Aggro: An Emotional Forbidden Romance

by CoraLee June

  “Finding some clothes to wear for school.”

  We both stood awkwardly in Violet’s bedroom. “I haven’t been in here since…” Chase’s voice trailed off, and he started looking around. I followed his movements with my eyes.

  On Violet’s nightstand was a photo of her and Chase as kids, chasing one another on the hot sand at the beach. I was in the background, sitting on a towel and reading a book. On the wall, there was a shelf full of sports trophies. Violet ran track, and I remembered going to her meets to cheer for her. When I breathed in, I could still smell her faint coconut shampoo.

  “Get dressed,” Chase coughed out. “I’ll take you to school.”

  “Are you not going?” I asked before walking over to him. Chase faced me and reached out to grab my wrist.

  “No. I have stuff to do.”

  “What kind of stuff?”

  Chase interrupted my questions with a frantic kiss. He moved so fast that his lips missed mine and instead landed on the outer corner of my mouth. His grip on me hardened. He was holding me so tightly I knew it would bruise. “I’ve got shit to do. I’ll catch up with you later, though.”

  “Chase, I’m worried about you,” I murmured, making him hold me even tighter. I jerked out of his grip, and he sighed.

  The room was bright but felt ominous. I waited for him to speak, with only the quiet tick of Violet’s wall clock to break up the dark silence. “Don’t worry about me,” Chase urged.

  “Someone’s got to,” I replied before wrapping my arms around him for a hug. He was rigid in my hold, but I didn’t care. I pressed my cheek to his chest and breathed him in. “I’m here, okay? I’m here for you.”

  Chase placed his hands on my shoulders and gently pushed me away. “Get ready for school, Breezy.”

  I watched him exit the bedroom and did as he said, worrying about what Chase was up to as I slipped on Violet’s clothes. He drove me to school in almost complete silence. It wasn’t the comfortable sort of silence we usually shared, but the kind you could cut with a knife.

  When he pulled up to the student entrance, I stalled for a moment, fidgeting with my seatbelt. I wanted to say something comforting that would let him know that he’s not alone in this. But I just couldn’t find the right words to say, so I got out of the car.

  “I have my first shift back at the surf shop tonight, but if you need anything, call me and I’ll be there,” I said to him, holding the car door open.

  “I’m fine, Breezy. Don’t worry about me,” Chase said as he reached across the seat and pulled the door shut. I stood there staring as he tore out of the parking lot. Not knowing what else to do, I headed inside the building and went to class. I was way out of my depth and had no idea how to help him.

  It was odd being in the surf shop again, but I welcomed the normalcy. For the last month, Dad had practically been living at the shop, taking care of things, while I worked through my emotions. Even though Violet wasn’t always at work, she did help a lot. He had to make up for two employees being gone, and I was ready to get back to the grind.

  I loved my job. I loved geeking out about new boards and chatting with eager tourists enamored with island lifestyle. I grew up at this shop. Here, I felt like the bravest version of myself. I knew my shit. I didn’t feel tongue-tied or awkward. Surfing was my world, and even though my injury kept me from getting in the water and working my frustrations out on the waves, being here felt like taking a step back to safety. Warmth. Familiarity. And after last night, the mundane distraction was just what I needed.

  Dad was reorganizing some of the souvenirs. I was glad to have some time with him, too. He looked exhausted, with black circles under his eyes and a solemn posture that made me feel bad for not coming in sooner. I’d caught him staring off in the distance multiple times.

  “Dad, I can handle the shop this afternoon. Why don’t you go home and sleep?” I offered, though he didn’t turn around at the sound of my voice. “Dad?” I called again before stepping around a display of wax. “Dad?”

  “Huh?” Dad asked while turning around. The corner of his mouth hooked into a small smile, and he ran his hand through his hair before responding. “Sorry, kiddo. I haven’t been sleeping much. I’ve been trying to revamp the shop, and I’m working extra hours.”

  I ducked my head. “I’m sorry. I can start working my shifts again. I’m here to help.”

