“Death defies logic, Jas,” Kai leaps over the side of my couch, landing beside me forcefully.
“Would you stop calling me Jas? And stop reading my mind while you’re at it?”
“Seriously? I can’t call you buddy, can’t call you Jas… I bet you’d let her call you Jas,” Kai taunts me. “Speaking of Irie, I cannot believe you slept with her. You did the exact opposite of what I told you to, my guy.”
“I’m sorry, what did you just call her?”
“Call who?”
“Iris?”
“Oh, Irie?”
“Uh, yeah.” I quirk a brow, to which he waves me off.
“Iris, Irie. Same thing, really. Same person.” Kai leans back onto the couch after downing part of his second beer. “No one really calls her Irie other than me, though.”
“I see,” I say, taking the beer out of his hand to drink some myself. “I think you should slow down on these. I wouldn’t want it to affect your Iris spidey-senses.”
“Eh, I’m not so worried about that. That girl basically has two guardians with you in the picture now.” He grins, then drops the smile, seeming to sober up. “Serious question: how do you really feel about her? Don’t bullshit me.”
No point in holding back, considering he can read my mind anyway, sober or not. “I’m clearly not the most cheerful guy in the Cove—”
“We’ve established that,” Kai affirms with a nod, crossing his arms and leaning back into my couch.
“As I was saying.” I exhale sharply. “Moving back here made me feel like a failure. All I ever wanted was to leave this town, so having to come back to it felt wrong in so many ways. Since meeting Iris, though, my existence here has started to make sense. Instead of dreading this town every waking moment, I’ve begun to actually enjoy it. I feel comfortable with her. I find myself thinking about her every single day. She’s grieving and carrying so much weight on her shoulders, yet she still manages to emit the brightest glow I’ve ever witnessed. I don’t want to lose that light. I don’t want to lose her.”
Kai searches my eyes, no doubt refraining from exercising soulsight. I don’t blame him—I’d want to make sure to get the truth, too. “I believe you, man.”
He pats my shoulder, then rises clumsily.Lightweight.“I’m going to go back to Irie’s now. Good night, bro.” He saunters away, fading into nothing. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that.
Thirty-One
Iris
Storms brew both inside my apartment and outside in the sky. I glance outside, taking note of the grayness settling in over the Cove. My clouds are quite restless today. How perfectly ideal, given the visitors from theWicked Westjoining me. I gulp some air, pacing away from the window back to the dining area. I’ve set the table using my only nice set of dishware, and odds are, it still isn’t half as nice as what my parents are used to.
Growing up, my liked old-fashioned dinners. She cared a great deal about placemats and fine cutlery. My apartment has never seen such finery, and that won’t be changing today. Truman leaps onto the bar I’m leaning against. I pet him gently, thencradle him in my arms, settling him down at my feet. “Not today, Truman. The bar is for people today.”
Not today.As those words replay in my mind, I have an epiphany. I haven’t used those two words in a while. In fact, I’ve been adopting a “today’s the day” type of attitude over the last several days. I’ve talked more about Kai over the last week than in… years. Sure, I haven’texactlysaid his name aloud yet, but that’s irrelevant. While setting the silverware, my eyes drift to his old spot at my table, and I reminisce on a different time. A time when my biggest concern was whether Katherine and Kai would get back together. A time when Kai didn’t stop me from drinking too much, instead keeping a watchful eye over me, all smiles. A time when I didn’t realize just how much I had to be thankful for.
If Kai were here now, I imagine he’d try to cheer me up in the way only he could, pulling me in for a bear hug and calling me the name reserved for him alone to use—Irie. It’s mildly concerning how far I would go just to hear him call out to me just one more time. A knock at the door interrupts my wandering mind, and my heart lunges. I peek out my peephole, and instantly, my troubled mind calms.He came.
I open the door, beckoning Jasper inside. As he steps inside, he sets down his food on my counter and then sweeps me into his arms, pulling me into a tight embrace.
“Something smells heavenly, and it isn’t the pie,” he murmurs into my ear. “Have I ever told you how intoxicating you smell?”
“You may have mentioned it before.” My face warms as I reminisce about our first night at the bar. The way he held me in his arms that night made me swoon…Now’s not the time, Iris. Focus.“You have no idea how relieved I am to see you. My parents will be here any minute. Can you take a look at everything and let me know how it all looks?”
“On it, Greene.” He salutes, scanning my dining table. His gaze shifts to my kitchen, then to me. “Everything looks great. Better than great, really.”
I exhale, allowing myself to relax for just a second.
“Talk to me.” His eyes pierce mine. “What’s on your mind?”
“Ugh,” I groan. “I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to spend Thanksgiving with them. I don’t want to force myself to host them with a smile plastered on my face.”
“So, don’t,” he says plainly, sinking into my couch, leaning back with his hands behind his head.
