Revealing Kia (17 page)

“Thank you for agreeing to dinner,” I said
, using the hand I held to draw her to me.

She smiled that smile I was quickly becoming infatuated with. “Thank you for asking me. I had fun.” Her eyes narrowed. “Is that date three now?”

I made a quiet humming sound. “So it is. I guess that makes it official then.”

“Official how?” Her breath fanned out around our face.

I pulled her even closer, meshing our fronts together. “You have to agree to another one.”

Her eyebrow winged up. “Do I now? And why is that?”

“Because three is such an odd number. Besides, I know exactly where I’m taking you next.”

Her hands lifted and rested lightly on my biceps. My own went around her middle and locked at her back.

“And where’s that?”

I shook my head, half lost in the soft brown of her eyes. “Can’t tell you. It’s bad luck. You’ll just have to say yes.”

She chuckled. “Yes, so long as it’s not skiing.”

I grinned. “I’ll teach you yet.
You’ll see I’m a
very
good teacher of a lot of things.”

I kissed her, relishing the sweet flavor of her mouth with
every slow nudge of my tongue. Her lips parted and she met me, hesitant but eager. Her fingers curled into the sleeves of my jacket and I felt her weight shift as she went up on her toes. I held her to me, drinking more of her.

The door swung open, bathing us in warm, yellow light. We jerked apart.

A woman with a riot of curls the same color as Kia’s glanced from me to Kia and back with amused glances that contradicted the tight fold of her arms.

“Mom,” Kia squeaked, her breathing uneven. “What—”

Her mom smiled brightly. “Just meeting you at the door.”

The look of disbelief on Kia’s face assured me this wasn’t a normal occurrence.

“Are you going to introduce us?”

Still watching her mom warily, Kia gestured to me. “Mom, this is Adam. Adam, my mom
, Carol Valentines.”

I extended my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Valentines.”

“Adam.” She took my hand and gave it a light shake. “It’s nice to finally put a face to the stories.”

“Mom!” Kia gasped. Her wide eyes shot to me. “There are no stories.”

Stifling the grin I could feel tugging the corners of my mouth, I turned back to her mom. “I hope good stories.”

She just smiled that creepy mom smile that said she knew stuff that would make me wish she didn’t.
“Why don’t you come inside, Adam?” It was placed as a question, but I knew a demand when I heard one.

Well, I was dating her daughter, the chat was bound to happen eventually. Might as well get it over with.

I stomped the snow off my boots. “I’d love to.”

Kia

My mom was on drugs. I was fully convinced of it as I followed Adam through the door into the cramped little hallway. I watched her watching Adam as he removed his boots and set them neatly on the mud catcher.

“Let me take your coat,” she said, offer him her hand.

Adam, without a fuss, unzipped and removed the heavy fabric. “Thank you,” he said passing it to her.

She
inclined her head as she hooked it up on the pegs. “Why don’t you show Adam into the sitting room, Kia? I’ll get us some drinks.” Her brown eyes rested on Adam. “Beer?”

Adam chuckled. “
Water’s fine.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t drink?”

Neither do you!
I wanted to snap at her. I didn’t even think we even had alcohol in the house.

Adam’s eyes narrowed and his lips pursed in a sheepish wince. “Yes, but I have to drive.”

Mom’s eyebrows lifted in a look of surprise. “Honest. I like that. Go ahead. Just down that way.”

“What are you doing?” I mouthed to her behind Adam’s back as he followed her pointing finger towards the back of the house.

She shrugged with all the innocence of an angel. “I’m curious.”

“Oh
… hello!” I heard Joanne say as I shuffled down the hall after Adam. “I didn’t know we were expecting company.”

“I think it was spur of the moment kind of thing,” Adam replied with laughter in his voice. “I’m Adam.”

“Oh!” There was a high pitch of giddy delight in Joanne’s voice that made me want to face-plant into the wall. “
You’re
Adam! Wow! It’s so great to finally meet you. You really are a cookie!”

Kill me.

Adam chuckled. “It’s nice to meet you as well. You must be Joanne. How’s your arm?”

“
Much better! Please, sit.”

I was so going to kill someone before the night was over. I could feel it.

I pivoted on my feet and hurried into the kitchen to find Mom setting a tray with glasses and a pitcher of ice water with lemon slices.

