Page 81 of Spotlight Hearts

I sit up, run a hand through my messy hair, and force myself to move. I pull on fresh clothes and splash water on my face in the tiny sink. My body aches in the best and worst ways. Every shift tells me exactly what we did.

The plane rolls to a slow stop on the tarmac in London.

I take a deep breath, square my shoulders, and slide the door open.

The main cabin is already stirring. Michael is stretching, Min-ho is quietly packing his headphones away, Tasha is on her phone coordinating with the ground crew.

And then there’s Kai.

He’s standing near his seat, bag slung over one shoulder, looking… soft. His dark hair is still slightly mussed, and when his eyes find mine across the cabin, his cheeks flush the faintest pink.

He doesn’t look away. Instead, he gives me this small smile, the kind I’ve rarely seen on him.

Something tight and anxious eases inside me.

I was ready to brace for regret and him pulling away again, or for another round of back-and-forth that would leave me raw all over again.

But he’s looking at me like he remembers every second of last night, too. And he doesn’t regret it.

Kai walks over slowly, stopping just close enough that I can smell his familiar scent mixed with the faint trace of us from last night.

“Hey,” he says softly, voice a little hesitant. “You slept okay?”

I nod, swallowing. My hands itch to reach for him, but I hold back, unsure where we actually stand after everything.

“Yeah. You?”

“Better than I have in days,” he admits. The shy smile returns. “Because of you.”

The words are simple, but they loosen another knot in my chest. He’s not running or hiding behind his control-freak walls this morning. He’s standing here, sweet and a little nervous instead.

I let out a slow breath.

“Good,” I say, clearing my throat. “That’s…good.”

Kai shifts his bag on his shoulder. His hand brushes mine as he lowers it, and it makes warmth spread through me.

He glances toward the others, then back at me.

“We should probably get off the plane before Tasha starts yelling,” he says, that shy little smile still playing at his lips. “But…later? Can we talk? For real this time?”

“Yeah,” I answer. “Later sounds good.”

He nods once, the relief clear on his face, and turns toward the exit. I follow a step behind, watching the way his shoulders have lost some of their usual tension.

Last night wasn’t a dream.

And this morning, the back-and-forth feels like it might actually be slowing down. I still don’t know exactly where we stand. But when Kai glances back at me over his shoulder with that same sweet, shy look, something warm settles in my chest.

Maybe we’re finally moving forward. Even if we’re both still figuring out how.

London greets us with gray skies and a light drizzle.

The band dynamics feel…off.

Michael is trying too hard to be the jokester, cracking loud jokes about jet lag and British food he wants to have while we wait for the vans. Min-ho stays quiet, but he keeps glancing between Kai and me like he’s reading every micro-expression. Tasha is all business, barking orders into her phone about hotel check-in and soundcheck times, but I catch her watching us, too.

Kai walks beside me as we head toward the vehicles as they pull up. Every time our arms brush, my stomach does a little flip, and butterflies take flight. It feels like falling in love all over again.