“Come on… Clover? I’ll get you some water.”
The feline meows.
Leaning back, I grab the backside of the crate and lift it. They say cats always land on their paws, right? I shake it gently, and on the second try, she falls out—very gracefully, I might add. I’m not here to hurt her.
I’m surprised she doesn’t run, but instead sits right in front of me. I set the enclosure aside and sink back onto my calves.
“Hi, Clover.” She doesn’t meow, but I can hear soft purring. “You’ll have to forgive me. I’ve never taken care of a cat before.”
I slowly raise my hand and drag it down her head. Her ears flatten, but she doesn’t hiss. She’s probably just wary of me. I get it; I’d be cautious of someone I didn’t know, too.
“My name’s Ayden…” Is it weird to introduce yourself to a cat? Probably.
The sudden opening of the front door nearly makes me fall back—not just because of who it might be, but also because I’m only a couple of feet away. It slams against the wall, and bounces back slightly. I’m glad I didn’t have to dodge it. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to. Maybe I could’ve before, but my fight-or-flight reflex is fried after the phone call with Michael.
My eyes widen as they trace up, and up, and up, to a set of amber eyes staring down at me. A loud thump crashes beside him, but I don’t look; I’m too dumbstruck to tear my gaze away… because it’s Keoni that is now standing a mere foot from me.
He narrows his eyes, before looking to my right where the cat is, before turning back toward me.
I can’t believe how difficult it is for me to swallow right now.
“What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?!”
We speak at the same time, though his words come out far more aggressively.
As my gaze travels slightly south, I realize the position that I’m in. I’m only a foot or so from him, on all fours, eyes-to-crotch level.
Without lifting my chin, I meet his impenetrable stare. He tilts his head, shock riddling his extremely handsome face.
“Shit,” I spill out, and rapidly begin moving up to my feet. Instinctively, I step back and roll my shoulders.
Holy shit. I haven’t seen him in what feels like forever, and at the graveyard I wasn’t able to get a good look. Alysa sent some photos, but they were half-faced or too blurry—she was drunk most of the time, and it felt like she was trying to make it as inconspicuous as possible. In the few she did get, it was as though he was doing his best tonotbe in them.
Keo has always been well-proportioned—broad shoulders, muscles I can see under the tight T-shirt he’s wearing. A tattoo starts at his left shoulder, snakes under the fabric, and trails down his arm. The black ink on his warm brown skin looks like it was always meant to be there.
“Keoni. You’re here… Why?”
I watch the veins in his arms twitch, and when our eyes meet, he shakes his head, like he’s clearing something from his mind. “Is this your suitcase?” I look down, and sure enough, it’s right beside him. “Ayden… What are you doing here?”
Hadn’t I just askedhima question? I’m also entitled to an answer.
“Staying here?”
Anger and indignation ripple across his features. “No, you aren’t.”
A singular, unamused laugh escapes me. “Yes, I am.” Honestly, I’m stunned by how visceral his reaction is to just seeing me. “We haven’t seen each other in eight years and this is how you say hi?”
“Youare the reason I haven’t seenyou.” His chest expands as he shakes his head and brushes past me. “This can’t be fuckinghappening!”
Shame curls tight in my chest as I watch his back tense with every step toward the kitchen. He grabs a glass, and fills it with water like I’m not standing here. Like I don’t deserve his time of day.
Clover’s meow pulls me from staring too long; she’s weaving between my legs, her soft coat brushing against me before those bright blue eyes look up, expectant. I exhale slowly, closing my eyes against the weight of it all.
I just told Michael I wasn’t coming back. Alysa has the keys to the Boulder apartment. While I know she’d ship them without question, that means I wouldn’t get them for a week or two.
I could get a hotel…
