“Who the fuck knows?” I try not to act as mad as I am, but I’m so pissed, I can hardly think straight. I know one thing, I definitely don’t like some other guy’s hands pawing my girl.
“I’m sure there’s an explanation. Let me see the picture.”
“It’s on Facebook. Wait a sec.” I pull up the app and click on Kayla’s profile. Scrolling through her feed, I can’t find the photo anywhere. “Hmm, the picture’s gone.”
I grit my teeth as Kamp gives a quick nod. If the picture is so damn innocent, then why did she erase it?
“I know what you’re thinking, but Kayla isn’t that type of girl. Do the smart thing and call her. I’m sure there’s an explanation.”
“I’ll call tomorrow.”
“Call now. You’ll feel better knowing the truth,” Kamp orders.
“It’s five in the fucking morning. I can’t call now.” Jesus, this seven-hour time difference blows. Long distance is hard enough, but with the time difference thrown in, it’s a double whammy.
Kamp grunts but doesn’t say anything else. I shouldn’t take this out on him, but still. I better stay up late so I can call her in the morning. I know one thing: she has some explaining to do, and I’m getting drunk.
Chapter Forty
Kayla~
The mini-throbs inside my head remind me why I don’t drink. I take another sip of coffee and try to focus on the words in my textbook. The low hum from the Hot Beans neon sign hanging in the window distracts me. Although, I don’t know why I’m even bothering to study, now. Brian will be here any second.
So much for trying to get homework done.
My opened book may as well be back at the dorm, no more than what I’ve accomplished. I can’t concentrate. Kai has neither called nor texted and the cell silence is stifling. He’s never missed my morning wake-up text. So the one night we don’t spend talking, he doesn’t send one. My gut twists at the direction my thoughts lead.
My gaze wanders back to the humming noise. Shut-up. I lower my gaze in frustration and peer out the window for any signs of Brian. The sooner I catch him up on what’s happening, the sooner I can head back to the dorm. A pang of guilt washes through me. Brian is one of my best friends. I shouldn’t be treating him badly.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
My head snaps to the fist knocking on the window, and I half-smile, waving back. The white cardboard sign “Under New Management” blocks half his body, but those blue eyes are unmistakable. Brian’s here.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Brian says walking up to the table. He places his backpack down and turns toward the counter. “Do you need a refill?”
“Hey, yourself. No, I’m good.” I close my book and check my phone one more time. I’m not sure why I keep looking. It’s too early for him to send me something.
“Looks like someone woke up not feeling good today,” Brian teases as he sits across from me.
“I can’t believe I drank that much,” I say, scowling.
“Sounds as if you needed a night out.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“How’s Cara doing?” Brian asks after a short pause.
“Not that great, but she’s holding her own for now.”
“What’s the planned course of action?”
Brian listens to every word spilled about Mom’s condition. When I first discussed Mom with him, I had glossed over the details. Now that we’re face to face, I can openly talk about it. One thing about Brian being a pre-med student, he’s genuinely concerned and interested.
After answering his questions, a silence falls between us. His fingers grip the coffee cup tightly while his thumb taps impatiently on the side. He’s stewing about something, and I have a feeling the direction of the conversation is heading south.
“So, boyfriend, huh?” Brian asks.
And there it is, that awkward situation of discussing another guy. Of course, if Staci hadn’t brought up the fact about Brian liking me, I never would’ve given it another thought. Now, I’m worried about his feelings. I don’t want to drone on about how much I love Kai.
“We met during a tour on my first day there.”
Brian sits stone-faced during my brief monolog about Kai. I recap how we met and how great Kai was during the time I needed someone the most, but I refuse to delve deeper. It’s too uncomfortable talking to Brian about Kai.
“Hmm,” Brian says when I finish.
My eyebrow rises along with my hackles. “What does that mean?”
“I just wonder why you’d choose to be with someone who can’t physically be with you. It seems like you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.”