  Dad put down a dolphin figurine and walked over to me. “Are you okay? I haven’t really had a chance to talk to you. I don’t even know what to say. I’ll admit, I’m struggling with Violet’s death, too. This island is supposed to be safe, you know? Have the police had any leads?” Dad rubbed the back of his neck. “I-I just don’t like the idea of a killer being out there. I worry about you.”

  This was exactly the kind of conversation I wanted to avoid, but I felt bad for Dad. “Yeah. I guess they found out Violet was pregnant,” I admitted.

  Dad’s eyes widened. “P-pregnant? Wow. That’s just. Wow.”

  “I know. They’re looking into it. Maybe the father did it? I don’t know. I’m still processing it all.”

  “Looking into it? Wasn’t she dating that guy? Kai?”

  I pulled at the edge of my shirt. “She was. But we aren’t sure the baby was his. The police are running a DNA test. We should know within the next six weeks. It’s just crazy. I thought I knew everything about Violet. And this? I mean, did you ever see guys hanging out around the surf shop during Violet’s shift?”

  Dad stroked his chin pensively. “No. I don’t think so. I mean, guys were always flirting with her. The shop was always full for her shifts,” Dad replied sadly.

  I gave him a small smile. “The shop will be full again soon.”

  Dad looked around and frowned. “I hope so. You know I don’t like bringing up my financial troubles to you, but the Surf Shack has really hurt us. We need to get more traffic, or I don’t know what will happen.”

  Guilt hit me like a punch to the gut. Dad had been dealing with the stress of the shop for the last few weeks. “I’ll help, Dad. We got this. Maybe we can brainstorm for some new ways to bring in traffic. I can learn the art of sign spinning or something.”

  He chuckled. “You’re the clumsiest person I know. There is no way you can spin a sign. But you know what? I think I’ll take that nap you suggested. You think you can hold down the fort for a bit?”

  “Absolutely. Get some rest, old man.”

  Dad walked around to the register and grabbed his keys from the drawer in the counter; he never kept anything in the office like he should. He gave me a quick hug and headed for the door. He must not have been paying attention because he almost ran headfirst into the tall, lean man wearing all black that entered the store the same time he was trying to leave it.

  “Well, hi there, Brian, how are you on this fine day?” Lex Lewis asked my dad. My bones chilled. Holy shit, Lex was here. “Where are you off to in such a rush?” Dad lowered his voice and muttered something back to Lex, but I couldn’t hear what he said. How the hell did Lex Lewis know my father, and what the fuck was he doing here?

  Dad’s face turned red, and he turned back to look at me. Lex spoke up. “Have a good day, Brian. Looks like you were just leaving. Don’t let me stop you.” I don’t know how Lex managed to make it sound like a threat, but I could hear the malice in his voice. I felt a chill travel up my spine at the sight of him. I almost begged my dad not to leave, but he brushed past Lex.

  “Yeah. See you later, Breeze. I’ve got the security cameras on if you need anything,” he mumbled uncharacteristically before leaving the surf shop.

  I dug my nails into my palm while staring at Lex. I ached to reach for my cell phone and call Kai. Lex started to look around the small shop. He picked up a globe that held sand instead of snow and shook it so that the tiny people on the surfboards inside rocked back and forth. He set it down and walked over to our display of surfboards and started running his fingers over a red one.

  “What a
re you doing here, Lex? Do you even surf?” I asked, eyeing his pale skin that looked like it had never seen the sun.

  “I’m thinking about getting into it,” he said offhandedly. “Say, Violet used to work here, didn’t she?”

  “Yes,” I answered, suddenly very aware of the lie I had told Lex about not being close to Violet.

  “Interesting.” Lex continued to wander around the store, picking up a random souvenir and studying it. I watched him, feeling slightly sick, wondering if he was going to ask me anything else about Violet. I wanted him to just leave, but I also wanted to know why he was here in the first place. Then something dawned on me.

  “How do you know my dad?” I blurted out while Lex was turning over a ceramic dolphin in his hand, the same one Dad had just reshelved.

