Defiant Heir

by Michelle Heard

  “Always,” Kao replies.

  “And bring the leftovers home,” Noah calls after us as we walk out the door.

  “Will do.”

  Reaching the elevator, I ask, “Does Noah know we’re going on a date?”

  “I didn’t tell him, but I’m sure he knows. There’s not much I can hide from him,” Kao answers.

  We step inside as I admit, “I told Hana.”

  Kao lifts our joined hands, and he presses a kiss to the back of mine. “That’s okay.”

  Walking out of the building, I hear Nate, one of the juniors, call out, “Looking good, guys.”

  “Thanks,” I reply.

  Reaching Kao’s car, I wait as he opens the passenger door for me, then I climb inside. My gaze follows him when he walks around the front of the car, and then I put on my seatbelt as he slides behind the steering wheel.

  We steal a moment to smile at each other before he steers the vehicle off the campus.

  This is it. Finally.

  “If you take highway thirty-three and then turn off on Fairview, it should get us there faster,” I say.

  Kao lets out a chuckle. “Yes, ma’am.”

  It’s silent in the car for a moment, then I ask, “What made you ask me today?”

  Kao glances at me. “On a date?”

  I nod. “Yeah, why didn’t you ask sooner?”

  “Like I said earlier, I want to take things slow. I want to enjoy every moment.” His gaze meets mine for a second before it returns to the road. “People are quick to rush into things, and then they miss the good part.”

  “The good part?” I ask.

  “The falling in love part. The butterflies in your stomach. The build-up to the first kiss. You know, all the romantic things girls like.”

  My mouth curves up. “Could you be any more perfect?”

  He lets out a chuckle. “Only in your eyes.”

  His answer has me asking, “Do you believe in soul mates?”

  Kao thinks for a moment, then murmurs, “Two halves of one soul?”

  I nod, my eyes never leaving his face.

  Then he smiles at me. “Yes.”

  Chapter 2

  FALLON

  It’s a nice night out, and the excitement keeps building in me as we drive to the restaurant.

  My mind begins to drift, wondering if we’ll have our first real kiss tonight.

  God, I’m not ordering anything with garlic. Just in case.

  My gaze keeps drifting to Kao’s face. He’s easily the most attractive man I’ve ever laid eyes on. His features are flawless. And his eyes – the clearest blue. They look like the heavens after it’s rained, and the air is clear.

  The corner of his mouth begins to lift, and his gaze darts to me. “Why do you keep staring at me?”

  “It’s actually unfair how attractive you are,” I mutter.

  Chuckling, he asks, “Why?”

  “You just climb out of the shower, slap on some clothes, and you’re good to go. I have to put on makeup before I dare set foot out of my bedroom, or you’ll all have heart attacks.” I remember the incident with the curling iron earlier and add, “I almost burned my face with the curling iron.” I let out a relieved chuckle.

  Kao’s gaze darts to me, and it has me saying, “Luckily, I didn’t burn my face off. Can you imagine that?” I roll my eyes. “Then, we’ll be known as beauty and the beast.” I grin at him. “With you being the beauty, of course.”

  “Never,” he shakes his head. “You’ll always be beautiful to me.”

  I let out a playful huff. “Even when I’m old and wrinkly?”

  Kao’s eyes meet mine for a moment, and before he can answer, screeching tires grab our attention.

  Kao slams on the breaks, jerking the car to the right. “Shit.” His right arm collides hard with my chest just before the noise of crushing metal fills my ears. It’s followed by a loud bang and then something that sounds like rumbling thunder and lightning striking.

  Pins and needles spread over my face from shock. “Kao!” I manage to let out a cry as the breath is knocked from my lungs. My body jerks forward, then to the side as our vehicle rolls before landing back on its tires. I’m slammed into the seat and then against the door. A burning pain spreads up my neck and face, and for a moment, everything blacks out.

  ‘Starting 9-1-1 call. To cancel, press the 9-1-1 button on the mirror.’

  The smell of burning rubber and oil fills my nose. Opening my eyes, I struggle to make sense of what’s going on.

