So yes, it is.
Yes, sir
You should’ve heard my sigh
We are doing drills. I’ll text you later, sunshine.
Sunshine?
He didn’t respond after that, and honestly, it was probably for the better. I’m not entirely sure why him calling me that made my stomach ignite. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but I’m choosing to lean into the former.
At least it isn’t princess…
I spent most of the morning sorting and boxing things up in the master bedroom. Not going to lie… I broke down. Going through the photos, putting them away, had me hyperventilating.
It only took Clover’s meows to calm me down and bring me back.
Leilani and my dad were taken too soon. They still had half their lives ahead of them, and being surrounded by their things reminded me I can’t take for granted a single second that my heart still beats.
I’m going to find the courage to tell Keoni about Michael, and the real reasons I never came. I’ve seen how he’s treated me these last two weeks, and I know he won’t judge me. All he wants is for me to be honest and explain myself.
My dad would remind me of the courage I already have.
“I love you, Ayden. Just know you have a home here, no matter what.”
After crying into Clover’s gray, fluffy fur, I did as Keo had told me to and went for a walk.
It feels wonderful to get out; I haven’t since I first started feeling sick. Without the ability to just jump in a car, get on a subway system, or easily flag down a taxi to go somewhere, it’s been challenging.
That, and I’ve felt perpetually exhausted. Granted, not as much since Keo told me about the thirty-day thing, but still. It’s why I haven’t gone out.
Now that it’s September, the air carries a chill, the breeze no longer warm.
I’m in jeans and an oversized sweater that definitely isn’t mine. It had been hanging in Keoni’s closet looking lonely—who was I to deny it some company?
I can’t help but laugh at myself out loud.
Walking south, I reach the soft curve in the road that leads to the southern cabin. Last I saw, it was still mid-renovation.
To be honest, I’ve been itching to meet the neighbors of Sapphire Valley. Since I’m here so often, I wonder if they are too. From what Travis said, it sounded like his girlfriend’s friend lived here year-round.
I weave in and out of the trees, drifting back to the road, until the sound of giggling makes me slip into the thicket. I’m not trying to sneak up on anyone, but I don’t want to startle them either—especially since it sounds like two girls talking.
“Are you sure?”
I take the small distance toward the log, single-story, cabin. It’s about twenty feet ahead, and standing just in front of the porch, are two women.
Holy shit.
I’m pansexual—or at least that’s how I’ve classified myself—and that blonde is a bombshell. My god. So is the woman with warm brown skin wearing a hijab beside her. I can only see her side profile, but still. Her headscarf is wrapped to mimic how hair would be pulled off to the side. It’s really cool.
The Barbie-looking one puts her hands on her hips and turns to look at the other girl.
“Evelyn?”
The girl turns her head slightly, tilting her ear in my direction. There’s no way she could have heard me.
Alright, she definitely heard me. The speed at which she pulls a knife from somewhere and throws it at me is unbelievable. It slams into the tree inches from my face, causing me to let out a startled shout and push off away from it.
