“I’m happy to finally meet you,” I say, which has her squeezing me just a bit tighter before letting me go.
“You too, Ayden.”
“Ayden?” I recognize the male voice, and it isn’t our dad’s.
The moment my head lifts and I release Leilani, I internally curse whatever God there may be.
“Oh shit,” my sister huffs.
“Alysa Pierce, watch your mouth.”
My gaze locks on none other than Keoni. Is the universe serious? I can’t even be allowed a daydream about the most beautiful guy at school for longer than a few months?
Maybe he’s lost.
Maybe he’s?—
“This is my son, Keoni. I believe you all go to the same high school now.”
I watch his throat bob with a hard swallow. His eyes shift from mine to my sister, before coming back to me.
“Yeah… we’ve met,” he says before clearing his throat. “Alysa and I have PE together… Ayden’s a point for the JV cheer team.”
I look to his mom and her bright smile shines. “That’s amazing! Does that mean you’ll be traveling with the team?”
“He’s JV, Mom.” I can’t tell if there is relief in his tone or disappointment. It’s not happiness, that’s for sure.
My dad comes beside Leilani and wraps his arm over her shoulder. “They usually play the same schools.”
“Guess I’m throwing out my diary entries.” I’m certain none of them hear my sister, but I jab my elbow into her just to keep her from being obnoxious. “It’s good to see you, Keoni!” she says, loud enough the neighbors would hear.
It takes a second, but he smiles while looking at her. “You too…” He takes a deep breath, his chest expanding as he looks at me. “Good to see you, too, Ayden.”
“You… too.”
I practically hear my dad and Leilani laugh or giggle; however you’d classify it.
Cool.
This is all cool. No problem…
Who am I kidding?
This freaking sucks.
11
It’s been two weeks, and nothing has changed. Our routine, or lack thereof, remains the same. Well, something has, but not between Keoni and me.
The weather has shifted; fall feeling like it arrived overnight. Temperatures dropped over the course of just a few days and have continued to get cooler.
The tension between my stepbrother and me has basically kept us apart. I no longer try to initiate conversation, and rarely even come downstairs when he’s home—which isn’t often. He works three days on, four days off, sometimes picking up an extra shift. I know it’s his way of avoiding me, and he’s been exceptionally good at it.
That girl, Brittany, shows up every Thursday at exactly five in the afternoon. On his other days off, I’m certain he goes out to meet her.
And this cat won’t leave me alone. I can’t tell if that’s a comfort or an irritation. If I’m not the one putting out her food, she won’t eat it, and I can tell it frustrates Keo just as much as it does me.
I didn’t sign up to take care of a pet. I’m barely capable of taking care ofmyselffor fuck sakes.
