to follow.

He doesn't look like he wants to agree to this so she yells at him, "Say it!" Which shouting probably wasn't a good idea. If someone heard her..she doesn't even want to think about it.

"I won't follow you" and she can see him practically forcing the words past his teeth.

"No you wont" she warns with a menacing glare, "Or I'll stake your fucking ass"

Bonnie's darting out the room as fast as she can, tossing quick looks behind her to make sure he keeps his word. So far he has. She doesn't even bother to retrieve her things from her room because fuck that shit. They could donate all her shit to goodwill for all she cares. Her only concern is getting the fuck out of here. Fuck this house and fuck these people.

"Where's the fire?" Her boyfriend says after she crashes into him. He brings both hands up, steadying her. She'd been rounding a corner therefore she hadn't seen him. Clearly, he hadn't her either.

His brows slant down on his forehead. "I was just looking for you" he confesses, finally releasing her. She takes a step back, eyeing him suspiciously, "Are you okay?" he asks, concern etching onto his features. "You look rattled" he notes, not taking his eyes off her.

Rattled, that was the understatement of the century. She was scared shitless.

And then his gaze drops down to her hand. Down to where the dagger is clutched inside, its sharp blade pointing down at the ground.

Shit. She should have concealed it, now he knew she was on the defense. But she hadn't exactly been thinking with a clear mind when she high-tailed it out of Kai's room.

"What's up with the weapon?" he asks. Now he's the one looking at her warily.

Fuck it.

"Look, I don't know what the fuck is going on around here but I want no parts of it. I'm outta here"

"What are you talking about?" she watches his blue eyes narrow innocently, which makes her want to snort. The nerve.

"I'm talking about the fact that your brother is a thousand fucking years old" It was probably an exaggeration, she didn't think he was like Dracula or anything but whatever, he got the point.

His mouth parts.

"Yeah, I know about that" she informs him, except his eyes are stretching wide as if this is news to him. But also who the fuck was he kidding, staring at her like she'd grown two heads just before his eyes? "Which means you're probably a thousand fucking years old also"

He laughs and the sound enrages her. "Bonnie, you sound crazy. Do you hear yourself right now?"

She lets out a hysterical laugh, "I'm the sanest fucking person here" Because who thought it was okay to live forever?

"Babe, you know what? I know what it is." he starts, taking a small step forward to which she takes two back. "You haven't gotten any sleep. It's making you delirious. I think you should lay down" he suggests helpfully. She wants to shove his suggestion up his lying ass.

"And I think you should back the fuck up." She warns, raising the dagger to point at him when he takes another step towards her. See she could make suggestions too.

"I don't know what's going on around here. Why your brother is a thousand years old but I'm leaving"

"A hundred and eighty-two to be exact and no, you're not" says the familiar voice from behind right before the blow to her head comes. And then she's falling, her head exploding with pain. She hits the ground with a thud, stars beginning to fill her vision, her lids growing heavy. And when her eyes finally shut close, she swears right before her consciousness fades out, she hears the strangled Nooo from Malachai.

"Wakey wakey" Someone says as her eyes slowly blink open. But the voice doesn't match the face in front of her. Luke's face, he's altered his voice and is smiling at her maniacally. He looks deranged. "Ugh, douchey right? Sorry, that's usually Malachai's line but since he's out of commission right now..." he trails off, his eyes flickering over to something beside her or someone rather, she determines as she follows his gaze and her stomach drops at the sight of Kai, tied up, just like her in a heap on the ground a few feet away. The difference though, his feet weren't bound unlike her own.

When the nausea has abated, she asks, voice horse, "What's going on? How did I get here?" She's finally able to take in her surroundings, determining they were in an underground chamber of some sort. There were candles lit everywhere, symbols drawn in chalk on the walls and floor that she knows has to do with the occult. With sickening realization she realizes she's lying on top of a pentagram..