  ‘Calling 9-1-1.’

  Turning my head to the left, I let out a painful groan from the ache in my neck and head. I suck in a breath of air, and then my eyes focus on the driver's side.

  I hear a dialing tone.

  Shit.

  It takes another couple of seconds before it begins to sink in that we were in an accident. “Kao,” I croak, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears. My body begins to shiver uncontrollably.

  “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” I hear an operator answer.

  “A-accident,” I struggle to say through the shock dazing me.

  “Okay, we have your GPS coordinates. Emergency services have been dispatched. Are you hurt?”

  My eyes are still widely glued to Kao. He doesn’t move, and it makes panic flare through me like hot streaks of lava. “Kao!” When there’s still no movement from him, I struggle with numb fingers to unclip my seatbelt. Once I’m free, I turn my body toward him and lean forward.

  “Ma’am, are you hurt?”

  My lips part and searing worry scorches my heart. “There’s blood on the left side of his head.”

  “Did you say there’s blood on your head?”

  “N-no,” I swallow hard on the bile pushing up my throat. “My boyfriend. There’s blood on the side of his head.”

  “Help is on the way. Okay?”

  I shake my head as my worry quickly morphs into ice-cold terror. “H-he’s not moving,” I stammer through the distress I’m feeling.

  “Emergency services should be there any minute now,” the operator assures me, but it does nothing to calm me.

  Lifting my right arm, I press my fingers to Kao’s pulse, and when I feel a beat, I let out a breath of relief. “He’s alive.”

  “That’s good. Ma’am, what’s your name?”

  “F-Fallon. Fallon Reyes.” I move a little closer to Kao, my eyes frantically scanning over his body. Fear shudders through me when I see more blood staining his shirt on his left side. “There’s also blood on his left side.”

  “Where, Ma’am?”

  “On his side, a couple of inches above his hip. There’s more blood.” I suck in a desperate breath. “Oh, God.”

  “Ma’am, help is on the way. Is anyone else hurt? Was another car involved?”

  “I… I don’t know.”

  “Okay, stay calm. Keep talking to me. What else do you see?”

  Frantically, I glance around, taking in the crushed dashboard, the deflated airbags, the smoke rising from the front. My eyes snap back to Kao, and it’s only when I see the blood again that the realization settles hard in my chest.

  We were in an accident.

  Kao’s hurt.

  “Hurry!” I cry. I bring a trembling hand to Kao’s face but stop an inch from touching him, scared I’ll hurt him more. “Kao? Baby?” A sob escapes my lips. “Kao?”

  “You should hear the sirens any second now,” the operator says.

  Oh, God.

  Please.

  Let him be okay.

  I lean a little closer, wanting so badly to hold him. “Kao?”

  Emergency sirens fill the air, and moments later, my world spins into chaos when I’m pulled from the car. “No! Please. I want to stay with him.”

  The paramedic says something, but all I can hear are the different sirens from the emergency vehicles arriving at the scene. I’m placed on a stretcher, and my surroundings begin to blur as I’m rushed toward an ambulance.

 
No.

  I need to stay with him.

  When I get a glimpse of firemen moving around Kao’s car, that’s nothing but crumpled steel, horror washes all sense from me.

  Noise fills the air, a mixture of urgent voices, sirens, and the firemen cutting through the metal of the vehicle, and then it’s shut out as the doors of the ambulance are pulled closed.

  My body feels numb, and I manage to blink a couple of times before darkness drags me away from the nightmare.

  Feeling groggy, I open my eyes.

  “Fallon? Honey?” I hear Mom’s voice. Sluggishly, I move my eyes in her direction. Her face is strained with worry. “Oh, baby. You’re going to be okay,” she says, relief and exhaustion coating her words. “Thank God.”

  I open my mouth but first have to swallow hard on the dry lump stuck in my throat. “What happened?”

  “You were in an accident.” I feel Mom’s tight hold on my hand.

  Frowning, I sift through my jumbled memory until I latch onto one thing – Kao.

  “Where’s Kao? Is he okay?”