I chew on the inside of my cheek. Part of me wants to defend Kai, but then again Brian may have a point. Doubt about us working out still lingers in my mind. And no matter how much I love Kai, four thousand miles is a lot of land and ocean between us.
“Hey, maybe it’ll work out,” Brian says as if he senses my discomfort.
“It has to,” I mumble and then glance at the recent notification on my phone. I narrow my eyes. Kai posted a picture on Facebook? At five o’clock in the morning?
Opening the app, I hold my breath and try to remain expressionless at the horrid display in front of me. What the hell? The draped arm around Kai’s neck isn’t the worst part. No. The worst part is the smug expression displayed across Bethany’s beautiful face. It’s as if she’s directly telling me, “I told you so.” Bile rises in my stomach as her parting words on New Year’s Eve, “you’ll be completely forgotten,” replays through my memory. The bitch. Why would Kai post this?
“What’s wrong?” Brian asks, not missing the sudden change in my temperament despite my best efforts.
“Nothing.” I shake my head. The last thing I need right now is for Brian to see this.
“Something’s got you upset.”
“It’s nothing.” I reopen my textbook, knowing full well the point is useless. “Let’s get a little studying done.”
Brian lets out a frustrated breath while pulling out his notebook. “Fine, but I’m always here for you.”
I glance up, and our gaze connects. “I know.”
**~~**~~**
Kai~
I shut the alarm clock off and glance at the time. Six o’clock. My fucking head throbs. Why did I drink so much? I stumble out of bed and make my way to the kitchen in search of water and a couple of aspirin. I better get some control over my headache before calling Kayla.
Fuck it. I can’t wait any longer. I grab my phone on the end table and dial her number. I need to find out why she was dancing with golden boy M.D.
“Hello,” Kayla answers curtly.
Her sharp tone pisses me off even more. I’m the one who should be angry. Not her. I swallow down my frustration and take a calming breath. Now isn’t the time to prove who’s right and who’s wrong.
“So how close are you with golden…uh, Brian.”
“What? Wait a minute…Brian, I’m going to step outside.”
Brian? She’s with him now?
Anger boils through my veins.
“Okay, I’m back. What do you mean? Brian’s one of my best friends.”
“Do you dance with all of your best friends?” God, what a stupid question. Of course, she does. She’s a girl.
“You saw the picture?”
“Would you mind explaining?”
She huffs out a frustrated breath, which confuses me more. Why is she acting mad at me? She’s the one in the wrong.
“You should be the one to talk,” she says.
“What do you mean?” Wait, how’d the tables get turned here?
“Do you really want to question a picture of me when you posted a picture of you and Bethany? What the hell, Kai?”
“I never posted a picture. On where, Facebook?”
“It’s on your wall. Go look.”
I fire up my laptop and open up Facebook as soon as I can. Oh hell, no. My heart plummets when I see a selfie Bethany took of
us.
“Babe, I’m so sorry. That isn’t what it appears to be.”
“Yeah, well neither was the dance with Brian. We’re just friends. Besides, I’ve never done anything with him. Not even kiss.”
That was a jab if I ever heard one. Shit. I’ve certainly done more than kiss with Bethany.
“Admittedly, I got pretty wasted last night. But Bethany came up beside me, threw her arm around me and snapped a picture before I shrugged her off. I’m not sure how it ended up on my page.”
“Change your password, Kai.”
That bitch. Kamp never liked her, but I always stood up for her. Damn, I was stupid. How could she stoop this low?
“I’m changing it now and deleting that fucking picture. Now, what about you?” I’m not letting her off that easily. The image of them dancing with his hands groping her ass rekindles my anger. “Friends or not, you were dancing pretty close to him.”
“I’m sorry, but it didn’t mean anything.”
“Really? Because he looked pretty content with his hands on your ass.”
“That picture was snapped seconds before I broke away from him.”