  “We’re fellow business owners. Guess you could say we run in the same circles. I’m always looking for investment opportunities. It’s good to keep your options open,” he said as he set the dolphin down and smiled. “Hey, you didn’t happen to talk to the police about me, did you?” he asked before stalking over to me. My muscles jumped under my skin, and I struggled to keep still as he crept closer.

  “N-No. I didn’t.”

  “Really? Because I had a nice chat with Detective Rodriguez. He wanted to know how I knew Violet.”

  I averted my eyes, but Lex gripped my chin, jerking my attention to his. “I don’t know anything about that.”

  “Like you don’t know Violet? Let’s not lie to one another, Breeze.” Lex squeezed me tighter. “Don’t you worry. I told Detective Rodriguez the truth. I told him how Violet was my brother’s girlfriend. She was like family. I was real worked up about her death. Promised to help find her killer no matter what. It was a moving performance. But you know all about moving performances, don’t you?”

  I tried to shake my head, but his grip was too strong. “I-I don’t know what you mean.” Lex tilted his head to the side before letting me go. The moment I was free, I rubbed my jaw and took a step back, nearly tripping over the wax display. “Be careful, Breeze. The last person that stuck their nose in my business wound up dead. Have a lovely day, I’ll see you later.”

  I watched him leave the shop and let out the breath I had been holding. Lex was fucking dangerous. I spent the rest of my shift constantly looking over my shoulder and wondering how my dad knew Lex. Had Violet brought Lex to the surf shop? Kai had no interest in hanging out with her while she worked, and she knew my schedule. She knew when I would be here and when I wouldn’t be.

  As soon as I closed down the shop for the night, I raced out the door. I had to talk to Kai.

  Kai was working tonight. I waited outside the restaurant until his shift was over, feeling anxious and overwhelmed. When he stepped outside, with his white shirt covered in stains and sweat dripping down his face, I breathed a sigh of relief that felt foreign to me. I wasn’t sure when Kai became someone I could trust, but after my little chat with Lex, I welcomed the sense of security that washed over me.

  “Breeze? You okay?” he asked while walking my way. I was leaning against my father’s Jeep with my arms crossed over my chest. I peered up at him through my thick lashes and let out a long sigh before responding, letting the tension in my body uncoil at his presence.

  “Your brother stopped by the shop today,” I admitted.

  Kai tensed. “Did he say anything to you?”

  I looked around the parking lot and nearby bars. Tourists and locals were enjoying their Friday night, walking around and giggling loudly. “Can we go somewhere private to talk about it?” I asked.

  Kai nodded and grabbed my hand. “Have you eaten?”

  I thought about it. “Not since breakfast,” I replied with a shrug.

  “I’ll be right back.” Kai jogged back toward the restaurant and, ten minutes later, appeared carrying a grocery sack with to go boxes. “Come on. I’ll drive. How long have you been waiting out here, anyway?” I smiled at his thoughtfulness.

  “Couple hours. I just didn’t want to go home. Didn’t want to go to Chase’s house. I just…”

  Kai lightly squeezed my hand and pulled me toward his truck. The moment I was seated in the cab, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. Kai got in the front seat. “Mind if I have a smoke?” he asked while pulling a pack of cigarettes out of the center console.

  “I guess. That’ll kill you, you know,” I said as he pulled out a Zippo and lit up. The smell of tobacco hit my senses, and we rolled the windows down. “Where are we going?”

  “My favorite place on the island.”

  We left downtown and drove until leaning mile markers were the only thing on the side of the road. There was an occasional passing car, but he drove to a part of the island not usually inhabited by people.

  It wasn’t until I saw a lighthouse in the distance that I realized where we were going. The cylindrical, domed structure stood proudly on a peak overlooking the water. The flashing, rotating light at the top beckoned us closer, and when Kai parked his truck, we both got out and found a bench overlooking the water to sit on.

  “Here,” Kai said before handing me the to go box. I opened it and grinned at the grilled cheese and french fries. “I hope that’s okay. You were always eating grilled cheese when you and Violet came to my work.” I was surprised he remembered that detail. Violet liked to stop by the restaurant and flirt with Kai. He wasn’t usually the type to enjoy the attention, and more times than not, we’d leave with her pouting because he didn’t kiss her. Kai didn’t do public displays of affection.