  “He’s still in surgery. Your dad went to check if there’s any news.” Mom brings a hand to my face and gently combs her fingers through my hair. “How do you feel?”

  How do I feel?

  Flashes from the accident ripple through me.

  Kao smiling.

  The deafening noise when we were hit.

  The thick smell of oil.

  The blood.

  Kao not moving.

  Agony builds in my chest until the pressure becomes too much, and it tears through me. “Kao,” I manage to whimper as sobs wreck me.

  Mom moves from the chair to sit on the side of the bed, and leaning over me, she begins to murmur, “Kao’s strong. He’ll pull through. A couple of days from now, this will all seem like a bad dream. Okay? You’re both going to be fine.”

  I want so badly to believe her words.

  I hear someone come into the private hospital room, and when Mom pulls back, my eyes collide with my father’s.

  He rushes forward to the other side of the bed, and I begin to struggle to sit up as more sobs wrack through me.

  “Shh…” Daddy murmurs, and his movements are careful as he wraps his arms around me. “My beautiful girl, I’m here.”

  My body is stiff and sore, but I manage to wrap my arms around him and hold on for dear life as I cry my fears out in my father’s strong hold.

  “I just checked on Kao. He’s in recovery. He’s going to be okay. Leigh and Miss Sebastian assisted with the surgery. They’re with him, and they’ll make sure he gets the best care.”

  Miss Sebastian is an emergency nurse and Kao’s godmother.

  Mrs. West is Noah’s mom and a cardiothoracic surgeon.

  If they assisted with the surgery…

  “Why did Mrs. West assist with the surgery? Did Kao…?”

  Dad quickly shakes his head. “She’s just here to make sure he gets the best possible care.”

  Remembering all the blood, I ask, “How badly is he hurt?”

  “He had some internal bleeding, but they stopped it. There’s a cut on his side that needed stitches.”

  When Dad pauses, the worry grows in my heart. “His head?”

  “He has a hairline fracture. So far, everything looks promising. We have to wait for him to wake up.”

  I try to nod my head, but the brace and a tight pain in my neck keep me from moving. “My neck?” I whimper.

  Daddy pulls back, and his eyes scan over my face. His gaze is gentle and reassuring as he says, “You have a concussion and whiplash. The doctor said you’ll feel better in a couple of days.”

  I can see he’s keeping something from me, and ask, “And?”

  Dad brings a hand to my left cheek, and a heartbreaking look mixes with worry. It makes my heartbeat speed up, and I hold my breath, trying to steel myself for the blow to come.

  “You have cuts on the side of your neck and on your right cheek. I’ve already found a plastic surgeon who can remove most of the scarring it might leave.”

  “Scarring?” I lift my hand, and when I feel the large dressing on the right side of my face, my heart shrinks into a fearful lump. “Is it bad?”

  Again, Dad pauses, and it’s all answer I need.

  “Oh God,” I gasp as my hand begins to tremble against the bandage. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

  “The plastic surgeon will fix it,” Dad tries to reassure me. “Let’s wait to hear what he says before we panic.”

  I nod even though it feels like my world has warped into an unrecognizable mess.

  Scars.

  I feel petrified, and… a foreign hopelessness makes my chest close up. The realization keeps washing over me like tidal waves, and an awful feeling numbs my insides with dread.

  My fingers trace over the dressing until I reach the brace. Apprehension fills every part of me.

  What am I going to do if…?

  I try to breathe through the worry consuming me, and not able to deal with the fact that I might be scarred for life, I latch onto another fear.

  Kao.

  “Are you sure Kao will be okay?”

  Dad nods. “The doctor is very optimistic for a full recovery.”

  And the other car?

  “Do you know what happened?” I ask. “The other car? Are the people okay?”

  Emotion flashes over Dad’s face. “I haven’t been to the accident scene yet, but the police said it should’ve been a head-on collision. Kao must’ve reacted quick enough because his side of the car took the brunt of the hit. The driver of the truck didn’t make it. They think he fell asleep behind the wheel. There was another vehicle involved, but the driver is fine. She only has whiplash.”

