Chapter 13: Between Then and Now

Rain's POV

As soon as I stepped into my apartment, Hope suddenly appeared out of nowhere, her tail wagging furiously.

"Hi, baby—hi!" I crouched down, rubbing her fluffy head. Then I noticed her shirt. It was the old blue one with the letter K stitched on it—one of the things Khai gave her back in the day.

A lump formed in my throat, but before I could dwell on it, Aunt Joanne's voice cut through my thoughts.

"Hey! I brought you some vegetables from the farm earlier—I was hoping we could cook some because you look like you haven't tasted one in a decade."

I let out a chuckle, shaking my head. "I missed you too, Aunt Joanne."

She placed the basket on the counter and gave me a knowing look. "You look tired, sweetheart. Long day at work?"

I nodded, forcing a small smile. "Yeah. Just a lot of planning for The Azotea project."

"Uh-huh," she said, eyeing me like she could see right through me. "And that's all that's on your mind?"

I turned away, busying myself with removing my coat. "Of course. What else would be on my mind?"

She hummed in response but didn't push. Instead, she clapped her hands together. "Alright, let's cook. You need real food, not just coffee and stress."

I chuckled again, grateful for the distraction. Maybe cooking with Aunt Joanne would help me stop thinking about Khai—about the way she looked so vulnerable, shivering in that hotel bed. About the way my heart nearly betrayed me when she leaned in too close.

I need to get myself together.

As Aunt Joanne and I cooked together, she casually asked, "So, how are things with Mel, darling?"

I let out a deep sigh, stirring the vegetables. "She's still in Banff. She can't come home yet—she's stuck with a new project."

Aunt Joanne nodded thoughtfully. "Well, when she does come home, I'll cook for her."

I smiled at her thoughtfulness, but before I could respond, she changed the subject. "You mentioned a project earlier... what was it called again? The Azotea?"

I took a sip of my tea and nodded. "Yeah."

"What's it about?" she pressed.

I hesitated for a moment, choosing my words carefully. "It's a big project... but not here."

She arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Where, then?"

I swallowed hard, keeping my voice even. "Jackson."

A brief silence settled between us before she spoke again. "And who's your client?"

I knew she already had a guess. Still, I answered, "The Stanton Corporation."

She turned to me fully now, giving me that pointed look only she could. "Rain..."

Sensing the unspoken concern in her tone, I quickly added, "Don't worry. It's strictly professional. Besides, the budget is huge, and it aligns with the company's values."

Aunt Joanne didn't say anything at first, but her knowing gaze lingered a little too long. I busied myself with the vegetables, hoping she wouldn't press further. But deep down, I knew—she knew.

Aunt Joanne stirred the vegetables, then glanced at me. "So, does that mean you'll be moving to Jackson for a couple of months?"

I shook my head. "Not really. I'll assign some engineers to oversee the project. I might need to be there occasionally, but I won't stay long in Jackson." I paused for a moment, then added, "That place... it left a big void in me."

She gave me a look that told me she didn't buy it, but to my relief, she didn't press further. Instead, she shifted the conversation. "Have you seen Khai already?"

I swallowed, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Yeah, we met yesterday when they flew in to pitch the project."

Her curiosity deepened. "And? How is she?"

I forced a small smile. "She's good. We talked, but... strictly professionally."

The words came out smoothly, but even as I said them, I knew I was lying—to her and to myself.

As the evening wore on, my mind kept circling back to Khai and the words she said before I left. Something inside me stirred—an ache, a whisper of an old wound reopening. I shook my head, pushing the thoughts away, but they lingered like a shadow at the back of my mind.

Then, my phone buzzed. Mel Calling.

I exhaled before answering. "Hey, babe. How was your day?"

"Hey," she said, her voice warm. "It was long but productive." I adjusted my pillow, settling into the conversation.

"I have good news for you," she said, excitement lacing her tone.

Curious, I asked, "What is it?"

"I'm coming home next week! Just for two weeks, but still—I've been stuck here for almost a year now. I figured I need to go home to you."

My chest tightened. A part of me should have felt relief—excitement, even—but instead, my thoughts drifted back to Khai.

I went quiet for a moment too long.

"Babe?" Mel's voice broke through the silence. "Aren't you excited?"

I snapped out of my daze. "Of course I am," I said quickly. "It's just... next week, work will be up to my eyelids. I'll be buried in preparations for the project."

She hummed on the other end, then said reassuringly, "No worries, baby. We'll make the most out of my two weeks together."

I forced a smile, even though she couldn't see it. "Yeah. We will."

But even as I said it, the weight in my chest refused to lift.

After we hung up, I tossed and turned in bed, but sleep refused to come. Frustrated, I buried my head in the pillow, hoping to drown out the restless thoughts. But my mind betrayed me again, pulling me back to Khai.

With a sigh, I grabbed my phone and opened Instagram. It had been a long time since I last checked her profile, but curiosity got the best of me. As I scrolled, I realized her feed hadn't been updated in years—her last post was from a trip to Switzerland two years ago.

My fingers moved on their own, scrolling deeper, until I stumbled upon old pictures of us. They were still there. Untouched. Why hasn't she deleted these? I muttered under my breath, feeling something I didn't want to name creeping up my chest.

As if on cue, a notification popped up—Therese: "You're still awake?"

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed again. This time, she was calling.

I sighed but answered. "Hey."

On the screen, Therese's face lit up with mock disappointment. "Excuse me, ma'am, you're online but didn't bother to call your best friend? Rude."

I rolled my eyes, but a small smile tugged at my lips. "Hey, Res."

She squinted at me. "What's up? You look like someone just ran over your entire day."

I scoffed. "Gee, thanks."

