Jumbo Cheetos

The drive afterwards to Stormbreaker was considerably quieter. Joshua like usual was a steady rock, I on the other hand was racked up with guilt for exploding on him and making a pass at him.

"Maybe we should turn on the music-" I started to say to dissipate the awkwardness in the car for me but Joshua interrupted me.

"Stereo is broken"

"Of course, it is" I said and closed my eyes briefly.

The universe must hate me.

"Don't beat yourself up, Kai. All is forgiven…all is well" He said in his little 'behind the scene' voice. "After all, nothing could compare to that time you peed in my bed, Sunshine Rainbow"

"Shut up!" I laughed out loud "I was eight! And there is still a possibility you and Ryder peed in a cup and poured it on me!"

"Sure, keep telling yourself that" He chuckled too.

I turned around and looked at him.

Joshua... the epitome of calm, a soothing balm to my frazzled nerves.

He's always been there for me, a steady presence in my chaotic world.

I moved closer and placed my head on his shoulder, he leaned in closer for a minute to whisper.

"You are gonna be alright, Kai"

I thought about it.

He was trying to show me kindness but what's the point of lying?

"Doesn't feel like it. It feels like the ground beneath my feet has been yanked out…and I'm this close to disappearing into a black hole, never to be seen again" I spoke the truth.

"Doesn't matter. You are still going to be alright. I'm sure of it." On a deeper note, he added "I will make sure of it"

But what could he do?

He was Ryder's second in command, his place was by Ryder's side not mine.

"I'm afraid, in this divorce, Ryder gets to keep you" I said sadly.

"Fuck Ryder!"

It was the only time he allowed a hint of anger to show. It was gone just as fast as it appeared.

I exhaled loudly.

I had one job, birth a child….it was as simple as that.

Job failed.

"Do you really want to go back to Stormbreaker?" Joshua asked and looked at me "-to your mother, I mean, after everything she did to you"

"You mean because she sold me to Greg?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

Joshua struggled to answer that, after all, we all spent the better part of our lives avoiding that particular conversation, refusing to acknowledge the horrifying way I came to be part of Ravenwood. But at the end he whispered "Yes"

I exhaled. I thought about it for a few seconds.

"I mean I have nowhere else to go. My options are limited. Be a rogue or go back home…back to Akira."

"Back to the mom who sold you into slavery? That's no option" He whispered.

We were both silent for a while before I said

" We don't have the full story. We don't know what happened nineeteen years ago, things must have been abysmal for a mother to sell her daughter. Maybe she was too poor to feed me and selling me was the only option she had"

Joshua looked at me in disbelief, eyes widened in shock and all but he didn't try to dissuade me of my delusions concerning Akira. He was good that way.

"Maybe." He whispered and kept driving.

We stopped by a store, very close to the boundary between common land and Stormbreaker, he wanted to get me some essentials. I did leave Ryder with nothing to my name, after all.

"You need clothes, feminine stuff and whatnot, right?" He asked and got down from the car.

I got down too. I draw a line at having Joshua McNeily buy under things for me.

The little pride I have left, I plan to keep intact.

I strode after him, only stopping in front of the store when my eyes caught a bunch of newspapers at the stand but I was distracted by the sight of jumbo Cheetos, a childhood favorite snack that I didn't even know I missed till I came face to face with it.

"Oh my God, Jumbo Cheetos! You got to tastes these!" I raced inside like I was five years old again and grabbed a couple and in my excitement, I forgot I was supposed to pay for them as I raced towards Joshua outside with the store clerk on my heel with his bat.

"Josh! Jumbo Cheetos!"

Joshua stood in the newspaper stand and when he saw me, he turned around…a little too fast and he used his enormous body to block the stand.

"No need for the bat" Joshua said and threw some money at the clerk.

He grabbed my hand and started dragging me to the car.

"What about feminine stuff?" I asked him.

"You don't need them. We will make due" he said and kept pushing.

One of my jumbo Cheetos fell in his rush and I wasn't about to leave it behind. I turned around to pick it up, and my eyes came face to face with one of the newspapers Joshua was trying to hide.

"The Daily Scoop"

Where Secrets Are Spilled and Scandals Are Born

ALPHA RYDER STEELE DUMPS WIFE Kaidaira: Insiders Claim Her Wild Past Caught Up with Her!

_Article Content_

A scandalous exposé claiming that Kaida's alleged promiscuous lifestyle before marriage led to the demise of her relationship with Alpha Ryder Steele. Unnamed sources close to the couple, alleging that Ryder discovered Kaida's secret past, numerous abortions that has led to her inability to bear children and couldn't reconcile his love for her with her alleged infidelities.

The millionaire Alpha is once again single and would be attending the Lunar Gala in search of a suitable mate.

#Kaida #Slut In Diguise #RyderSteele #MarriageFailure #Scandal#Lunar Gala

"Kai? Kaidaira!"

I vaguely remember Joshua calling my name as he rushed towards me.

But I was more occupied with the fact that my heart skipped a beat.

He took out an AD on the front page of the daily scoop?

For what? To spread rumors of an abortion and promiscuous lifestyle?

What abortions?! What promiscuity?

"No…no…no" I tried to wish it away.

I can't be on the front page.

Something was happening to me. I could feel it. It was like a bag of nasty bugs were released on me and they were running in every direction.

I glanced furtively like something was out to get me. My heart hammered in my chest and adrenaline rushed through my veins.

I fought the urge to run but where to? Tears rushed down my cheek and it worsened my respiration.

I broke.

Ryder broke me.

I crumbled to the floor and curled up like a ball. The tightness in my throat worsened while my hands trembled. I couldn't differentiate if the fluids all over my body were tears or sweat but I knew I couldn't get dry.

"Kai"

Joshua was by my side in an instant.

"It's a lie!" I managed to force it out. "It's all lies. I can't breathe…help"

Joshua was on the floor with me by mere seconds. Spasms of worry crossed his face as he gathered me into his arms.

"You are okay.... everything's just fine...breathe for me, slow breathe, Kaidaira"

"What Abortion?" I screamed out loud "I was sold to them at five" I looked over at Joshua, he was trying to hold it together for me.

"I really tried to give him…them the heir they wanted. I tracked my cycle, both periods and ovulation, and I took every concoction presented to me by Ainsley. I sat through all the humiliating lectures and read every disgusting book Greg could find on the latest sex position…" I cried harder, tears ran down my face. "I did everything ranging from improper to downright degrading…everything!" I screamed at him.

"I got fucked standing…. lying down, upside down…I got fucked when I'm tired, when I'm sleepy. In the morning, in the evening…I guess, Ryder finally realized that I'm" my voice trembled a little "... I'm damaged goods but to take out a whole paper and humiliate me in public…that's a new low"

I pressed my hand to my mouth to stop myself from sobbing.

I looked at Joshua.

"Nothing worked. I just wanted to die a free woman but now, I'm forever the childless Mrs Steele"

"Kai" Joshua whispered.

I nuzzled in his arms and cried harder.

"I am screwed, aren't I?"