by CoraLee June
They brought me down to the station and questioned me. Of course, they had to throw me in the drunk tank for a few hours to sober up enough before I could answer them coherently. But, by some miracle, they let me off with a warning. They probably felt sorry for me. Nobody at the party seemed interested in sticking around to talk to the cops, they all ran when they heard the sirens, including Celeste. I’m sure not having extra witness statements helped my case.
Detective Rodriguez was there along with some detective I didn’t know. They must have thought Rodriguez and I had a rapport. That I would be more likely to talk to someone I already knew. But being reminded of the night I found out my murdered sister was pregnant didn’t make me feel particularly chatty.
“Why’d you fight Kai?” he asked.
“I’ve always hated the dude. Never really liked that Violet was dating him.” The detective took notes.
“Why not?”
“He’s a piece of shit fry cook, and his brother is a drug dealer. Do I need more of a reason?”
He kept asking why I was fighting with Kai, changing the wording of his question to catch me in a lie. I didn’t think it would be a good idea to tell them that he kicked my ass because I choked the girl I was fucking a little too hard. And how he then accused me of liking to strangle women. Women like Violet. How the fuck could that asshole even suggest it? Instead, I just shrugged my shoulders and gave a vague answer, saying it was over a girl. That was kind of true.
I kept thinking about Kai’s anger. He attacked me with a vengeance. My earlier assumptions about him killing Violet weren’t adding up now. Was he trying to draw attention to me, or did he really care?
“Did you know about this?” Detective Rodriguez asked while sliding a leather-bound journal across the desk. I glanced at it.
“Nope.”
“It’s your sister’s diary. For the most part, she kept it vague. She mentioned a love interest a lot. Do you know who she could be talking about?”
“She was dating Kai. You know that.”
“We have reason to believe she was talking about someone else.”
“Who?” I asked, the hotel key Breeze showed me burning through my mind.
“We don’t know yet.”
No, but I’d sure as fuck find out.
“I found a hotel keycard for the Sandals Resort. She might have gone there with whoever this sorry fucker is,” I admitted.
Detective Rodriguez quickly took a note and sighed. “Getting a warrant for a hotel’s security feed could take weeks. So much red tape. I’ll see what I can find out.”
I didn’t fucking have weeks.
After they were satisfied that the fight between Kai and me was nothing, and that it was just a stupid party, they let me go, telling me to take it easy on the parties for a while. I was in the interrogation room for less than an hour.
I was lying in my bed, trying to make sense of everything that happened last night. Celeste. Breeze. The fight with Kai. Talking to the police. I brought my hand to where my eye was black and tender. I definitely deserved it. The words he hurled at me, accusing me of strangling my own sister, hurt worse than his fists. And now everybody thought that I had killed Violet.
It was Saturday, so at least I didn’t have to face seeing anyone at school. Not that I would have gone anyway, but at least today I didn’t have to make up an excuse for not being there.
I dragged my ass out of bed and got in the shower. I was too tired and sore to even rub one out. But at least the hot water felt good on my skin, the parts that weren’t bruised anyway. The shower helped to wake me up. I got out and wrapped a towel around my waist, taking the time to examine my eye in the mirror.
I went to my dresser to grab some clothes and saw the plastic hotel keycard Breeze gave me with the box of Violet’s belongings. I stashed it in my drawer a while ago. I didn’t know what I was going to do with it at the time, but seeing it now, I knew that I had to do everything I could to prove that Kai killed Violet. I couldn’t handle people believing that I did it.
I examined the card. It had the Sandals logo printed on it, but no address. I typed the name of the hotel into my phone and only one location came up. It was over two hours and one ferry ride away, but at least I wasn’t going to have to go to a bunch of different hotels, trying to find the right one. I looked up the ferry schedule and saw that if I left in five minutes, I could make the next one.
Throwing on my clothes as quickly as I could, I brushed my teeth and ran my fingers through my hair. Good enough. I ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time, and flung open the front door, then slammed it behind me, not even bothering to lock it. I jumped in my car and drove to the port, making it with two minutes to spare.
By the time I made it to Sandals, my legs were stiff and my hands were numb from gripping the steering wheel too tightly. After having more than two hours to think about it, I still didn’t know what I was going to say or what I was hoping to find. I knew they weren’t going to hand over any video footage to a fucking nobody kid just because he asked for it. But I had to get some kind of evidence that Kai was lying and had been here with Violet.
I parked my car and walked toward the lobby, not even pausing to take in the views of the ocean. For such a large resort, the lobby wasn’t as big as I thought it would be. My eyes were immediately drawn to the hot girl standing at the front desk. When I saw her, I knew I could do this. She had red hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, thick lips, bright green eyes and tits I could bury my face in. I ran my fingers through my hair and sauntered over to her. I leaned my arm on the counter, bending a little closer to the pretty little redhead, and flashed her a bright smile.
“Hi and welcome to Sandals! My name is Sophia, how can I help you today?” she asked, her green eyes sparkling as she looked up at me, pausing on the big purple bruise splashed across my eye. I hoped it made me look mysterious. Girls were always looking at me like they wanted to fuck me. They were like puppets on a string. I didn’t mean to be a dick about it, I just knew the effect I had on women.
