Chasing

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

LESLIE’S POV

It may seem like I am in control in this unexpected run in with Kian but it is nothing but a facade. Deep inside of me, it feels like I am going to explode from the way my heart pumps blood faster through my veins. It takes everything I have to keep myself from trembling just because I would rather die than give him the satisfaction of knowing that I am shaken from suddenly running into him.

Travis‘ presence sends sparks of relief flying through me and it also distracts Kian long enough to loosen the vice–like grip he has on me. I take the opportunity, attempting to snatch my hand away from him but something seems to shift in his mood and his huge palm is clasping around my wrist again before I know it. I grunt in frustration, hating how unprepared I am for a situation like this. I never imagined running into Kian here.

“Did you not hear me, Kian? Let her go.” Travis commands again, sporting an angry scowl that Kian is now returning with a different kind of intensity.

“Uncle? What are you doing here?” Going by the rough edge of his voice and the fact that I know this man more than I know myself, it is clear that he has already connected the dots and is only waiting for some sort of confirmation to prove him right.

“Show some respect, Kian. Since when did I start reporting my movements to you?”

“Oh, since the moment you took my wife in for a fucking week without letting me know!” Kian bellows the truth that he has found out by connecting the dots and the moment the word ‘wife‘ leaves his lips, I’m struggling to fight my way out of his grip again.

“I am no longer your wife, Kian!” I say and he spins around to look at me, glowering.

“Yes, you are. You are still my wife,” he turns back to Travis to continue his words, “You hear that? She is my wife. I don’t know what ideas you have or why you took her in when I am the only guardian she has left and I don’t care. I haven’t and will not sign the goddamn papers.”

I scoff, resisting the urge to deflate his ego by telling him that I am not the same person I was a week ago. That he is not my only guardian as he thinks but he doesn’t deserve to know that.

Travis seems to have had enough of the back and forth because he stalks forward, eyes intent on where Kian is still holding me tightly like his life depends on it, He stops when a familiar voice speaks;

“Kian, is everything okay in the-”

Beverly appears from the corridor and stops short when she takes in the situation she has walked into. Her eyes land on me and down to the spot where Kian holds me; a deep frown etches itself into her features.

“What is going on here?” She asks, eyes going from me to Kian.

“Beverly…

Instinctively, Kian lets go of me. It’s what I wanted anyway but it still causes a pang in my chest knowing he only let me go because the mother of his unborn child came in. They must have come here together.

Before I can dwell on the fact that Kian has never taken me out on a coffee date not to mention one at an expensive reservation only restaurant, I walk past him to get the hell out of here and this time, he doesn’t stop me.

“Are you okay?” Travis asks when I get to him, inspecting my wrist in concern. I nod, assuring him that I am fine and just need to get out of there. He understands immediately and puts his hand on the small of my back, leading me out of the scene.

I just want to walk out of here without any more altercation but I should have known Beverly wouldn’t just let me walk past her. She even gets in our way, not minding that Travis is standing right beside me too. She looks straight at me, obviously in the mood for the trouble I am trying to run away from.

“Move out of the way, Beverly.” I say in the calmest voice I can muster.

Beverly smirks as her eyes run me over.

“Well, who knew you had it in you Leslie?” She says in a sarcastic voice, “Oh wait, I knew. You did the same thing three years ago. You couldn’t keep Kian and now you whore yourself out to his Uncle? Tell me, how many times did you sleep with him in the past week to be able to earn a designer dress and a meal at a place like this?”