Kya & Xavier: It's Always Been You (Life As We Know It Book 1) (23 page)

“We can order pizza and then go out
somewhere tonight.” Ethan looked at me “We’re not seeing your dad until
tomorrow right?”

“Yeah I guess I need to let him know
that we’re here.” I said and then reached into my pocked for my phone. Kya
glanced back at my pants and then smiled so I nudged her with my shoulder
before I unlocked my screen and started typing a text to my dad. When I was
done I dropped my phone in my lap but it started vibrating so I glanced down at
the screen and realized that he had called me instead of replying to my text. I
picked up my phone to answer and then stood up causing to Ky to fall over in my
absence.

“Hello, Xavier. You’ll have to
forgive me but I’m a little old school when it comes to communicating.” He
laughed nervously.

“Its fine, I just wanted to let you
know that we made it.” I walked into the bedroom and sat down on the bed, not
really sure why but I just felt the sudden urge to speak privately.

“I’m really glad that you guys were
able to come I just wish that you would have stayed here at the house with us.
We have plenty of room but I understand.”
Plenty
of room
I wondered what his house was like if he had plenty of room to accommodate
four more people.
 
Even assuming that Ky
and I would share a room while Ethan and Toni did the same that’s still two
extra rooms.

“It just seemed better if we stayed
here but I appreciate it.”
 

“Well will you at least let me pay
for your stay and your friends also? I really don’t mind at all.”

“We’ve got it covered but thank you.”
I said wondering why he was trying so hard.

“If you change your mind I would be
more than happy to cover the charges for you.”

“I appreciate it but we’re good.”

“So the games at seven tonight, it
will be late when I get back but Pam has lunched planned for us tomorrow at
one. What time are you planning to head back to school?”

“Not sure yet, but sometime tomorrow
night.”

“Well again I’m really glad that you
came and I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Tell your friends I said hello. You have
the address right.”

“Yeah it’s in my GPS so we should be
good.”

“Well call me if you need any help,
I’ll make sure I keep my phone on me and I look forward to seeing you and your
friends.”

“Same.”

“Xavier?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m really glad to have the chance
to finally meet you.” He sounded sincere but I still didn’t know how I felt
about that so I simply said, “Yeah, me too.”

We ended the call and then I rejoined
my friends in the living room. I could tell that Kya was searching my face
attempting to read my mood.

“Everything straight?” Ethan asked.

“Yeah, he just wanted to work out the
plans for tomorrow.” I said and then sat down next to Kya. I pulled her close
to me and rested my chin on her shoulder and she folded her body into mine.

“How about you handle your womanly
duties and find somewhere for us to order pizza from.” Ethan said and then
playfully slapped Toni’s thigh.

“You better be glad I’m hunger.” Toni
said before she stood up and adjusted her pants around her waist.

Kya stood up and joined her as the
two of them searched the contents of the oversized cherry desk looking for
menus. “How about this.” Toni said and held up a menu.

“It’s all the same to me just hurry
up and order before I starve.” Ethan said.

               
So the
girls got on the phone and began the process of ordering our food and an hour
later we were all happy and full.

               
“Well
that’s a wrap for me.” I placed my hands on my stomach and leaned back. I was currently
sitting on the floor with my back against the sofa. Ethan was across from me
but he was sitting in the oversized leather chair that he had pulled from up
under the desk balancing one of the empty pizza boxes on his legs,
 
while Kya and Toni were sitting next to each
other on the sofa adjacent to the one that I was leaning against. They both had
called it quits after two slices while Ethan and I darn near finished a pizza
and a half between the two of us.

               
“Well it’s
about time.” Toni said “I swear the two of you act like you have never eaten
before in your life.”

               
“Grown
men need nourishment.” I said.

               
“Don’t
hate on us because you two are light weights.” Ethan added.

               
“I’m not
a lightweight, I just have control.” Kya said and then looked at me.

               
“We’ll
see about that later.” I winked at Ky.

               
“And
that’s our cue to leave.” Toni said. She stood up and grabbed the empty box
that Ethan was holding which prompted him to follow.

               
“Well
we’ve got some business to tend to anyway so we’ll see you guys in about hour or
two or three.” Ethan walked up behind Toni and placed his hands on her hips.

               
“The
only business that I’m about to tend to is a long overdue nap.” Toni said.

               
“No
doubt because I’m about to put you to bed.” Ethan said and used is body to move
Toni towards the door.

               
“Wow, I
just can’t with you.” Toni waved her hand in the air.

               
“Let me
go handle her. We’re out people.” Ethan said and then opened the door. Toni
looked back at us and shook her head as the two of them left our room.