“Hi Sophia, I’m Chase. I sure hope you can help me,” I said, turning on the charm. I even lowered my voice to a purr. Chicks loved that shit. “I found a keycard to this hotel, and I’m really hoping there’s a way to look up a name to see if she was the one who used it.” Come on, gorgeous. Give me what I want.
“I’m sorry. I can’t give out any information about our guests. As a romantic hideaway, they count on our, um, discretion,” Sophia said, her smile fading.
I realized that she thought I was trying to figure out if my girlfriend cheated on me. I stood there like an idiot, not saying anything while I debated internally about whether I should tell her the truth or go with a spurned lover story. I don’t know what made me do it, but I heard myself saying the words before my brain had even registered a decision.
“It’s not about a girlfriend,” I said, dropping the Prince Charming facade. I decided just to spit it out, rushing my words as quickly as I could. The truth hurt less if you could surf over it. “My twin sister was murdered, and I found the keycard in with some of her things. I’m just trying to find out as much as I can.” Sophia’s smile dissolved completely, and I saw empathy in her eyes. Maybe it was because she was a stranger, or maybe it was because she wasn’t looking at me with pity, but I kept telling her about Violet. “The keycard was in a pair of her shorts I got back from her boyfriend. He said he has no idea what it was doing there, but it had to be him.”
Sophia looked conflicted. She looked over her shoulder toward a small office like she was looking for a manager. Not seeing anyone in there, she tilted her head closer to mine and lowered her voice to a whisper.
“I really can’t give out any guest information. I could be fired,” she said, her eyes nervously darting around the room. “But I want to help you. If you gave me a name, I could look it up to see if they are in the system.”
“Violet Jones,” I said quickly.
She typed Violet
’s name into the computer, and I waited while she searched the records. She nodded her head. I basically already knew that Violet had stayed here, so that wasn’t new information. More just a confirmation.
“Kai Lewis,” I said next.
She repeated the process, but this time shook her head. “I really shouldn’t be telling you this,” she said, looking over her shoulder again. “But there isn’t any other name listed on the reservation. Only your sister. I’m so sorry I couldn’t help more.”
Fuck.
I was desperate to learn more, but Sophia seemed anxious for me to leave. “Can you tell me when she was here?” I asked.
“A few months ago,” Sophia answered, avoiding giving me an exact date.
“Thank you,” I told her. I grabbed a pen and a business card off the counter and scrawled my phone number on to the back. “Call me if you find anything else.”
She took the card and nodded her head. A young couple walked in, holding hands and looking completely in love. Sophia turned her attention to them. I took that as my cue to leave and walked out.
I managed to keep my shit together until I got back to my car. Once inside, I let all of my rage come out through my fists. I pounded the steering wheel over and over and heard myself screaming profanities. When the screaming didn’t feel good anymore, I folded my arm over the top of the wheel and laid my head down and cried.
What the hell was Violet doing here? That dirtbag Kai couldn’t afford to do something this nice for my sister. It made sense that the reservation was in her name since she probably paid for it. But why the fuck did she feel the need to go to a hotel more than two hours away?
I felt like I was leaving with more questions than I was answers.
Dear Diary,
He slapped me today. I shouldn’t have showed up at his house. I knew the rules. I knew my role in his life. But still, he slapped me. I never imagined our love would turn to this. I think he hates me. I have to convince him that this could work. I’m better for him.
XOXO,
Violet
Breeze
“You look like shit,” I said the next morning while stirring creamer into a cup of coffee. It was strange how quickly I had gotten used to being in Kai’s space. I helped myself to a coffee mug and some instant coffee this morning after waking up with exhaustion clinging to my bones.
Kai was standing by his bedroom in only a pair of boxers. I tried not to let my eyes linger on the dips and grooves of his hard body. If I were being honest, I was still too embarrassed and shaken up about what had happened last night.
The fight between Chase and Kai had been a long time coming. I knew things would eventually come to a head. They hated one another even when Violet was alive. I just never imagined those sorts of accusations would be thrown around like they were.
Most of my night was spent wondering if what Kai suggested could have been true. No. Certainly not. Chase would never…
“I’ve had worse beatings,” Kai replied while rubbing his stomach. He had a busted lip and a bruised jaw.
“Why did you fight him?” I asked, cutting through the small talk and right to the grit of it all.
“Why did you call me?” Kai countered. I lifted the mug to my lips for a quick sip of caffeinated comfort, but Kai reached out and gently pulled the cup from my grasp, stealing a taste for himself. I watched the slow way his lips touched the rim and his bobbing Adam’s apple.
“Because I needed help,” I explained, though it felt somewhat lame.
“Did you though? You could have left. Celeste doesn’t give two shits about you. Chase doesn’t need a babysitter, Breeze.”
I soured at his comment. “I couldn’t have just left,” I stammered.
“Yeah. You could have. But instead, you called me. A guy you should be staying away from. And things got heated. I saw you there, worried about him, and it all felt too familiar.”