  “What can I say? I have a refined pallet,” I joked back.

  I picked up a gooey triangle and took a bite, moaning slightly at the delicious deep-fried treat. “So good,” I said with a full mouth while leaning back on the bench and staring up at the rotating light above. “Makes this shitty day a little better.”

  “Wanna talk about it?” Kai asked.

  I did want to talk about it, but I also didn’t. Part of me just wanted to sit here with Kai and look at the lighthouse while eating my grilled cheese and pretending everything was fine. I closed my eyes and savored the moment before taking a deep breath and telling Kai about my encounter with Lex.

  “Your brother showed up,” I began slowly. I really didn’t want to tell Kai the rest of what I had to say, but I needed to. “When the detectives came to Chase’s house to deliver the autopsy report, I told them that they should look into Lex, and he was pissed.”

  Kai shot up from the bench and looked at me. “You did what?”

  “It was right after we found out Violet was pregnant. I know Lex is your brother, but they asked me if I knew of any suspicious characters in her life. Hell, even you wonder if that’s who Violet was cheating on you with.”

  “You shouldn’t have done that, Breeze,” Kai said while thrusting his hands through his hair. “You don’t know what my brother is capable of.”

  “I don’t?” I asked sarcastically, scoffing at his words. I suddenly didn’t feel very hungry. “Because I have a dead best friend that says otherwise.”

  Kai kneeled in front of me, making us eye level. He stared with such intensity and sincerity that my breath hitched. “My brother deals drugs. Big time drugs, he’s not just slinging dime bags. And when people don’t pay, they get hurt or disappear,” Kai said in a low voice. “He’s ruthless, scrappy, and damn good at what he does. He might not have an empire, but he commands his little group of misfits with an iron fist. He’ll do whatever it takes.”

  Kai paused, breaking our intense eye contact to look at the ground. He scrunched up his brows and puffed out a breath of air. I wanted to reach out and run my fingers through his hair or pull him in for a tight hug to soothe his anxiety, but it didn’t feel right. So I sat and watched him until he kept talking.

  “I told you how bad it was growing up with Lex, especially after my father died. Lex made me do things for him. He had me dropping off drugs to clients on my way to school. There was a hidden pouch in my backpack
where he would put them. He used to say that nobody would suspect a kid.”

  If Kai was just a kid, Lex would have been too, he was only a few years older. I was horrified at the thought that Lex was in that deep when he was barely a teenager, and he dragged his little brother down too. My biggest worries when I was a kid were my test scores and whether or not I could go surfing. I couldn’t even imagine having to go to school scared of your family, scared of the random strangers exchanging drugs for money, and scared that the teacher would accidentally find something she wasn’t supposed to.

  “I physically left my family years ago. That first week of freedom was incredible. But then Lex came knocking on my door. He’ll leave me alone for a little while, but he always comes back. He still feels like he owns me. And I guess he kind of does.”

  “I’m so sorry, Kai,” I whispered.

  Kai got up from the ground and sat down next to me on the bench. We both stared at the light dancing on the water, letting the heaviness of the conversation settle between us. He broke the silence first.

  “Breeze, you have to stay away from me.”

  I rolled my eyes. The hero act wasn’t going to work on me. We were in too deep. We had too much to find out still. And after hearing that, I knew that Kai had been alone his whole life. Violet was probably the only person who cared about him, really, and even though I’m learning that she was kind of a shitty girlfriend, I didn’t like the idea of him not having anyone. Maybe it was my own loneliness amplifying his, but all I had was Chase and Kai right now. Mom was working doubles at the hospital, and Dad was trying to keep the shop afloat. Chase was lost in his own grief. We needed one another.

  “No,” I replied softly.

  “We need Lex to back off. If he had anything to do with Violet’s death, the only reason they knew one another was because of me.”

  “We can play the blame game all night, but it won’t change the fact that she’s gone, Kai. And it won’t change the fact that I won’t let you push me away. I need you if we’re going to figure out what happened.”