Mrs Anderson didn't age. If anything the woman had become more polished and blended into her role as the poised wife of an Elite. Her sharp gaze pierced Rachel and she took fluid steps towards them.
"Rachel" she spoke "I didn't expect to see you"
Rachel swallowed, "How have you been, Mrs Anderson?"
The woman smiled, "Silly girl, why so formal now?" Then she turned to face her son, her hands cupping his face "Look how much you've grown" she frowned, "Were we so bad that you've avoided us all these years?"
"My boy" Mr Anderson's frail voice sounded behind them. The man was sat in a wheelchair, hooked up to medical appliances.
"You look like crap" a smile broke on Kohen's lips as he stepped out of his mother's touch and went to his father. Unlike his wife, Mr Anderson looked leaner and grey hairs dusted his beard.
"You little shit" the man chuckled before his eyes shifted to Rachel who stood awkwardly by the door "And what are you standing over there for? Come here kid" he gestured to her.
Rachel hesitated only a fraction of a second before she ran to him and Mr Anderson wrapped them in a hug.
"I heard what happened" Rachel said pensively "I'm glad you're alright"
"Takes more than a little food poisoning to keep me down," the man laughed.
Mrs Anderson cleared her throat, "It's good we're together again. Why don't you both go freshen up and we'll talk over dinner?" her eyes darted between Kohen and Rachel.
Kohen nodded, getting up. He enveloped his mother in her hug which briefly startled the woman before she hugged him back. "I've missed you mother, regardless" and she chuckled.
"Go now" she said shooing him out of the room and Rachel followed behind.
"That went better than I imagined" Kohen said to Rachel as they walked down the hallway to take the stairs up to his room.
"I can't stay," Rachel replied, bringing them to a halt.
"Raye-"
"I can't pretend we're one big happy family, Kohen" she snapped.
Kohen took her hand without a word, pulling her behind him until he got to his room and shut the door behind them.
"I don't expect you to" he said finally. "But I'm not doing this for mother, Rachel. I almost lost my dad. The least I could do is be here when he needs me but I'm too coward to face it alone". He ran his fingers through his hair. "Just for tonight, please"
Rachel's eyes inspected Kohen's room. Not much had changed from what she remembered. She walked further into the room. A picture of them as children still sat on his bedside table, she was pulling on his hair for being a nuisance while he winced in mock pain.
Her fingers itched to touch it but she held back.
"I can't"
"Rachel"
"You don't understand Kohen, I can't spend the night away from home. It has nothing to do with your parents. I just can't be here"
"Why?"
"I have a-" Rachel stopped herself yet again, "Someone's waiting for me back home. I need to be with him"
Kohen's gaze turned heavy, "You mean that Carson guy?"
Rachel turned on her heels to face him. Her mouth opened, then closed. Maybe it was best he believed that. "I have to get going" she said, brushing past him.
She opened the door to find a young woman on the other end, hand suspended in the air as she was about to knock. "Oh, sorry. Madam says to ask if you'll have anything before dinner"
"Um-" Rachel started.
"Let her know we've already had lunch, so no" Kohen responded behind her "Fine, don't stay the night. At least stay for dinner. I'll drop you home immediately after" he said as soon as the maid departed.
Kohen had that look of determination on his face and Rachel knew he wouldn't drop it. "Fine" she conceded. "But you're not driving me home" and she left no room for further negotiation.
…
"-and I got my job right off college" Rachel answered. Kohen had changed out of his work clothes and he and Rachel had explored the house before they settled in the backyard, under the big oak tree that held many memories of their childhood. He had somehow lured her into this conversation with him. But then again, that was one of his superpowers.
"That's great, Raye" he said.
"And what about you? How did you become CEO at only 25?" she asked in genuine curiosity.
"It wasn't easy, but it's me. Name one thing I can't do" he said smugly and Rachel shoved him.
"Show off" she scoffed. "At least that hasn't changed" and they laughed.
As the laughter faded, a small comfortable silence wrapped around them before Kohen spoke again. "After you left, things weren't the same" Rachel averted her gaze, suddenly finding the grass interesting. "Mother didn't like that"
"She wanted me gone though. Or does she only hate me when I'm dating her son?" Rachel countered.
"I don't think 'hate' is the word. But my relationship with them only got strained further. Until one day, we had a big fight" he relaxed against the bark of the tree "and I decided I was done with this place".
Rachel quietly listened and Kohen continued, "Father said I'll never make it on my own, threatened to cut off my allowance if I choose to remain adamant"
Rachel's expression bore shock. "But your father has never once taken sides"
Kohen laughed at that, "My father does whatever pleases my mom and if mother wanted me back home, he would do all in his power to make it happen"
"But you're just as stubborn" Rachel murmured.
"And that's why I never came back. Father followed through with his threats for a while. Unfortunately for him I had money saved up to get by. I invested the rest of it into my startup while in college. I pitched my ideas to top investors and everything fell into place when I met André. You'll meet him soon enough" he smiled "But he's the one who saw potential and the future of what I was trying to establish. He helped me get KAL Apex to where it is today and by the time I was done with college, I was knowledgeable enough to run for CEO".
Rachel imitated his position, leaning against the tree too as they fell back into silence. Her phone buzzed in her lap, a text.
From Liam.