Her father clapped him on the shoulder, clearly already charmed. “Any friend of Kennedi’s is welcome here. I’m Kenneth. What did you say your name was, son?”
“Rolani, sir. But most people call me Ro.”
“Well, Ro, you’re right on time for dessert. Heidi made her famous lemon blueberry pound cake.”
“He’s allergic,” Kennedi blurted out, the words tumbled from her lips before she could stop them. The silence that followed was deafening. Her father’s eyebrows shot up, her mother murmured something, and Rolani’s smile turned wicked.
“Allergic to what specifically?” her mother asked, her mama bear instincts evident and doing the talking.
“Blueberries,” Kennedi said. Her mother squinted, and Kennedi knew exactly what she was thinking.
“That’s very... observant of you, sweetheart,” her father said. “Well, come, there’s plenty of food back here.”
Every nerve in her body was on alert as she led him toward the dining room, hyperaware of his presence behind her. Theywere halfway down the hallway when her back touched the wall. It happened so fast she couldn’t protest. His hand found her chin, the other braced above her, caging her in.
“Surprised to see me, baby?”
“What the hell, Rolani? If you think this is how you convince me to be with you, you are sadly mistaken,” she hissed, trying to keep her voice down. Friday at Luther’s was enough, but he was on her turf now.
“Ken, I’m not doing all that talking. You see me. Act like it.”
“Oh my god. You just pop up wherever I am now?”
His thumb traced along her neck, light enough to make her stomach pull tight; her body was trying to escape the feeling, but couldn’t. The air between them became thick and hot in the small hallway; it might catch fire if neither of them moved.
“I ain’t wanna come here,” he murmured. “But you left me on read.”
“Not you blaming me because you refuse to let me fucking breathe. Tell me what I did exactly?”
“I texted you four times since Friday, Ken. I told you what it was. You ignored me.”
“You need to…” she started.
“Need to what?” He paused, leaning back before coming in closer. His lips brushed her ear. “I missed you, Ken. Every single day.”
She felt it in her knees.
“Lani, stop,” she whispered, shushing him, trying to hide the smile on her face. “You need to leave.”
“No. ”
“How do you know where my parents live?”
“You got a lot to say for somebody who ain’t been saying nothing.”
“Everything alright out there?” her mother called out.
Kennedi closed her eyes tightly.Shit. Shit. Shit.She knew her mother was about to catch them, but it was too late to separate, too late to pretend. Her head appeared around the corner, catching them standing entirely too close for this to be casual. Kennedi’s mother took them in with the practiced eye of a woman who’d spent three decades teaching teenagers, cataloging body language, reading what wasn’t being said. She didn’t need a confession. The evidence was all there.
He was stuck in place at her calling him a nickname. She’d only done that when the strokes got the best of her, but eventually he backed up, giving Kennedi room to breathe.
“Everything is fine. Perfect.” Kennedi stepped away from the wall, smoothing the flannel around her spandex bodysuit.
“Mhmm,” her mother said,. “Your father’s waiting.”
Kennedi moved first, practically fleeing back to the safety of the dining room, leaving Rolani to follow with that smug smile.
“Rolani... that’s a lovely name,” her mother said once they were all in the dining room. “And how exactly do you know our Kennedi?”