"You don't recall?" and then he turns to look at Liv beside him, eyes admonishing. "You really got her good" he tells his sister with a tsking sound.

"Well, she was going to stab you." Liv says in monotone, her voice so not bubbly and welcoming like she's grown used to from her. "What was I supposed to do?" she cocks her head slightly to the right, her dead eyes blinking at him.

Right. Liv hit her. She clocked her in the head and then it was lights out. And now they have her tied up in a secret dungeon where they were planning on using her for whatever satanic ritual they have planned if the pentagram and red robes they were wearing were any indication.

"Untie me" Bonnie demands, struggling against her bindings.

"Can't do that." Luke replies in a flat tone. And that's something he and Liv have in common. Apparently, they're not the peppy twosome she'd thought they were.

She tries not to panic even though she doesn't see a way out of this. Kai is knocked out and there is no one else here on her side. And that's assuming Kai is on her side. She has to believe it though because he tried to get her out of here. She heard him cry out for her when she'd been struck in the back of her head by his sister because any other option would dim her spirits dramatically. And right now, she needed hope. If he'd wake up already, maybe they could get out of here. Internally, she snorts. Who was she kidding? He was in just as bad a position as she was, actually worse because at least she was conscious. "So what, you're going to kill me?" she asks her ex-boyfriend. There was no official break up but him planning on murdering her kind of terminated the relationship.

"Well, we don't like to use the word kill, it sounds so barbaric," he tells her, using mild hand gestures, "More like offer you up as a ritualistic sacrifice"

Right. She figured that much already.

"Why are you doing this?" She hates how her voice takes on a pleading note. She hated sounding so helpless in front of her captors.

"Isn't it obvious? We're witches Bonnie"

Witches?

But witches don't live forever..they have normal life spans. They practiced witchcraft and that was it. There was nothing supernatural about them.

Shaking her head, she stammers out, "I-I don't understand. You're close to two hundred years old"

"Let me guess, you thought we were vampires, right?" Uh yeah.. because that was the only thing that made sense. Not that any of this made sense really. "Don't worry." he gives her a placid smile. "That seems to be the general consensus wherever we're discovered prematurely"

And then his voice takes on a conspiratorial tone, "I'm going to let you in on a little secret." he goes on, hunching down beside her, eyes finally revealing a sliver of gleam. "Vampires aren't real. Neither are werewolves or fairies or selkies or whatever other made up bullshit that exist in bedtime stories"

"Why are you doing this?" Because they still haven't gotten to the reason why they planned on killing her.

"Because despite what you're thinking. We're not immortal Bonnie. There's no spell for that." He holds up one long, thin finger. Fingers that used to comfort her. "There is however one that extends our life, no, that's the wrong word." he corrects himself, shaking his head, his mouth pushing out contemplatively. And when he finds the right words, releases, "It puts a pause on our aging so to speak. But unfortunately, the spell only lasts a year, hence why we're here every Halloween at the strike of midnight repeating the process."

She recalls Kai's words from earlier, I'll explain later, and what exactly would he have said? That he and his family were diabolical witches sacrificing innocent people every Halloween so that they could live forever? How exactly had he expected her to respond?

"So you're just cheating your way through life" she spits disgustingly. How dare they kill innocent people so they could cheat death.

"You call it cheating, I call it improvising." he smirks wickedly at her, those usually bright, mirthful eyes filled with duplicity. "See, even with witchcraft there are limits to what can be done. But we found a loophole, you can't blame us for taking advantage of that" She's so disgusted she doesn't even have words for him.

She couldn't believe this. She couldn't believe she'd let him fool her into thinking he was a good person. He was plotting on killing her this whole time.

"Why the elaborate ruse? Why not just kidnap me a day before the ritual?"

"Well, what fun would that have been?" she watches a cruel smirk spread over his features.

Wow..

She's so enraged, she spits in his face.