I nodded. That was exactly why I had my panic attack last night. I didn’t understand how Chase could host a party so soon after what had happened. It felt too raw—too fresh still. I hated it.
“I’m sorry I called you,” I whispered.
“I’m not. And I’m not sorry for kicking Chase’s ass. Anyone that lays a hand on a woman deserves to have it handed right back tenfold. And I didn’t like the comments he made about you. Besides,” Kai began while setting the cup down, “I don’t really need an excuse to beat Chase Jones’s ass.”
I turned around and moved to the little kitchen table, sitting down with a huff. Kai watched me as I picked at my nails. After a few moments, he grabbed the coffee and moved to sit across from me. “Do you really think he did it?” I asked.
Kai looked out the window at the crashing waves. “Maybe? But I don’t think Chase is smart enough to pull something like that off. It wouldn’t make sense. And I might not like the asshole, but he did love Violet. Last night I was caught up. Worried. But I don’t think he did it, no.”
We both sat in silence. I didn’t know what to say, but I didn’t want to leave, either. “How’s your side doing?” he asked.
I lifted up my shirt to show him. “Mom cut the stitches a couple days ago. Almost fully healed,” I replied.
“Wanna surf?”
I breathed out a sigh of relief. Surfing I could do. Surfing was normal. Healing. Freeing.
“I’d love to.”
Mom used to tell me there wasn’t an ailment that couldn’t be cured by salt water. She said it was medicine for the soul. It felt so good to paddle out. My side ached a little bit, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as before. I welcomed the slight burn. It meant I was alive.
“You alright?” Kai called to me. Watching his muscular body cut through the waves had me transfixed. He balanced on his board with skill, his expression relaxed, as if he was born in the water.
“I’m good,” I replied.
I joined Kai on a few waves, casually enjoying the Saturday morning ride. I paddled hard until I felt the firm swell of a wave beneath my board. I moved my hands onto the rail and brought my legs forward, popping up onto the board. I crouched down, balancing on my back foot as I rode the wave all the way back to the beach. His spare board wasn’t as nice as mine, but I liked the rush of it all. I almost forgot my demons for a brief moment.
Finishing out the wave, I made my way to the foamy white water close to the sand. I stood up and carried my board the rest of the way to the shore, dropping the board and collapsing onto the warm sand, letting the water roll over my feet. I closed my eyes and soaked up the sun. Being in the ocean and sun, I felt peaceful.
I felt a shadow fall over my body and squinted my eyes open to see that Kai had returned to the beach as well. He dropped down next to me, and I pushed myself up onto my arms so that we were level. We both stared into the water, glittering from the sun’s rays, in comfortable silence.
“Did you ever surf with Violet?” I asked before I could stop myself. I don’t know why I asked him that and immediately regretted it. Why did I keep dragging up painful memories and why would I essentially ask him to compare me to his dead girlfriend, especially when we finally found a moment of calm in the storm?
“No,” Kai answered. There wasn’t a hint of irritation in his voice, and his face settled into a small smile, like he was remembering one of the few happy memories about his relationship with Violet. “Violet wasn’t really into surfing. She said the salt water messed with her hair, but she did like to sit on the beach to sunbathe and watch me surf.”
I knew that about Violet and cringed internally for even asking. On an island where surfing was religion and the ocean was church, Violet was an atheist. She knew how to recommend the best board for every type of surfer, board maintenance, and even which beaches had the best waves for beginners and experts, but she refused to go into the ocean where anything above her waist would get wet. And I loved her for it.
Kai extended his arms and stretched his muscles, curling his toes into the sand as he did. I was mesmerized
by the movement of his muscles expanding, and my eyes were drawn to his midsection, soaking up every detail of his washboard abs. He looked up at me and smirked as he caught me staring just a little lower, where his skin met his trunks.
“See something you like?” he teased.
I pinned my lips closed, afraid if I opened them, my tongue would hang out. I still wasn’t comfortable acting on these feelings. I felt too much guilt. Violet might have been cheating on Kai, but that didn’t make it right for me to pursue him.
“So,” I began awkwardly, “what else is on the agenda for today?”
Kai rolled over, propping his head up with his hand. I matched him, rolling over to meet his heavy stare. His eyes dipped to my cleavage, to my tight stomach, to where I was clenching my thighs. “I was thinking about spending the day with you,” he replied.
My cheeks flushed. “I should probably go home. My parents are probably wondering where I am…” Kai scooted closer and wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me close. I started breathing heavily, the salty air filling my lungs. “I thought you wanted distance, hmm? This feels wrong,” I whispered.
“Does it?” Kai asked. I was about to answer him when he shoved me to the ground and settled on top of me, pinning me with his muscular thighs. My breath hitched as he grabbed my wrists and pulled them above my head. While my life had been spinning out of control, it was like a sigh of relief to let go in Kai’s arms. It felt good to be grounded by his hard muscles. I liked the feeling of tension leaving my body. I was completely at his mercy. “Does this feel wrong?”
Kai leaned over me, brushing his lips along my collarbone. “We shouldn’t…”
