Kai, Kai, Kai.Where is the bastard when I need him? I look around for him, but alas, he has been missing in action since about halfway through the dinner debate. He got a kick out of Iris telling her parents off but vanished shortly after. “So, you mentioned your brother at dinner. Kai, is it?”
She pauses, fluttering her lashes. “Yeah, Kai. Loving Kai came easily to my parents.”
“I’m so sorry, baby,” I say, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and peering into her eyes. “Do you have any pictures of him?”
“I do.” She bites her lip. “I haven’t looked at them in a while. Let me go grab some from my room—I have an old photo album I can share with you.”
“Take your time, Greene,” I call out as she prances away. As caught off-guard I am by the Kai-name-thing, I really am so damn proud of Iris. She stood on the frontlines and didn’t force herself to hide, which is no small feat.This woman.
She strolls back into the living room carrying a thick maroon photo album in her arms. Iris is wearing a flowy floral dress today, and I can’t get enough of how good she looks in it. Seeing her in this makes me even more curious to see the types of clothes she’ll wear as the seasons change.
She sits down next to me. I wrap my arm around her, holding her tight. She opens the album and lands on a picture of her Kai when he was only a child. He and Iris are standing together, wearing corky costumes, grinning from ear to ear. “We used to dress up in coordinated costumes every Halloween.” She runs her fingers along his face in the photo. “Here, I’ll show you what he looked like as an adult instead.”
She flips halfway through the album, landing on a different page; a group photo of the Cove’s baseball team. I skim the image, and my eyes immediately land on a familiar bright face.No. Please, no.
“Jasper, it’s imperative you do not tell Iris she has a guardian.”
“Okay, so when I encouraged you to get closer to Iris, I meant as friends.”
“As her guardian, her well-being means everything to me.”
“I like her, man. I really like her.” “I’ve known for a while, buddy. That’s what makes all of this so much harder.”
“No one really calls her Irie other than me, though.”
“Who were you to Iris?” “No one.”
“That’s Kai.” Iris points to the man I’m already staring at. “He coached baseball at the high school for a few years—he loved coaching so much. He always joked that it was his life calling.”
“Mm,” I mutter under my breath, at a complete loss for words. I grow rigid, suddenly feeling like I need to lie down. “Hey, baby, I’ve gotta get going.”
“Oh, so soon?” She frowns adorably.
“Sorry, I have some things to take care of. I’ll talk to you later.” I rise, preparing to leave.
“Wait, Jasper,” she halts me. “Did you mean what you said earlier? Do you really consider me as your girlfriend? Or were you just putting on a good show for my parents?”
I hesitate. Of course, I meant it—Iris is allmine. And I’m unequivocally hers. But everything feels chaotic and unfair at the moment. Instead of overcomplicating things, I answer candidly.
“I meant it.” I put on the best smile I can manage at the moment, placing a kiss on her forehead. I don’t want to leave, but I physically cannot stay any longer without bursting. “We’ll talk later, Greene.”
“See you later, love,” she says. As I walk down the stairs, my heart races and panic consumes every fiber of my being. This secret I’ve been keeping from her is so much more important than I ever realized, and when she finds out, she will never look at me the same. Ifeelit.
Settling into my car, I attempt to steady my breathing as the world around me grows blurry. “Where the hell are you, Kai?” I mutter aloud, pulling out of the parking lot. Rather than turning down the road that leads to my home, I keep driving. I won't stop. Thirty minutes pass in the blink of an eye, and suddenly, I’m driving in the mountains. Unsure of where or when to stop, I veer off the road, parking on the shoulder. I get out of the car and take in the view. The sun will be setting soon, but I don’t know where else to go, and this is where my subconscious mind led me.
“I like to visit the mountains.”
I gaze all around me, hoping to see an obnoxious fool on the horizon. After several moments of leaning against the mountainside railing, I accept that Kai isn’t here. I turn back toward my car, stunned at the sight I see.
There he is, leaning against my car, glimpsing up at the sky. I don’t think before disrupting his daydream.
“Kai, what the actual hell were you thinking? Holding back a secret like that?” I grit my teeth, trying my best to maintain composure. “Why, man? Why?”
He glances at me. As my eyes bore into him, I recognize remorse. Regret, even.Good.
“Jasper, I never expected you to fall for my sister.” Kai sighs, rubbing his temples. “This has overcomplicated everything.”
“Kai, please, I have not fallen—” He raises his hand to stop me.
