a second chance

kai's advice

merry christmas and happy holidays!!!

lloyd's pov

we did it.

i think i should be happy.

i mean, i totally am- but mostly i'm anxious. i know harumi thinks we've already won, but we haven't. and i can't help but feel extra cautious. about the trial, and the future.

  i'm sitting on the kitchen counter thinking. sounds of video games and laughter echo in from the living room. i haven't checked the time in awhile, but i'm guessing it's around eight.

  "hey" i hear a voice and look up, hoping for harumi, but it's kai.

  "hi." i reply.

  he looks like he wants to say something, but instead grabs a drink out of the fridge and sits next to me.

  "thanks for agreeing." i say after awhile of silence. "i know you didn't want to, and trust me when i say it's better off for everyone of harumi isn't in jail-"

  "that's actually what i wanted to talk to you about." kai interrupts. he sighs. "look lloyd, i know you want to, but you can't trust harumi."

  groaning, i stand up from the counter.

  "why can't you just trust me when i say-"

  "because i care about you!" kai interrupts again.

  i don't say anything back.

  "because i don't want to see you hurt or tricked again!" he continues. "she cannot be trusted! fully anyway! look lloyd all this-" he waves his hands through the air. "-seems too fast. i mean, a trial lloyd? really?"

  "i just- i really care about her." i reply. "and weren't you the one who hid her death from me? why should i trust you?"

    "you don't even have to!" kai argues back. "just use your common sense!

"harumi's just using you to get out of jail!"

the thought that i've been pushing down suddenly surfaced, along with all my doubts about this whole thing.

no, no. that couldn't be right.

we used the truth tea on her! she said herself that she wanted to start over!

but... she never said she wanted to be with me.

and if i do know harumi, she'll do things to get what she wants. manipulative, crazy things.

"i'm sorry." kai says softly after another pause. "you understand me now? you understand this is a bad idea?"

i look at him and narrow my eyes.

"i need to be alone,"