“Does he like cookies?”

I stared at her a moment, more certain than ever that she was on drugs. “Who doesn’t like cookies?”

She shrugged, never glancing up from her task. “There’s a first time for everything.”

I hurried to the island and pressed my hands into the counter. “Mom, I’m begging you, please don’t embarrass me!”

She looked up, her eyes wide. “Why would I embarrass you? I just want to get to know the guy who’s trying to get into my daughter’s pants.”

“Oh my God!” My knees sagged and I face planted into the counter. “I never should have told you. My life is so over.”

“Come on, Kia. You’re being overdramatic. I just want to talk to him.”

“Can’t you just kill me instead?”

She picked up the tray. “Nope. Apparently that’s illegal. Embarrassing you
… that I’m free to do.”

I
left the kitchen and shambled my way down the hall towards the sitting room.

“Isn’t she adorable? I think she still has the ribbon.” I heard
Joanne saying as we rounded the counter.

My photo album was in Adam’s hand. The photo album full of young, sometimes naked Kia.

“Joanne!”

She glanced up, her blue eyes blinking. “Yes?”

“What are you doing?”

“Oh Adam and I were just
going over your baby pictures.” Of course, because there was nothing remotely strange about that. “You still have the ribbon for your third grade science project, don’t you?”

I wanted to die.

“It wasn’t a science project. I did it for fun. My teacher thought it was cute and gave me a ribbon.” I hesitated. “Yes I still have it.”

My dorkdum had started young.
Thank you for pointing it out, Joanne.

“Could we stop looking now?” I asked. “There’s really nothing interesting about—”

“Oh I love this one.” Joanne stabbed a finger at the album open across Adam’s lap. “That tub is not actually a Jacuzzi.”

Oh. Sweet. Merciful. Heavens.

“Joanne…” The whine in my tone was barely concealed behind the tight clamp of my teeth.

Joanne laughed, taking the book and closing it. “Next time then.”

“I look forward to it,” Adam said, grinning a bit too widely for my liking.

Book in hand, Joanne rose and shuffled over to the bookshelf built around the TV. She tucked it back into place with the others before making her way to the sofa facing Adam’s and sat.

Mom walked into the room, tray in hand. Adam leapt to his feet and hurried to take it from her.

“Thank you, Adam,” Mom said, relinquishing her hold.

He set it down on the coffee table.

Mom went to sit with Joanne and I lowered myself a bit stiffly into the seat next to Adam.
An awkward silence draped over the room. At least it was awkward for me, but no one else seemed bothered by it.

“
So, Adam,” Mom said. “What do you do?”

“I
’m currently attending Vina Academy and interning at my parent’s dental clinic on the weekends. I also play hockey every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Basketball Wednesdays and Fridays. Swim Mondays and Wednesday mornings. I also teach little league in the summer and couch football Monday afternoons.”

Mom and Joanne’s eyes were as big as mine felt.
I knew he was in a lot of activities, but I hadn’t thought it was that many.

“Wow, you’re really busy,”
Mom said.

“Yes ma’am,” Adam sighed.

“So where does Kia fit in with that kind of schedule? Assuming you’re serious about your relationship with my daughter.”

Adam nodded without hesitation. “I
am very serious about Kia.”

“But how do you plan on seeing her when you’re never free?
Plus I’m sure you’ll want to spend time with your friends and family. Can you split your time up to accommodate everyone?”

He ran his hands down the length of his thighs. “
It won’t be easy, but if I’m good at anything, it’s time management and making time for things I value most. I have every intention of making things work between me and Kia.”

Joanne nodded like it made perfect sense. Mom didn’t look as impressed.

“I’m glad to hear that. Kia isn’t and will never be a passing amusement for any boy’s pleasure. I won’t allow it. I know she likes you and I like to think my daughter has a good head on her shoulders, but I also know she’s only a teenager. Feelings are often confusing when you’re so young and a handsome boy pays such close attention to you. But I’m not a teenager. I’ve been around the block a time or two and I know my daughter. We tell each other everything because that is the kind of relationship we have. So if I hear that you are mistreating her in any way, and I reserve judgment on what that means, you won’t have to worry about her father. I know exactly where I will bury your body and trust me, no one will ever find it. Do we understand each other, Adam?”