"You shouldn't have done that." he tells her, wiping her saliva from his cheek with the back of his hand, his voice too calm to be anything good. "I was going to make it easy for you, as painless as possible because despite what you think, I've grown to like you. Not in that way of course" he means romantically. "-more in a BFF kind of way" another sickening smirk from him.

"You were pretending the entire time" she muses aloud, still disbelieving the elaborate ruse he put on. He really had her convinced.

"And my brother almost fucked that up for me but I recovered. You believed every little lie" and he really looks quite proud of himself.

She wants to throw up. All the caresses. All the kisses. They were all fake.

"Ugh, sort of despicable isn't it?" he muses as if reading her mind. "But I had a reason for it. You look exactly like someone my brother cared for immensely. Seriously, Bonnie, my jaw hit the floor the first time I saw you. It's uncanny how much you look like her."

"You courted me for six months. Pretending you were in love with me just because I look like some dead girl?" She blinks at him. She was only guessing here with the assumption she was making about Delphine being dead. If they were still alive and kicking after all this time then she guesses Delphine could be too. But the use of past tense when referring to her from Malachai, his brother here, told her she was no longer alive. And then there's that comment Jo had made about Kai losing the only girl he ever loved. She had to be referring to Delphine.

He winces at her words. "Yeah, don't let Malachai hear you say that. He doesn't take too kindly of people insulting his precious dead love"

"And yet you would bring me here?" she accuses, wanting to hack up another glob of spit and fling it at him.

"That wasn't the plan at first." he admits, his cold eyes landing on her. "I was just curious about you, so I decided to get to know you. But then some things came to light and my motives changed." he admits, unapologetically. "So yes, in the end I did this because I knew how much it would destroy him"

Malachai was right. His brother hated him. This wasn't a typical sibling rivalry. They honest to God despised each other.

"He nearly threw up when you and I entered the great room together" he recalls that first day. "That look on his face was so satisfying to see. I thought he was going to kill me right then and there." he tells her, laughing. "It must have taken all his restraint not to. But at the end of the day he knew there was nothing he could do." She must look confused because he adds. "It's against the rules to interfere with a selection, whoever's year it is, mine" he points to himself. "-to bring forth an offering, no one can challenge their choice. So of course, he lashed out on you. I guess because he'd thought it would drive you to leave, sneak out in the middle of the night, never to see me again. It was so obvious what he was doing. Obvious to everyone but you that is." his brow wrinkles on his forehead. "How'd you find out by the way?" he asks, curiosity filling his eyes, "Did he tell you? I didn't think he would." he expresses to her. "He knows the repercussions of spilling our little secret but he was always the dumb over love type so who knows.."

"He didn't." she denies. "I went snooping in his room. I saw the photos of her and him. I knew something wasn't right"

Even after everything she learned, she had an urge to defend him, not that what she'd said wasn't the truth but she could have easily lied. It's not like he didn't deserve whatever was coming to him. He was killing people right along with them.

"Ah, so you do know about the illustrious Delphine Boudreaux"

"I just know what my own two eyes saw and what you told me just now" she lies because she's starved for information about the woman with her face.

He smiles, grand and flashy. "Well, allow me to fill in the blanks." he offers, a giddy gleam to his eyes. "I mean, it's the least I can do right? Being I am offering you up as a sacrifice and all"

"You're a terrible person" she can't believe she ever found him charming. But sociopaths usually were.

He ignores her, just takes a seat beside her on the floor and begins story time. "Malachai and Delphine met in June of 1865," Right after the civil war had ended. "He'd met her while we were visiting some friends of the family in New Orleans, The Mikaelsons." he tells her and now she hears his true accent come out, refined like old money with just a hint of southern twang but not too southern like the hillbillies she avoided like the plague. "We were all celebrating the war having come to an end" Right. They must have been drafted for the Union and were fresh off combat. "And while we were down there, Klaus, his best buddy, introduced him to the family of his fiance, The Boudreaux's. Delphine happen to be one of their slaves."