“Kayla,” I yell. “You fucking had your head against his shoulder looking all cozy.”
She lets out an exasperated sigh, but I’m not letting this go. She has no business dancing with other men.
“If you really must know, I was missing you terribly. For one weak moment, I fantasized he was you. I laid my head against his chest, yearning to feel your touch. But when I realized it wasn’t you, I broke away. Melinda must’ve snapped the damn pic right when that occurred.”
She missed me so much, she sought comfort in someone else’s arms? That’s totally fucked up.
“I’m not happy that you were dancing with someone else. I don’t think you’d like it if I had done that.”
“No, you’re right. And I am sorry. It won’t happen again.” A beat of silence passes before she asks mildly, “This is hard, isn’t it?”
Doubt creeps into her tone. Damn it. I need to end that thought process now before it spins out of control.
“Don’t do this. Don’t start doubting our relationship. I love you, Kayla.”
“I love you, too, but—”
“Hey, we knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but we can do this. We’ll get through every challenge thrown our way.” We have to.
“Yeah, I’m just missing you. So much.”
“Babe, I miss you too.”
Chapter Forty-One
Twelve Weeks apart
Kayla~
Congratulations. We are pleased to announce your acceptance…
I got in.
Biting my nail, I stare at the opened email. Shouldn’t I be happier? Acceptance is what I’ve worked toward for the last four years. It’s what I want. Dreamed of, even. If that’s true, then why does spending another two years on campus twist my stomach into knots?
Kai. That’s why.
It’s Friday night, the second week in March. Exactly twelve weeks since I’ve felt Kai’s touch, kissed his mouth. We’ve been apart four times longer than being together. When I allow my mind to dwell on the fact three weeks is all we’ve spent together, doubt infiltrates my mind. Which is why I usually shut those thoughts down. But here I am, thinking about our whirlwind relationship and wondering if it’s real. Or the scarier thought…is our bond strong enough to withstand being apart for two more years? I’m beginning to think it isn’t.
The knot tightens at the mere speculation of him gone from my life. I do love him. That part’s real. Ever since our argument over those pictures, Kai’s been careful not to act jealous. That is when I get to talk to him. Between my hectic schedule and his, communication has been reduced to texting. The time difference can be rather taxing at times, but those butterflies always wake when that deep rich voice slides into my ear. Hell, the damn things take flight just from seeing his text.
But I’m drowning.
This balancing act of time between Mom, school, and Kai is weighing heavily on me. I don’t think I can keep the pace up, and the thought of another two years is rather suffocating.
My head snaps to Staci storming into the dorm room. I close the laptop and set it on the bed, along with my worries.
“Did you open your email yet?” she asks.
Her hands clasp together, and she brings her fist to her mouth as if she’s praying. The questionable gleam to her eyes brings a smile to my face despite my inner turmoil.
“I’m in.”
“Squee!” Staci does a little happy dance and springs toward me. Pulling me off the chair and into a bear hug, she says, “We’re going to be awesome Nurse Practitioners.”
“I’m excited,” I lie. “We did it.”
“You bet your sweet ass we did. Celebrate tonight?”
I glance at the clock. Three p.m. is still plenty of time to get home.
“Nah, I was getting ready to leave. I want to surprise Mom tonight, plus I want to be with her. She’s sounds worse each day, even though she tries to hide it.”
“Aw, honey. I wish I could fix this. But she’ll be so proud of you.”
“Yeah, I know. I can’t wait to tell her.”
***
“Mom,” I yell when I step through the front door.
“Kayla,” Mom says in a surprised voice. She starts coughing as she comes from the kitchen. “I wasn’t expecting you home this weekend.”
I hold my response as Mom starts coughing again. As soon as she’s done, I direct us toward the couch.
“Why don’t we sit down? I have some exciting news.”
“You got accepted?” She guesses.
“Yeah, isn’t that great!” I fake my enthusiasm because I know that’s what Mom expects.