Chapter 18

Kya Renee

               
After
Toni and Ethan left I decided to clean up the plates and pizza boxes so that
our room wouldn’t smell like food. Xavier helped me pile everything up and held
the door open for me while I went to go find a trash can. When I reached the
end of our hall I found an area in the corner that had two vending machines, an
ice machine and a trash can.
 
I balanced everting
on top of it, dumped the cups and plates before I folded the boxes enough to
shove them in before I headed back to or room. Xavier had left the door propped
open so I pushed it open walked in. He was stretched out of the sofa watching
sports center as always.

I pulled off my sweater and tossed it
on top of my bags that were still sitting near the door where Xavier had left
them when we first arrived, leaving me in just a tank top and my leggings
before I laid down on top of him.

“Are you testing my control again?”
He asked and then kissed my shoulder.

I laughed, “For what, we have already
established that you don’t have any.”

“That’s what you think.” He slide his
hand under my tank top and rested it on my back.

“That’s what I know.”

“Well let’s test all this control you
have then.” He grabbed me around my waist, turned us over so that he positioned
on top of me. He pressed his body against mine and then looked down at me with
a grin on his face. He leaned in and kissed my shoulder first and then my neck.

“You still got everything under
control.” I could feel his lips touch my ear as he spoke.

“I’m good.” I lied.

“How about now.” He kissed my collar
bone and kept moving down.

“Now who’s using excessive force?” I
asked.

“Not yet, but I’m working on it.” He
said and then moved his hand under my tank top.

I knew it was over so I stopped
fighting it.
He won!

               
About
two hours later we had both showered, changed and were watching TV in the
living room. It made me think about what life would be life if we actually did
survive long enough to get married but honestly I didn’t even know if Xavier
wanted that life. We had never really talked about it and since the only
reference he had when it came to marriage was so toxic, I wouldn’t have been
surprised if he decided to skip that part all together. It really made me think
about my future because I wanted that, maybe not now but someday and I as long
as I could remember the man that I would marry was going to be Xavier. Marriage
to me was a reflection of my parents, they weren’t perfect but they were happy
and I wanted that so if Xavier decided that he didn’t would that be the end of
us. I felt a wave of sadness and then anger when I realized that his past might
affect our future.

               
“You
look real intense over there, what are you thinking about?”

               
“Nothing.”
I lied.

               
“It’s
definitely something, you look like you’re about to cry or hit someone, I can’t
really tell which one.”

               
“I’m
good.” I hadn’t realized that my thoughts were showing all over my face and he
was right, I felt tears forming.
Typical
crybaby.

“Come on Ky, what’s wrong.” We were
laying on opposite ends of the sofa so he sat up grabbed both of my hands to
lift my arms and pull me towards him. I gave in and adjusted my body on top of
him until we were both comfortable again.

“So do you want to tell my why you
sitting over there about to cry.” He closed his arms around me.

“I wasn’t about to cry.”

“Well you look like it so what did I
do this time.” He said and then laughed.

“Do you think you’ll ever want to get
married?”

“That was random?” He said and then
looked down at me.

“I know, I was just thinking about
it.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, I just thought about
it.”

“Honestly I don’t really think about
stuff like that, I guess it’s sort of a girl thing.”

“It’s not a girl thing.” I said
defensively and tried to pull away but he tightened his hold on me so that I
couldn’t move.

“Chill, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s
just I don’t really think about stuff like that. Most guys don’t but yeah, I
guess I do see us getting married one day. Why? You already got the wedding
planned.” He said and kissed the side of my face.

“No smart ass, I don’t.” I felt
better about the fact that he said he can see
us
getting married on day.

Before he could say anything someone
knocked on the door. “Saved by the bell.” I said and rolled off him onto the floor
and stood up.

I pulled the door open and Ethan was
standing in front of me shirtless with basketball shorts on.
Damn, I see why Toni was addicted
.

“We’re heading to the pool, you guys coming?

Xavier sat up and looked at Ethan. “It’s
too damn cold to be in a swimming pool.”

Ethan stepped past me and walked over to Xavier. “Its indoor
and they have Jacuzzi down there too.”

               
“I’m
down.” I said, let me get my suit.

               
“I guess
we’re coming.” Xavier said, stood up and stretched.

               
“Toni’s
changing now, so like fifteen?” Ethan asked.

               
“That
works.” Xavier said and then Ethan left the room.

               
“Do I
even want to know why you have a swimming suite?” I was sitting on the floor
digging through my bag.

               
“I told
you, you can never be too prepared.” I pulled out a navy and pink stripped bikini
bottom, dropped it in my lap and keep digging for the top. When I found it I
pulled it out, stood up and tossed it on the bed.

               
“What’s
this?” he picked up the top by the strings and held it in the air.

               
“You
know what that is.” I said sarcastically.

               
“You
must be about to play dress up with a barbie doll or something because I know
you don’t think you’re leaving here in this.”