But slavery had been abolished..

He takes in her expression, immediately knowing what she was thinking. "See, alot of southerners, as you know at the time wasn't too keen on releasing their slaves although they were free. They still saw them as their property. And they found ways around the union soldiers raids" She grits her teeth at his use of the word property. As far as not releasing the slaves like they should have, Bonnie knew this of course, it's why it was always going to be fuck July 4th. But hearing it from him now, enraged her.

Luke takes her silence as a signal to continue, "Anyway, he fell for her the first time he saw her, we all knew it, tried to warn him against doing anything stupid." he says in a drawling southern way, its richness enough to transport her in time. "He didn't listen of course. But that was Malachai, always playing by his own rules. He got it into his mind that they could be together. Like a true couple, get married, have kids, the whole shebang as if the whole thing wasn't illegal. Crazy, right?" Why did she feel like this wasn't going to end well?

Luke continues on, not actually expecting her to answer the rhetoric question. "He'd offer to purchase her, which was generous considering technically she was free but The Boudreaux's said no. And by then they gathered just what she meant to him, so to teach him a lesson for his audacity, they shot him." he reveals and her body goes stiff with shock at his words. He doesn't even seem upset by it. "He nearly died. According to the doctor, the prognosis wasn't good. So when he miraculously got better, it surprised us considering the state he'd been left in. It took him months to make use of his limbs again. So of course, fully mended, he travels down to Louisiana again despite our protest." he intones, face growing bitter.

"So what did my brother do?" he continues on, his gaze making it her way once more. "He'd taken her in the middle of the night. Not even bothering with the authorities, he couldn't wait, apparently" He shakes his head like he thought saving her from her captors was idiotic. "He refused to come home. He said he was done with the south, thought the north would be more accepting of her. So, he took her to Portland. And they lived there for two years until the Boudreaux's decided they weren't quite over all that had transpired" he says darkly. "So, they traveled up to Portland, waited until he'd left to run errands and when my brother returned home.." he pauses for dramatic effect. Which was gross. He was acting like this was fiction he was telling. Like this hadn't been their lives. "-he'd come home not to find his woman gone but dead. Hanging from the maple tree in their front yard." Bonnie gasps even though she knew the story would take some type of tragic turn like this.

"And the only reason we can think they left without killing him as well is because they wanted him to suffer. So you think that would be it, right?" he asks her but doesn't wait for her to answer, not that she would have. "That he learned his lesson? Don't take what's not yours. Right? Wrong. Dead set on revenge, he travels back down to Louisiana, like the fool he is, my granddad and two of my brothers in tow. You see," he begins to explain, eyes listing to her, letting out a steady stream of breath, he announces, "Kai isn't the eldest like you think. We had two older brothers, Jimmy and Robbie" and this is the first time he looks truly affected at all, sounds affected at all, his voice having gone all rough around the edges. "But guess who shows up on our doorstep two weeks later? Malachai. Only Malachai." he stresses bitterly. "They all died because of him. We lost granddad, we lost Jimmy and we lost Robbie all because of his selfish need to get his dick wet."

Rage flared inside her at the crude way he spoke of his brother, belittling what he and Delphine had.

"He loved her" she spits in defense of the elder sibling. How could he say this was about sex? The lengths of what he'd gone through for her tells a totally different tale.

"He did" Lucas agrees, nodding solemnly. "So much so, he chose her over family at the end of the day." his words couldn't be more corroded. "We warned him over and over to forget about her. To find someone else but no, he had to have her. He wasn't happy until he got them all murdered"

She doesn't know when it started but it had, her eyes were filling with tears.

"We never forgave him for it either, hence why you're here now" And the tears finally spill over. She'd wipe at them but her hands were currently tied up. So she had no choice but to let him see them fall.

"Are you crying?" he asks and he almost looks fascinated by it. As if seeing someone else's pain excites him.

"You sympathize with him, don't you?" he asks, but she doesn't answer because she's too busy sniffling.