“Oh, honey, I never doubted it for one bit.”
I lean over to give her a hug. “Thanks, Mom.”
“I have a surprise for you.” She tries to get up but gets winded and plops back down.
“Mom, stay. I’ll get it.” I stand and scan the room. “Where is it?”
She points to the hallway closet, coughs some more, and grabs a tissue. I try not to wince at the blood she hacks into the Kleenex. Instead, I step toward the closet, repeatedly blinking my eyes. The last thing she needs to see is me crying. But darn, the time is nearing, and I hate it. Every last bit of it.
Reaching the door, I swing it open and gasp. A cardboard mailer leans against the inside wall.
“Mom,” I say excitedly. I grab the box and beeline to the couch. Ripping it open, I smile wide at the Waimea Canyon—Mom’s prize-worthy photo made into canvas art. Too bad she won’t be submitting this one. “I knew this photo would be beautiful.”
“You’ll have a piece of art to remember me by.” She winks.
“I love it.” A pang of sorrow hits my gut as I fixate on the gorge. The island feels like home to me, and I realize Kai isn’t the only thing I miss. I miss the land immensely, and I swear during quiet times it calls to me. I close my eyes and visualize the exact spot the picture was taken. I can practically feel the breeze blowing against my face.
“I’ll replace the picture of the trail from Allerton Park,” I say, shaking away my thoughts. I move it over to the wall and exchange photos. Gorgeous. I love when her pictures are made into canvas art. They mimic an oil painting.
“It’s beautiful, Mom. It’s a real piece of art.” The doorbell chimes, and I turn to Mom with a questionable look. “Are you expecting someone?”
“No,” Mom says. “I’m not sure who’d be here.”
“I’ll go find out.” I hurry to the door and throw the door back in surprise.
“Brian?”
“Sorry for the surprise visit, but I worried about you. And I wanted to check on your mom.”
“No, that’s fine. Please come in.” I back away, allowing him entrance.
He sidesteps around me but stops to wait. Turning to shut the door, I frown. Why is he here?
“Brian.” Mom smiles warmly at him. “It’s always good to see you. How have you been?”
They talk and catch up. My mom has always liked Brian. But of course, he’s made it a point to get to know her. I always thought that was his sweet demeanor, but now I suspect he was sucking up to Mom.
After a few minutes, Mom excuses herself from the room.
“I’m going to lie down. You kids enjoy.”
“Thanks, Cara. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for what you’re going through.”
“Thanks, Brian. Make sure you finish your schooling. I wouldn’t mind having a handsome guy as yourself be my doctor.”
The pink tinge on his face makes me laugh.
“Yes, ma’am.”
We watch Mom’s slow gait leave the room.
“She’s looking ashen. Do you have hospice lined up?”
“Yeah, they’re starting next week. She’s trying to be tough, but I know she’s in a lot of pain. Plus, her sputum is bloody.”
He cringes and grabs my hand. “I’m sorry. It sucks.”
“Yeah, it does.”
My head snaps to a crashing sound. We both stand as Mom yells, “I’m okay.”
“I better see for myself,” I say.
“You want me to go with?”
“No, I’ll holler if I need your muscle.” I try to joke, but I’m almost out of the room. My phone, lying on the couch, rings. “Can you get that? I’ll just be a sec.”
“Mom, you all right?” I say, breezing into her room.
“I told you I was fine.” She waves me off. “I just dropped my glass.”
I eye the cup on the floor and grab a towel to soak up the spill. Miraculously the glass didn’t shatter.
“That should do it,” I say as Mom settles on her bed.
“Thanks, hun. Now go be with Brian.”
I frown, and Mom tilts her head.
“Go easy on him; I think he’s hung up on you.”
“I will. He knows about Kai, but…”
“It’s never easy.”
Impossible Love: An Unforeseen Destiny Novel Book One Page 22
