Kai had expected peace. After everything that had happened lately, he thought a few quiet days without Adrian Blake would be exactly what he needed. Instead, the silence was strangely irritating. It had been four days since he’d seen Adrian. Four days. Kai stared at his phone as he sat on the edge of his bed, then frowned at himself. Why was he counting? He tossed the phone onto the mattress. “Ridiculous.” There was no reason to think about Adrian. Adrian had a company to run. Kai had lectures, assignments, work shifts, and a family that depended on him. Their lives had crossed several times by coincidence and circumstance, but that didn’t mean anything. They were different people living completely different lives. That was how it should remain. Kai picked up his bag and headed downstairs. His mother was already in the kitchen. “You’re leaving without breakfast again?” “I’ll eat at university.” His mother gave him the look that meant she didn’t believe a word of it. Kai smiled innocently. “I’ll really eat.” “You said that yesterday.” “And I survived.” “That isn’t the point.” Noah appeared from the hallway, hair sticking up in every direction. “Kai, Mom says you’re getting too skinny.” Kai looked at his brother. “Mom says that every week.” “Because you’re getting too skinny every week.” Kai laughed and ruffled Noah’s hair. “I’ll eat something.” “You better.” For a few minutes, everything felt normal. Comfortably normal. And Kai liked it. He liked knowing what his day would look like. He liked knowing where he needed to be and what he needed to do. There were no unexpected meetings with intimidating CEOs, no expensive suits, no arguments with arrogant billionaires. Just university. Work. Home. Simple. Exactly what he wanted. Or at least, that was what he kept telling himself. ⸻ University was noisy as usual. Ethan spotted him near the lecture hall and immediately waved. “You’re late.” Kai glanced at the clock. “I’m three minutes early.” “Exactly. Suspicious.” Kai rolled his eyes. “You need a hobby.” “I have one.” “What?” “Annoying you.” “That explains why you’re so dedicated.” Ethan laughed and followed him inside. The lecture passed quickly. Afterward, they headed toward the cafeteria, where Ethan immediately started complaining about the price of food. “This place is slowly destroying poor students.” Kai looked at his tray. “You bought two meals.” “I have a fast metabolism.” “You have a large appetite.” “Same thing.” Kai shook his head. They sat down with their usual group. Daniel was already there. He smiled when Kai approached. “Hey.” “Hey.” Daniel moved his books aside so Kai could sit. “How was your lecture?” “Long.” “Did you understand the last section?” “Mostly.” Daniel smiled. “Could you help me with it later?” “Sure.” It was easy talking to Daniel. There was no tension. No guessing. No feeling as though every conversation had another meaning hiding underneath it. Daniel was simply Daniel. Kind. Patient. Comfortable. Kai appreciated that. Maybe this was what he needed. Someone normal. Someone whose presence didn’t make him question everything. Someone who didn’t have the power to turn a simple conversation into something that stayed in his mind for hours. Daniel looked at him. “You’re smiling.” Kai blinked. “I am?” “Yeah.” Ethan immediately leaned over. “He does that when he’s thinking about someone.” Kai kicked him under the table. Ethan nearly choked on his drink. Daniel laughed. Kai tried to ignore the sudden warmth in his face. Then his eyes drifted toward the cafeteria entrance. For one ridiculous second, he expected to see a tall figure in a black suit walking through the doors. Adrian. The thought came so naturally that Kai didn’t realize how strange it was until he caught himself looking. He stared for another second. Nothing. Just students. Kai looked away. Why had he expected Adrian to be there? Adrian didn’t belong here. And that was exactly the point. ⸻ That evening, Kai went to work at the restaurant. The shift was busy enough to keep his mind occupied. Orders came in one after another. Customers complained. Someone spilled a drink. A child nearly knocked over an entire tray. By the time Kai finally had a moment to breathe, his feet hurt. Mr. Lewis handed him a bottle of water. “Go sit for five minutes.” “I can keep working.” “I wasn’t asking.” Kai smiled. “Yes, sir.” He sat in the small staff room and checked his phone. No new messages. He stared at the screen for a moment. Then locked it. What was he doing? He wasn’t waiting for anyone. He had no reason to. A week ago, Adrian’s messages had been an annoyance. Now the absence of them seemed oddly noticeable. Kai frowned. “No.” He leaned back against the chair. “This is exactly what I was trying to avoid.” He knew what Adrian’s attention did to him. It