And God why was she crying? They were going to murder her for chrissakes, she should be concerned about that.

"Well, don't." he spits, his voice echoing throughout the room. "He's just as despicable as we are. You know all this was his idea?" he tells her and her eyes narrow on him. What was he talking about? Clearly, he couldn't be talking about the reason she's here, Luke had already admitted this was vengeance for his taken family members.

"He didn't take her death too well, who cares about my brothers, my granddad..? All he could concern himself with was her." he says in a voice that relayed just how disgusted he was by it. "You know when I told you earlier, how he was shot? I didn't tell you where." he states. And then pointing to a spot on the side of his cranium, he relays, "Right here." Another gasp leaves her lips, tears still streaming. And now she knows why she couldn't recall seeing a bullet wound anywhere on his body. Because he wasn't shot anywhere on the body. He was shot in the head.

More tears flow.

"They were never able to retrieve the bullet. So now you see why his recovery was so miraculous" he went on, the corners of his mouth twitching a bit, like he was tempted to smile. "But miraculous isn't quite the right word. He knew he was on borrowed time, the doctor said the bullet could shift, he could become paralyzed, a vegetable or most importantly he could die. Dying and not ever seeing Delphine again wasn't an option for him. So, obsessed with prolonging his life he started messing around with witchcraft. He was the first in our family to ever do the ritual. He introduced us to this life." he lets her know so she knows just who she's crying for.

"It was only meant to give him a little more time. But when he got her back, he got greedy, one more year with her changed to just two more years with her and so on and so forth. And then she was lynched." Another word she doesn't like. "Obsessed, he became again. With bringing her back this time. He tried all kinds of shit. All kinds of spells. Rituals. He nearly murdered the whole town for that girl" She's not crying anymore. She's listening. With rapt attention. "He tried every spell imaginable to bring her back but no dice. So coming to his senses, he stopped with the necromancy shit, started reading up on reincarnation. And he believed it. That after physical death one's soul comes back and begins a new life in a different physical form or body. I personally think it's a load of crap but that's just my opinion." he says with a quiet chuckle. "Anyway, the point is, he liked the idea. It was something to believe in because that meant she would come back and so would he, what he didn't like was when he died he wouldn't remember anything from his past life, neither of them would, so as you can see, dying for him wasn't an option. And he figured if they were truly soulmates, she'd come into his life again. You know, serendipity and all that." he says with flippant hand gestures. "Anyway, like I said, staying alive meant he'd still have his memories. He didn't care if she wouldn't look like his Delphine or if she didn't remember him because he would make her love him again. He was convinced when she came into his life again, he'd know it."

She shifts uncomfortably on the ground, face still hot and streaked with tears, "I get his reasons. Why do you do it?" she rasps out. But that was a stretch, she didn't get why anyone could murder anybody. But Kai, as absurd as his thought process was, was doing it for love. What was the rest of his family's excuse for deeming it necessary to butcher innocent people?

"Well, vanity of course." Luke jokes, at least she thinks he does. And then on a serious note, "If you had the choice wouldn't you want to be twenty forever? Live forever?" he stresses, his bright blue eyes stretching wide.

"Sorry to burst your bubble but no one can live forever." she spits angrily. Because eventually this had to end, right?

"Yes, we can if we continue with our offering." he tells her, his tone back serious, his smile falsely concerned, "Which means sadly you'll have to die tonight but-"

"No. She doesn't" A deep voice interjects. A voice that belongs to the now fully conscious body beside her.

The body that belonged to Kai.

"It is that we are never so defenseless against suffering as when we love, never so helplessly unhappy as when we have lost our loved object or its love"

-Sigmund Freud

A/N Quote moved to the end of the chapter to avoid spoilers.

One more to go. I'll try to get it up by the end of the week :) Any way, thoughts on the chapter? Lemme know what you guys think in the comments. Until next time xoxo