               
“Yes,
father. I am.” I rolled my eyes at him and snatched the top from him.

               
“No
hell.”

               
“Seriously?”
I grabbed the bottom and moved past him ignoring his protective moment.

               
“Ky I’m
not playing.” He followed me to the bathroom.

               
“It’s
just Toni and Ethan and neither one of them is worried about me, trust me.”

               
“It’s
not Toni that I’m worried about.”

               
“Really?
Ethan is not worried about me.”

               
“He’s a
guy and trust me, if it’s out there he’ll look.”

               
“So I
guess that goes for you too?”

               
Hell
yeah, I have eyes, don’t play dumb but the difference is the only person I’m
checking for is you. I know what I’m thinking.”

               
“And you
know what Ethan’s thinking.”

               
“No hell
I don’t. I’m not in that man’s head.”

               
“Move
please.” I said and then shut the door and changed into my suite. When I was
done and had all the straps tied tight and securely in place I admired my image
in the mirror, turning to each side to check out my entire body which was
barely covered by the tiny navy and pink stripped bikini that I was wearing. I
was actually still pretty fit even though I barely ever worked out and hadn’t
danced consistently in almost two years but my body was still pretty toned
thanks to thirteen years of dance classes.

Dance was the actually the reason
that Toni and I were so tight. It’s where we meet years ago and we were still
going strong. She and I both danced from grade school until we graduated but
she still took classes in college since she had a minor in dance while I hadn’t
been in a studio in forever. Ballet, tap, jazz, toe, modern, hip hop. You name
it we did it. Toni was always better at it than I was but we were both pretty
decent and aside from my barley average sized breast which I attributed to the
physical stress of dance, my body was pretty tight because of it so I had no
complaints.

               
The
second I opened the door Xavier looked at me and shook his head. He was sitting
on the bed and hadn’t changed since he was already in basketball shorts and a t-shirt.
“Hell no, that’s dead.”

               
I
laughed even though I knew that he was not really joking. I walked over to my
bag and bent over to find a pair of shorts and when I hands on a pair of gray Nike
running shorts I stepped into them.

               
“Okay
father, now I’m dressed.” I said sarcastically but smiled at him.

               
“You
better hope Ethan keeps his eyes where they belong or you’re going to be the
cause of a friendship ending.” He said and then looked at me with the most
serious look on his face.

               
“Shut up
and let’s go.”

               
We both
left the room, stepped into the hall and Xavier hung back while I knocked on
Ethan and Toni’s door. She opened it wearing an equally small bikini that was
almost identical to the one that I was wearing without shorts to cover it.

               
“Did
your father approve of your suit?” I asked and then glanced at Xavier who was standing
behind me.
     

               
“Oh my
god, him too.”

               
“Him too
what?” Ethan said as he stepped out of their room and closed the door.

               
“Nothing.”
Toni said.

               
We made
our way down stairs and walked through the lobby towards the swimming pool.
There was an older couple having coffee at one of the tables so I smiled and
nodded as we passed by. The front desk clerk looked up and smiled but continued
flipping through the papers that she was holding.

               
As soon
as we reached the door that lead to the pool Ethan slid his room key into the
slot and then pulled the door open. We all stepped in and dropped out things on
one of the tables while Xavier removed his shirt and cleared his pockets
placing our room key his wallet and phone on top of his shirt.

               
It was
warm and the smell of chlorine hung in the air which made me frown because it
was so strong. I pulled a hair tie from around my wrist and pulled my hair into
a pony tail on top of my head before I stepped out of my shorts. I could feel
Xavier watching me but I didn’t care, I wasn’t about to get in the pool with my
shorts on so he would just have to get over it and besides from the way Ethan
was glued to Toni I was sure that I was the last thing on his mind.

               
“I hope
this water is heated.” Toni walked towards the shallow end of the pool and
stuck her foot in.

               
“It is.”
She looked over her shoulder and smiled before she stepped down into the pool
until she was waist deep followed by Ethan.

               
“Can you
swim?” he asked when he reached Toni and was standing behind her.

               
“A
little. Can you?”

               
“I was
on a swim team at the Y until I turned thirteen. Those damn speedos weren’t
working for me anymore so I quit.”

               
Toni
laughed, “I defiantly need to see pictures of that.”

               
“Not
happening.” I’m pretty sure I burned all of them.

               
“I’ll
just ask your mom.”

               
“Not
happening I’m telling you.”

               
I walked
towards the pool and stuck my foot in even though Toni had already told us that
it was heated but I needed to see for myself. Once I was satisfied I stepped in
and walked down the stairs. The water was warm but the smell of chlorine was
ruining it for me.

               
“Why are
you frowning like that?” Xavier asked and stepped in front of me. He locked his
arms behind my back.

               
“That
smell.”