Veah falters, taking a step forward.
I shouldn’t have kissed you. It was wrong. The Cai assassins are after me, and . . . I never meant to care about you.
I narrow my eyes. Is this an apology for kissing me, or for caring about me ?
Veah’s eyes shutter. Her face is cast in the glow of the city behind me. Both, she whispers harshly. Thisyouit’s my fault.
I’ve never seen her so breathless. So raw.
I take another step forward.
I seem to recall that I kissed you.
I let it happen.
You didn’t let anything happen !
Her eyes flicker down. I could have snapped your neck in twenty-five different ways. I never should have let it get this far. I’m sorry for that.
I move slightly closer. A dancea lethal dance.
Hypothetically speaking, is it supposed to turn me on if the girl I like says she could have snapped my neck in twenty-five different ways ?
Do you regret it ? I ask.
This time, she closes the distance between us.
We are a breath apart. And still, a world away.
I am waiting for her answer. For the truth. For the blow that will probably make me cry later, because I’m sensitive as fuck.
What ? I’m a Pisces.
No, she finally breathes.
Everything inside of me narrows to that one word.
No.
No, she doesn’t regret it.
The heat inside of me boils. Am I on fire ? That would be embarrassing. I don’t think I could ever look Veah in the eyes again if I caught on fire in front of her.
She is still looking at me, so intensely I don’t think my heart will ever recover.
Because if a dangerous, armed Yakuza boss runaway can look at me like thatand quote Euripides for meand save my life, a minimum of three times, like she’s a knight in shining fucking armor
I’ve never been in a relationship before. I don’t know how this works.
Does she even like me ?
Just because she doesn’t regret kissing me doesn’t mean she likes me.
But the way she looked at me, like holy hell, like heaven on earth, I think . . . I think . . . shit. Fuck. Shit. How am I supposed to not fall in love with her ?
And right now, in the middle of the night, surrounded by the vibrant buzz of energy from the city beneath us, I can’t help but look at her lips.
I know what she tastes like. And I really, really want cherries right now.
Her lips are so soft, so smooth, and the way she kissed me ? I think I might be ruined for anyone else.
Kiss me again, I think.
Veah’s brows pull together. Kaya, I think you might still have some morphine in your system.
What ?
You just said something . . . I might not be hearing right.
What did I say ?
Kiss me again, she says.
I raise an eyebrow. Finally, I say, and I crush her lips to mine. Sweet temptation, and the taste of cherries.
I don’t think I could ever get enough of her.
Her lips move against mine, hungry, desperate. I dissolve into her, and her hands cup either side of my face.
When I feel like I might run out of airfuck air, who needs oxygen anyways ?she pulls back slightly.
Her grey eyes are wide. Dark.
You’re beautiful, she whispers against my lips.
Did a hot Yakuza boss just call me beautiful ? Hello ? Anyone ? Am I hearing this right ?
IIum.
Good job, Kaya. I’m so glad you know the English language. I mean, what’s the point of a fucking IQ of 162 if you can’t even respond properly to a girl who tells you you’re beautiful ?
At this point, I might as well just move to Tibet and become a Buddhist nun.
Butpretty girls, my common sense argues, very eloquently.
For once, my common sense has a valid argument.
With a faint smirk, Veah pulls away from me. I’ll be right back, she tells me. There are some things I need to handle. Wait for me, okay ?
Okay, I whisper, and I watch her leave.
Once she is gone, I turn to the window again.
Tokyo city is beautiful.
This is Veah’s home, I think. This is where she grew up. Where she learned to become an assassin. This is the city she once ruled.
But why did she run away ?
When I hear the door open again, I smile to myself. She’s back. How does even that thought alone suddenly make me feel lighter ?
I hope you choke on Ramen noodles.
I’m going to shove my chopsticks up your ass if you don’t stop talking.
What chopsticks ? You mean, that thing you call a dick ?
I hear the sound of a male voice. Wincing. Just so you know, I have an enormous penis.
Is that what you tell all the girls you sleep with beforehand, or is that a lullaby you sing every night while you take your Viagra ?
One of these days, I’m going to puncture one of your arterial veins and watch you bleed out.
Why ? So I can take the secret of your itty-bitty dick to the grave ?
I should have killed you when I had the chance.
Come a little closer and try. It’s a female voice, but it’s not Veah.
I turn around. It is a boy and a girl.