Kai
March 19th, 2019
The rich, smoky aroma immediately invades my senses, causing my mouth to water. I take a seat at one of the rustic wooden tables with a checkered tablecloth. Today is my twenty-seventh birthday. Kevin and I have been wanting to try out a new place called Smokin’ BBQ, so this is the perfect time.
“Hi, Dad.” I look over my shoulder and see Amari with a present in her hands. Her beautiful brown eyes that she got from her mother sparkle with excitement as she lifts the present.
I pull her into a hug and kiss her on the cheek.
“Happy birthday!” she says.
“Thank you, sweetie.”
“Happy birthday, Kai.”
I twist my entire body and catch sight of Blakely standing there, wearing a broad smile. She’s still the most beautifulperson to me. Even after all these years, she still takes my breath away—just like the first time I saw her…
I glance over my shoulder for a quick second, but as I turn back, I pause mid-motion and look again. The most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen walks in. The natural light shining through the doors cast a glow around her. Her long, dark brown hair frames her face as if she’s in a portrait. All the chatter from the group of guys I’m with turns into words I can’t comprehend. I notice the girl she’s with says something and lifts her chin toward me. The dark haired beauty looks around, trying to catch who her friend is talking about. The closer she gets, the more she catches on that it’s me who’s staring at her. Her cheeks turn red. She bites her bottom lip, all cute and innocent, the second she passes me. Her eyes hold a sparkle, captivating my attention even more. I watch her walk away with a natural sway to her hips. Before she turns the corner, she looks over her shoulder, and I wink at her.
"Hey, let’s walk around,” I say to the guys. Because I want to see her again before she disappears. I’m trying to keep up with the conversation while looking around for her. We round the corner, and I don’t see her up ahead. Damn it, she must have gone into a store. But which one? I look at the first door to my right. A long-haired girl stands in front of a jewelry stand with her back to me. That’s her. I slow my pace, hoping she turns around. She shifts a little and lifts her gaze to me. My lips turn upward in a big grin. She waves at me, just as shy as she was when she caught me staring at her. I keep walking until she’s out of my sight, but I can’t shakethe feeling of needing to know her name. I don’t want to bring all these guys around her. All they care about is getting laid. They’re a little older than me. I met them through my older brother. Why do I even hang out with them?
“I’ll catch up with you guys. I’m going to head to the bathroom,” I say, turning back around.
I hear a few of them in the distance say, “Okay.”
I look up at the store sign that says Wet Seal. My brows furry at the name. Who the hell names a store Wet Seal? Do they mean seal as in the animal? Weird. I walk to the same spot she was at, but she’s not there. I wander the store, looking around aimlessly for her. She’s nowhere to be found. She couldn’t have left that fast. Once I exit the store, I look around, but she’s still nowhere in sight. The food court is in front of me. Could she be over there? After wandering the food courts for what feels like hours, I still can’t find her.
Shit.
I lost my chance.
I decide to look for the guys, and hopefully I’ll see her again.
I was so bummed out going home without finding her. I let it go, thinking I’d never see her again.
It’s the first day of my senior year. I’m standing in the hallway upstairs, talking to some guys I met at some stupid orientation my counselor set up for me since I’m new to the school. He asked a few guys to come show me around the school before the first day.
Someone familiar catches my eye in the corner. I scan through the crowd of people walking up the stairs, trying to find what my peripheral vision saw. Then my heart skips a beat, a feeling that has never happened to mebefore. That mysterious girl I saw at the mall last week is headed my way. Her long brown hair bounces with every step she takes. I look away before she sees me. I don’t want to make her embarrassed again—especially in front of all these people. I keep my peripheral vision on her. As I notice her stopping on the stairs, I turn my head a little to see what’s going on. Her friend has her hand in hers, pulling her up the stairs. She must have seen me, and she’s already being shy. That’s cute. I’ve never met a girl so shy before. A lot of girls I meet usually throw themselves at me, and it turns me off.
The beautiful girl walks right past me, biting her bottom lip. Is she going to say hi? I swoop my hair out of my face as I watch her continue on. The sway in her hips is mesmerizing. The second I get my hair out of my face, I see her smiling at me. A rush of warmth spreads through my cheeks as I smile back at her. It’s almost as if time has slowed down and everyone else has faded away. It’s in this moment I know: I’m going to make her my girlfriend.
With a wide smile,I stand from my chair and wrap one arm around Blakely.
“Thank you. Are you staying?”
“No. Liam is waiting for me at home.”
My smile fades from the sound of that name. Every time I hear that name, my stomach sinks, and my heart stings. Blakely has been dating this guy for about a year now. Don’t get me wrong—he’s a good guy. He treats Amari as if she were his own, and Blakely seems happy with him. There really isn’t much more I can ask for. The only problem is…
I love her.
I want her.
I need her.
And soon…I will have her.
“Hey, man. Happy birthday,” my brother Kevin says, patting me on the back.