I had to give Adam props for remaining perfectly
blank faced through all that.

“Perfectly,” he murmured.

Mom smiled. “Awesome. Cookie?”

A good twenty minutes later, I walked Adam to the front door and watched in silence as he slipped on his boots and swung on his jacket. He jerked open the door and stepped out onto the porch. He turned to me.

“I’m really sorry about that,” I murmured. “My mom isn’t usually a total nut. I mean, she is, but…”

His blue eyes met mine. “
She was fine. It was a nice talk.”

I frowned. “Were
we in the same room, because there was nothing nice about what just happened?”

He chuckled. “She’s a mom and I’m the demon spawn out to corrupt her sweet little girl. I get it.”

I glowered at him. “Don’t ever call me a sweet little girl again. It’s creepy.”

He laughed. “
She’s worried I’ll hurt you.” His smile faded. “I won’t though. I won’t ever hurt you, Kia. I meant everything I said in there. I’ll make us work no matter what I have to do.”

I leaned into the doorframe and folded my arms against the chill. “Why?”

He moved a step closer, bringing his face inches from mine. “Because I care about you. A lot. I want to be with you.”

I raised a hand and touched the shirt peeking out from where his jacket gaped. It should have been strange touching him so freely, but it felt natural. Right. To prove it, I slid my fingers up to touch his jaw
. His gaze held mine as I leaned in and lightly brushed a kiss to his lips.

“I care about you, too,” I murmured. “A lot.”

He smiled. “I guess that settles it then. We’ll just have to be together.”

I nodded. “I can live with that.”

He kissed me, quick and hard before pulling back. “Me too.”

With a wave, I watched him jog down the steps and get into his car.
I stayed there long after his taillights had disappeared, watching the dancing snowflakes flutter to the ground.

Tomorrow was the first day back to school and I couldn’t say I was looking forward to it.

Nessie was at her locker the first day back from the Christmas holidays. I couldn’t remember ever being so happy to see anyone.

“Nessie!” I ran up to her. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling and—”

“Busy.” She slammed her locker door shut and turned to leave.

Something tightened in my chest, a knot between hurt and confusion.
“Nessie, wait.” I grabbed for her elbow. She wrenched it away as though I had acid on my fingertips.

“I have to get to class,” she shot back at me. “You of all people should understand
the value of punctuality.”

Me of all people? What the hell did that mean?

“What’s wrong?” I asked, hurrying after her as she whipped around on her heels and stormed upstream of the students going downstream. “Nessie, will you—”

“Stop calling me that!” She rounded on me, her blue eyes chips of ice water. “
I hate that name. I’m not a freaking sea monster, okay? Back off, Kia. Just leave me alone.”

I didn’t stop her as she stormed away, plowing through the crowd as though her hair was on fire.

What the hell?

“Trouble in
paradise, Kyra?”

I would have groaned if I had the energy. The sweet as syrup voice was easily distinguishable even without the deliberate mispronunciation of my name.
Sure enough, Claudia DeLorenzo and her backup bitches leered at me with their perfectly made up faces and cutting smiles.

“Oh look,
it’s you,” I muttered. It wasn’t my best comeback line, but I was too busy nursing the gaping wound my best friend had left behind in my chest. “My day is now complete.”

I hoisted my bag higher on my shoulder
and started walking away when her voice burned into my brain like battery acid.

“Is it true? Did she get kicked out of Vina for sleeping with a teacher
?”

I turned. I don’t know why, but my body was acting on its own accord. “Back off, Claudia. I am in no mood, but
that won’t stop me from beating you with your own arm.”

She just smiled at me that feline smile of hers.
“Not easy having a whore for a best friend, is it? Your geekiness doesn’t seem so bad in comparison, huh? Too bad that no decent guy will ever have her now that everyone knows she’ll give it up to just anyone.”

“He wasn’t a teacher,” I heard myself saying, not that Claudia cared. “
And it’s not any of your business.”

“No,” she mused with a delicate shrug.
“But I have a feeling the rest of the school doesn’t share that sentiment, especially with the new pictures circulating.”

“What new pictures?”

Claudia smirked. “Everyone got them. Oh, wait, you don’t have a phone. Let me.” She fished into her purse and pulled out hers. With a sweep of her fingers, she brought up an image and turned the screen for me to see.