Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
“I’m going to go to his house and tell him.”
“What if he’s not there?”
“I’ll wait for him.”
Ryan sighs. “Fair enough, Kay, but I’m sending some Titans with you just in case he’s not there. They’ll wait with you.”
“Won’t that be obvious?”
Ryan laughs gruffly. “Do you think we can keep this a secret now? You heard him. He made his choice. I’ve never seen him like that before.”
“Really?”
“I never knew he could care about a person that much. Don’t get me wrong. He loves Dad and me and the club, but how he looked at you seemed real, Kay. It was like you said.”
“We belong to each other,” I whisper, more tears trying to swell and slide down my cheeks. “I know it must be so weird for you, but it’s true.”
“What if you’re wrong? What if it’s not forever?”
“It is.”
“If you break up…”
“It’s forever,” I say firmly. “What we have goes beyond words. It goes beyond common sense. It goes beyond any of that. It’s not even something we feel. It’s something we know.”
“And it’s not just a crush?”
It was never just a crush, I almost say, but that would be taking it too far. That would up the awkward factor for Ryan, but it’s the truth. It’s always felt like destiny, like something that, when it happened, was meant to happen.
“It’s real,” I tell Ryan. “I wish you hadn’t gone at him so aggressively, with all that stuff about moving away.”
“I had to know his honest choice. I wasn’t lying about that. I had to know that he was serious about you. How else could I judge?”
“Fine, I get that, but now you’ve upset him.”
“That’s the thing, Kayla. Before you, before this relationship, I’d never seen him upset. Angry, maybe. Pissed. Ready to take on the world, but not like that. I think he had tears in his eyes when I made him choose.”
“I think so, too,” I whisper, “but I doubt he knew. I’m going after him. I love you.”
Ryan and I hug, and then I go outside and try to call Kai. Predictably, there’s no response, so I hop in my car and drive to the outskirts of town, to Kai’s house, as four Titans follow me on motorcycles. I’ve only ever been to Kai’s house a few times, a simple one-story that sits on its own at the end of a long road, with few people around to disturb him and his memories. When I get there, I wait in the car, looking at the dark windows and the lack of plants or decorations.
One day, we will have so much light, joy, and happiness. Children will run everywhere with big grins on their faces, with hints of Kai in their green eyes and traces of me in their hair color.
I turn at the knock on the window. It’s Jimmy or Uncle Jimmy, as I used to call him, though we’re not related. He’s been a fixture in my life for as long as I can remember.
“He was in a hell of a mood when he tore out of that hospital,” Jimmy comments.
I climb from the car and sit on the hood. Jimmy stuffs his hands in his pockets and stares at the house. When he frowns, his big gray beard shifts around. Behind us, I can hear the other Titans talking quietly.
“Did he and Ryan have a fight?” Jimmy asks, looking at me closely. “Or did something happen on that road trip?”
I feel the heat of a flush against my cheeks, not from shame, regret, or anything like that. It’s from the club thinking I’m a terrible sister, a monster who would betray her own brother.
“Why do you ask that?”
Jimmy sighs. “Kai’s had the devil in him. He does his duty when we’ve had to fight in the past. He’s the best soldier we’ve ever had. He’s also one hell of a leader when it’s time, but lately, this is different. It’s like he has a purpose. He’s fighting like a man who…”
Jimmy stops himself, glancing behind us at the other Titans. Somewhere in the dark surroundings, an animal wails.
“It’s okay. You can say it.”
Jimmy moves closer, lowering his voice. “Did something happen out there… between you two?”
“What if it did?” I reply. “What if we’re planning on being together? What if Ryan gave his blessing? How would the club feel about that?”
“If Ryan gave his blessing? I think everybody would stand by you both. Kai’s loved. That’s the truth. Everybody loves him. He’s a man many look up to. He’s loyal. He’s smart. He’s a good person, despite this life, despite the fighting. He’s a good man.”
I let myself smile, then turn when I hear a motorcycle. It’s Kai, his body seeming huge in the leather jacket, his eyes narrowed and fierce, and his hair messy from the ride without a helmet. I let out a shuddering noise the second I see him, my resolve almost cracking.