made him feel restless. Curious. Off-balance. And Kai didn’t have time for any of that. He had responsibilities. He couldn’t afford to get distracted by a man simply because that man happened to be powerful, handsome, and irritatingly difficult to ignore. Adrian was not part of his life. That was good. That was safe. That was— “Why am I thinking about him again?” Kai covered his face with both hands. He had officially lost his mind. ⸻ Across the city, Adrian Blake was having a completely ordinary week. At least, it looked ordinary from the outside. Meetings. Contracts. Board discussions. Calls that seemed to have no ending. He barely had time to eat lunch, much less think about university. Yet several times during the week, his attention drifted toward his phone. There was no message from Kai. Adrian wasn’t sure why he had expected one. Kai wasn’t the type to message him for no reason. Still, Adrian noticed the silence. He told himself it didn’t matter. It shouldn’t. Marcus entered his office carrying a stack of documents. “Your three o’clock meeting has been moved to four.” “Fine.” “And the dinner with the investors is tomorrow.” “Cancel it.” Marcus paused. “You’re cancelling?” “Move it to next week.” “Understood.” Marcus turned to leave. Then he stopped. “Anything else?” Adrian looked up. “No.” Marcus nodded and left. Adrian returned to his work. For some reason, the office felt unusually quiet. He ignored the thought. There was no reason for Kai Anderson to be occupying his mind. He had met the boy only a handful of times. That was all. ⸻ By Friday, Kai had almost convinced himself he was over it. He was sitting in the library with Daniel, going through their notes, when Daniel quietly placed a cup of coffee beside him. Kai looked at it. “For me?” “You’ve been staring at your notes for twenty minutes without turning the page.” Kai smiled. “Thanks.” Daniel smiled back. It was a small gesture. Simple. Thoughtful. And Kai appreciated it. This was what normal felt like. No pressure. No expensive gifts. No mysterious intentions. Just someone paying attention. Daniel hesitated before speaking. “About the date…” Kai looked up. Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. “I know you’ve been busy. I just wanted to know if you still meant what you said.” Kai knew exactly what he meant. The date. He had agreed to one. And Daniel had been patient enough not to pressure him. “Yes.” Daniel’s face brightened. “Really?” “Really.” “Saturday?” Kai thought for a moment. “I work Saturday evening.” “Then before your shift?” “That works.” Daniel smiled. “It’s a date.” Kai laughed softly. “Don’t make it sound so serious.” “It is serious to me.” Kai’s smile faded slightly. Daniel wasn’t joking. He genuinely liked him. And perhaps that was what made Kai’s chest tighten. Not because he disliked Daniel. But because some part of him was still thinking about someone else. Someone who wasn’t even there. Kai lowered his eyes to his notes. He didn’t understand himself anymore. ⸻ That night, after work, Kai walked home alone. The streets were quiet. The air was cool. He passed the corner where he’d once seen Adrian’s car after leaving the restaurant. Kai slowed. Then stopped. The spot was empty. He stared at it for a moment before shaking his head. He almost laughed. He was actually looking for Adrian. A man he had spent weeks insisting he didn’t want around. A man whose constant presence had irritated him. A man he had accused of interfering with his life. And now that Adrian had finally stepped back… Kai missed him. The realization came quietly. Not like a confession. Not like some dramatic revelation. Just a small, uncomfortable truth settling somewhere beneath his ribs. Kai looked down at the pavement. “That’s not fair.” There was no one there to answer him. He continued walking. Maybe that was the problem. When Adrian had been around, Kai had been too busy resisting him to notice what his presence meant. Now Adrian was gone. And somehow, the space he’d left behind felt larger than it should have. Kai pulled out his phone. He opened his messages. Adrian’s name wasn’t there. His thumb hovered over the screen. He could send a message. Something simple. How are you? Or— Are you busy? Kai immediately locked the phone. “No.” He shoved it back into his pocket. He wasn’t going to chase Adrian. If Adrian wanted to talk to him, Adrian could call. Kai walked on, trying to convince himself that the strange ache in his chest was nothing. But for the first time, he understood something he hadn’t expected. Sometimes you don’t realize how much space someone occupies in your life until they stop standing in it. And Kai wasn’t sure whether he wanted Adrian to come back. He only knew that he had started noticing the emptiness.

The Space He Left Behind