Yue had a horrible habit since she started kindergarten of running off if you took your eyes off her for more than a second, and no matter what they said to her, she still did it. She had a wild spirit and sometimes was a little naughty with a mind of her own. Meilei had experienced that trauma a couple of times; each one had been the worst moment of her life. Nothing compared to losing Yue even for ten seconds.
Meilei quickly changed and rushed back out, handing an assistant the dress. She caught up with him as he raked through racks, bending to look under displays. The staff was also looking; one had been sent into the outer area to check for her, yet no one seemed to have any luck.
“Did she talk to you? Did you get a name? ” Meilei asked, following him, a little softened by the obvious growing agitation and panic that someone’s little girl was wandering alone. Her previous anger towards him and the ever-increasing resentment of the past weeks dampened when faced with a guy she used to know. A caring one who was fretting over some poor child. Her focus was on the here and now and not her dislike of being forced to follow him.
No.
“Security reunited a small girl a few stores away with her aunts. I think it’s the same child as the description matches. They have already left and are heading home.” She seemed satisfied with the outcome and glad this grumpy man would not continue to make her day hard. He was overreacting for a child who was a stranger to him.
Kai didn’t look pleased. He looked pissed, but Meilei, relieved for the girl and her relatives, watched him with confusion. Unsure why that news upset him.
“Did they leave contact details? I want a word with that kid’s mother.. this is the second time.” Kai had no idea why this was getting to him so much, but he was adamant he needed to shake some sense into whoever was with her and buy them some child reigns to keep her safe.
His sudden, snappy outburst silenced Meilei, and she fell into silence. Biting her tongue, wounded by his words. The upset returned and hurt that if he had been a father to Yue, this would have been his reaction to her losing her a few months ago. He would have called her incompetent and neglectful and had no concept of a mother’s panic at something that was easy to happen.
She eyed him up momentarily and then turned to the other woman graciously. Trying to curb her spiraling emotions.
But more importantly, Meilei was more eager than ever to see Yue after this. As a mother, it hurt her heart to think of a child being missing for even a minute, and she wanted to go home and hug hers. Knowing that pain and living through it brought up all those bad memories.
Thankfully, Yue was at the amusement park and safe with her friends, and she knew she could relax. That fear never went away though, and hearing of a close call like this made her yearn to see her face.
“You can let me off here; it’s not far, and I can walk.” She leaned to the driver in the front, hoping to escape because there was no way in hell she wanted him anywhere near her apartment complex. All it would take was Yue in the kiddy park out front with Ling or Suying; she couldn’t handle that. If Yue saw her, she would call for her. If he saw Yue, it would be game over.
“Keep driving.” Kai didn’t lift his eyes from his cell, typing a text response to someone, curt in his order and seemingly uninterested in her presence. His manner was still the same cold jerk he had been all day. Worse since the mall. Meilei’s insides twisted even tighter. She could not call or text Ling or Suying to keep Yue inside and didn’t even know if they were home yet. This was so bad.
“Why? I can walk through the shortcut and get there faster than you navigating traffic. Just pull over and let me out.” She was pleading, her pitch high, and anxiety had her insides churning and tight.
“What’s the matter? Worried your boyfriend sees me?” Kai lifted his eyes from his screen and tilted his head to focus on her side profile. Catching the tight features of stress. “Think he might have reason to suspect us?” Kai reached out and ran his finger down her hair in a deliberate manner, a lover’s stroke, smirking when she cringed away from him and pulled herself into a stiffer posture than she had already.
She hated how he reverted to this act, knowing he only did it to mess with her. His touch was the single most painful thing to her. She ignored him, knowing he was goading her.
“At the next set of lights, I’ll get out. It’s a short walk from there, and you can go.” Meilei wriggled further from him and against her door to put distance between them, her eyes glued to the road ahead. She didn’t care if he agreed.
As soon as they hit the lights, she was jumping out and leaving him in her dust. She wasn’t taking any chances. She was so close to an all-out panic attack as they drew closer to her home that she couldn’t stand it.
“No need… it’s on our way.” Kai flickered a look her way, narrowed his eyes, and shook his head with amusement. Seeing through her plan and predicting she would jump at the lights. He shifted in his seat, moving closer, and slid his cell away to free up his hands. He had no intention of letting her out. He wanted to drop her right at her door and see if her so-called lover was around. She was protesting enough to make him want to go there all the more.
Meilei sunk back and watched the road whizz by. Seeing the lights coming up ahead, she prayed for them to turn red and readied her body into tense action. Her hand hovered over the door handle subtly so as not to draw his attention. If she was fast, he couldn’t say anything.
They got closer, and the driver slowed slightly, watching for a change that never happened. And as the lights stayed green, they sailed right through. Kai relaxed his arm. He had been so ready to drag her back if she had tried, knowing what she intended just by looking at her obvious posture, and Meilei slumped into herself and closed her eyes.
‘Please, please, please be inside or not even home.’ Meilei mentally chanted, searching the street as they turned down her block and straining to see the park in the far distance. It was deserted today because of the odd hour before rush time traffic. There were not many people on the street, and she relaxed with a heavy release of breath as she spotted the empty playpark area at the main doors. Not a soul outside her complex, and Meilei wondered if someone up there was looking out for her right now. The relief swamped her like a cold wave of air, and her fingers tingled with the sudden lightness.
“Looking for someone?” Kai observed, leaned over towards her to look out her window, and almost gave her a coronary. She jumped at his sudden face by hers and panic answered. Shouldering him away from being so close.
“Where to now, boss?” The driver asked politely, seeing as he only had instructions to come here. Hand poised over his navigation system and waiting.