  Someone died.

  Even though it was that driver’s fault, sadness still bleeds into my heart.

  Then Dad’s words sink in, and I ask, “It should’ve been a head-on collision?”

  “Yes.” Dad gives me a reassuring smile. “Luckily, it wasn’t. Kao’s a good driver.”

  But.

  But…

  I remember Kao jerking the steering wheel to the right as his arm pinned me to the seat.

  He kept me safe.

  He knew the truck was going to hit us, and he chose to keep me safe.

  Oh God.

  I told Kao to take that route. The accident wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t…

  I gasp for air as the thoughts shudder through me. “Daddy,” I whimper, my emotions sky-rocketing.

  Dad moves forward, wrapping me in a hug again. “You’re both going to be okay.”

  I try to shake my head, but again I’m stopped by the brace and pain. “What if… what if…” I sob.

  Daddy pulls back and framing my face with his hands, his eyes lock on mine. There’s so much certainty in his gaze. “There are no what-ifs. Kao’s surgery went well. He’s stable. We found the best plastic surgeon for you. Everything will be fine.” Dad lifts a hand and brushes some of my hair back. “We’ll fix everything.”

  I’ve never doubted my parents. Not until today.

  How will I live with the guilt of telling Kao which road to take?

  How will I cope with facial scarring?

  And Kao?

  Oh, God, please let him be okay.

  I don’t know what I’d do if something were to happen to Kao. I’d never forgive myself.

  Chapter 3

  FALLON

  It’s been a day since the accident, and I’ve finally convinced Dad to get me a wheelchair so I can visit Kao.

  Jase, Hunter, and Hana have hardly left my side while Noah, Jade, and Mila are with Kao.

  They said he regained consciousness for a minute, but he was out of it. That was last night, and since then, he hasn’t woken up again.

  With every passing hour, worry consumes me. It feels like I’ve been thrust into the twilight zone. Nothing makes sense anymore. My emotions are all over the place, making me feel sick to my stomach.<
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  “You should stay in bed,” Hana mutters, not happy that I’m moving. “You have a concussion.”

  “I know,” I mumble. Yes, I’m dizzy and nauseous, but I won’t let anyone keep me from Kao a moment longer. “I just want to see him, then I’ll come back.”

  Dad carefully lifts me from the bed and sets me down in the wheelchair.

  “We can take her,” Jase offers. “Then you and Aunt Layla can get something to eat.”

  “Thanks,” Dad replies. “We won’t be long.”

  Mom presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Don’t stay out of bed for too long. Ten minutes then you’re back. Okay?”

  “I’ll be fine,” I mumble, tired of all the attention. I love my family and friends, but right now, all I can think of is Kao. I won’t be able to rest until I’ve seen he’s okay.

  Jase pushes me out of the room and down the hallway. Luckily, due to our families’ VIP status, we’re both in private rooms, so we don’t have to go far.

  Hunter opens the door, and the moment Jase pushes me into the room, my eyes lock on the bed. “Stop.”

  Mr. Reed gets up from where he’s sitting next to Kao, and the deep lines of worry etched on his face has my heart cracking.

  I climb out of the wheelchair and slowly inch closer to the bed. There are machines hooked up to Kao, and the constant beeping doesn’t offer me any comfort. There are red patches under his eyes and over his nose, and the left side of his face is black and blue, which makes the bandage around his head look stark white.

  Reaching Kao, I swallow hard on the lump of emotion in my throat. I slowly inch forward until I’m able to wrap my fingers around his hand. Feeling the warmth from his skin, my eyes drift shut for a moment.

  He’s alive.

  Gingerly, I lean over him, and I press my mouth to his cheek. Dark scruff has formed on his jawline from not shaving, and I feel the bristles against my lips.

  “Sit, Fallon,” Mr. Reed says. He takes hold of my arm and helps me into a chair he must’ve pulled closer.

  My gaze darts up to Kao’s father. “Is he okay? I heard he woke up?”

  Kao got his blue eyes from his father, and looking into them, I feel the first semblance of comfort.