"Come on," she teased, tilting her head. "Spill. Who's messing with your head this time? Work? Life? Or..." She raised an eyebrow. "Someone?"

I groaned, already regretting answering her call. "Therese—"

She gasped dramatically. "Oh my God, it's someone!"

I shook my head, laughing despite myself. "You're impossible."

"And you're avoiding the question," she shot back. "Which only means one thing—tea."

I exhaled, leaning back on my pillows. "It's nothing, Res."

Therese hummed knowingly. "You do know you suck at lying, right?"

Therese didn't let up. She leaned in closer to the screen, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Spill the tea—who's who?"

I sighed, already regretting this call. "Do you know about the project for The Azotea?"

She nodded. "Yeah, Director Quinn rolled that out to us—wait, how do you know about it?" Her brows furrowed for a moment before realization hit. "No. No way."

"Yeah," I confirmed. "We were chosen as the project contractor, and I was appointed as the project head."

Therese's jaw dropped. "No. Fucking. Way." Then her eyes widened even more. "Wait—does that mean...?"

I nodded before she could finish. "Yeah, I'll be working with Khai again. Actually, we already started."

She gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. "Nooo."

I smirked and held up the contract with Khai's signature.

"Wooaaah," she whispered, staring at the screen in disbelief. But then her excitement faded, replaced by something more serious. "Wait... does Mel know about this?"

I shook my head.

"Rainah!" Therese groaned. "When are you planning to tell her? If she finds out on her own, you're putting your relationship in jeopardy!"

I cut her off before she could go into full lecture mode. "And you know what's worse?"

Her brows lifted. "What?"

"Khai bumped into one of my friends. Remember Sofia?"

Therese gasped. "Sofia as in Sofi—the hot chef?"

I nodded. "Yeah. And she totally has a crush on Khai. I can tell by the way she reacts every time Khai's name is mentioned."

Therese let out a low whistle. "Oof. How are you feeling about that? Does she know about you and Khai?"

I shook my head.

Therese clicked her tongue. "Oh, poor Rainah. So... what are you gonna do about it?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Me and Khai? We're history. We've moved on. I have Mel now."

Therese gave me a look. "You do know I've known you for over a decade, right? I can read you like a damn book." She squinted. "You're lying. And not even well."

"I'm not lying," I insisted.

She folded her arms. "Rainah, don't me."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "What does that even mean?"

"It means don't lie to me like I'm some random stranger you just met," she said, unimpressed. "You're talking to me, Rainah. Me. So cut the crap."

I exhaled heavily, staring at the screen. Because deep down, I knew she was right.

Therese was right. If there was one person I could tell everything to, it was her. We'd been through everything—ups and downs, literal crossfires, and nights of happy drinks that ended in blurry memories.

She smirked. "So... you've seen her already?"

I nodded.

"And? How was it—seeing your ever dearest ex after all these years?"

I rolled my eyes. "Really, Therese?"

She chuckled. "What? I'm just asking."

I ignored her teasing and changed the subject. "How's work, by the way?"

She groaned dramatically. "Well, high-paying salary means more responsibilities."

I gasped. "Wait—you got promoted?"

She squirmed excitedly. "Yaaasss, girl—I got the post!"

I grinned. "Congratulations, bitch! And you didn't even tell me?"

She waved a hand. "I was going to, but—plot twist—I'll be working under Khai's cousin now."

I frowned. "Khai's cousin?"

"Yeah. Ikaris. Remember him?"

Oh, I remembered.

Therese sighed dreamily. "But hey, he's kinda cute when he talks. The way he raises his eyebrows at my silly ideas? Ugh—adorable."

I groaned. "Oh, come on, Therese."

She squirmed excitedly. "My gosh, he's so handsome. And we're working so closely now since I'm the head of Marketing. Everywhere he goes, he always updates me—like, damn, man, I know you're hot, but do you have to sweep me off my feet every single time with your updates and sweet gestures?"

She giggled like a kid with a crush, and I couldn't help but shake my head. "Well, what happened to Dr. Malcolm?"

Her face instantly darkened. "That cheating bastard."

My eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

Therese rolled her eyes. "I didn't know he already had a wife and a kid! Imagine that—I was a mistress."

I gasped. "Oh my God! No way!" Then I burst out laughing.

She crossed her arms. "Yeah, yeah, Rain, laugh it up now. But mark my words—one day, before you know it, my last name is gonna be Stanton."

She smirked at me like she had already won the damn name.

I smirked and teased, "What's it called again...? Manifesting?"

We both chuckled, but Therese, being Therese, wasn't done. She wiggled her eyebrows and shot back, "Well, that was once your last name."

She was laughing devilishly now, and I groaned. "Okay, that's not funny anymore, Therese."

But of course, she had to push further. "Just imagine—if you and Khai never broke up and me and Ikaris actually happen... we'd be like cousins. The sassy Stanton ladies taking over!"

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Oh my God—you're ridiculous."

She smiled, her tone turning softer. "But hey, you know I always got you—whoever it might be, I'll pray for the right person for you."

I felt a warmth in my chest at her words, but I just chuckled. "Alright now, off you go to your dreamland before you start manifesting more crazy scenarios."

She laughed. "Goodnight, Rainah."

"Goodnight, Therese." I sighed as the call ended, staring at my screen for a moment before finally setting my phone down.

As I lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling, a mix of emotions swirled inside me. Seeing Khai again, working together, and now Therese teasing me—it was all too much. No matter how much I tried to convince myself that the past was behind me, my heart knew better.

I exhaled deeply, turning to my side, hoping sleep would finally claim me. But even in the quiet of the night, my thoughts refused to settle.

Maybe some ghosts aren't meant to stay in the past.