"Okay," I say slowly. "So, why are you over here and not with your friend?"

"Lucca," Kai groans in frustration. "Look, I get that you needed time to process having a mate. It's been weeks and I haven't tried to contact you — which was hell, by the way. It's not natural for us to avoid our mates like this. But on top of that, you're seriously going to act dumb and pretend like you don't know why I'm standing in front of you? We're mates, for Goddess's sake."

"Keep your voice down!" I hiss lowly. "Do you want to expose what we are to everyone here? The humans would start a fucking riot if they knew about the paranormal world."

Kai rolls his eyes. "I couldn't care less about a few upset humans right now. I'm hurting, Lucca. You haven't even let me get to know you. Have a simple conversation. It's been nearly a month since we met, and I don't even know your favorite color!"

My lips pull into a crooked grin. "My favorite color?"

"Shut up, it was the first example I could think of," he huffs impatiently. "My point is, I don't know you. You don't know me. You haven't given me a chance; all you do is avoid me. Can't we at least, I don't know, hang out?"

"Kai," I sigh, rubbing my hand over my face. "Look... I don't know exactly what you want from me, but whatever it is, I can't give it to you. I'm sorry."

Horror twists in his expression. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm not the one for you," I confess, hearing Lincoln's whines of protest. This isn't the time or place for this, but it has to happen sooner or later. "I'm rejec—"

"Lucca," the evening manager, Gerard, appears at my side, seeming rather impatient. His black hair is slicked back, framing is square face. "Pardon me, but can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Okay," I calmly nod, even though inside I'm freaking the fuck out. For one, I was a millisecond away from rejecting Kai as my mate. Secondly, Gerard doesn't fuck around. If you get called by him, you know you're in some deep shit.

"Ruth," Gerard snaps his fingers at the German girl who plays harp whenever I'm on break. She immediately situates herself and begins playing her instrument. When Gerard gestures for me to follow him, I don't even glance back at Kai before following him to the kitchen.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" Gerard interrogates in a scarily calm tone once we're in the kitchen. "Your job is to provide our guests with music. Not to chat with your friends." His small nose wrinkles in distaste at that last word.

"We're not friends," I grumble without thinking, and Gerard raises an eyebrow at me.

"Oh? So you just ignore your duties for any random patron that stumbles through our doors now?"

Goddess, this guy really knows how to get on my fucking nerves.

"Of course not," I defend. "I know him, but we're not friends. He's my friend's boyfriend's kid brother. He's nothing to me."

"If he's so nothing to you, then he shouldn't be distracting you from your work," Gerard points out while crossing his pudgy arms. "Am I correct?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Ah," he raises a hand to cut me off. "Don't argue. Just say yes and get back to the piano."

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I grit out, "Yes."

"Good," Gerard grins. "Oh, and tell that 'nothing' that he isn't allowed in the kitchen."

Spinning around, my heart stops when I see Kai standing by the entry way. 

Shit. There's no way he didn't hear me talking about him.

His deep brown eyes are watery, filled with sorrow and disappointment. I don't even have to know him that well to be able to feel the mixture of rage and sadness rolling off of him. The hurt he's feeling puts a strain on our bond, making my own chest ache with the need to comfort him. Not giving me a chance to say anything, Kai storms away from the kitchen.