“Kai...”
“No.”
I tip her chin gently upward.
“Look at me.”
Slowly, she does.
And Christ.
The vulnerability there nearly splits me open.
For all her sass.
For all her fire.
For all the ways she pretends to be tougher than she is.
There's still a part of her that doesn't quite believe she's enough.
The thought makes something protective rise up inside me.
“You're beautiful.”
My voice comes out rough.
Certain.
“Smart.”
Her breath catches.
“Funny.”
“Kai—”
“Fierce as hell.”
A smile starts pulling at her mouth.
I keep going.
“Stubborn.”
“I am not.”
I laugh.
“Firecracker, you absolutely are.”
That earns me a tiny shove.
Worth it.
Every time.
“You care about everybody,” I continue quietly. “Your students. Your mom. Your school. Everybody gets a piece of you.”