Revealing Kia (21 page)

Kia

I had just made myself a sandwich when the doorbell rang. With Mom and Joanne at the school for a meeting with the principal, it was left to me to answer it, which I didn’t want. I had actually been looking forward to being alone with my thoughts. My earlier superhero act still haunted me and I didn’t know where I stood anymore. For someone who hated conflict and had sworn never to save anyone after it bit me in the ass the last time, I had managed to break both promises simultaneously. Yet oddly, unlike the dread and regret I felt after saving Claudia from getting turned into paste, I didn’t regret being there for Nessie. My only regret was not being there sooner, like weeks sooner. Not that it mattered now, I supposed. Nessie still wanted nothing to do with me.

Grumbling, I shuffled my way out of the kitchen and down the hall
. I threw open the front door and stiffened.

“
Adam?” I hadn’t seen him since he drove me home after my talk with Nessie. We texted, but that was it. “What are you doing here?” A movement from behind him caught my attention. My eyes widened as I recognized the small figure. “Ness … Vanessa?”

She
looked so small huddled beneath her coat. “Hey.”

“Can we come in?” Adam asked.

Struck dumb, I shuffled back, opening the door wider and allowing them through. I shut it behind them and I led them into the kitchen.

“Sorry we interrupted your eating,”
Adam said, glancing at my untouched sandwich.

I
waved a dismissive hand. “It’s fine.” I glanced from one to the other. “Was there something you needed?”

Adam stuffed his hands into his pockets and took a step back. “I’m only here to drop Van off.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant until Nessie shuffled closer to the island, looking like she was about to be sick all over her shoes. “I … I…” She rubbed a hand over her belly and darted a glance at her brother. Adam gave a slight nod of encouragement and motioned for her to continue. She looked back at me. “Mom’s taking me to see a therapist.”

I frowned, not really sure what to say. Thankfully, she didn’t wait for a response.

“I’m sorry I … I wasn’t the friend you deserved and I have no right to ask you to forgive me after the things I said and the way I treated you, but I’m so sorry, Kia. You’ve always been such a great friend to me and it took you taking on the whole school for me to see what a bitch I’ve been.” She dropped her gaze to her feet. “Please say you’ll forgive me. I don’t want to lose you.”

I
closed the distance and pulled her into my arms. The minute my arms closed around her, she broke down.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” she cried into my shoulder.

I pressed her tighter to me. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about me and Adam. I never meant to hurt you.”

Nessie shook her head. “I know.
I’m sorry I made you feel guilty even though you have really bad taste in boys.”

“Hey!” Adam muttered from the background. “
Standing
right
here.”

I laughed
as I pulled back and wiped my eyes. “I think we can agree that we’re both very sorry. Now can we forget about this whole thing?”

She grinned wetly at me.
“I like that. Friends?”

I nodded. “Absolutely.”

The figure by the door shifted and my
gaze darted past Nessie to where Adam stood leaning against the open doorway. His arms where folded, his eyes hot as they bored into mine. I felt the pang of his distance in my chest and had to look away.

Nessie cleared her throat.
“I, uh, guess I change my mind about what I said, about you guys being together. If you want him, I guess I’m kind of okay with it.”

My heart jumped in my chest even after I told it not to get too excited
. “You mean it?”

She sighed, rolling her blue eyes towards the ceiling
and wrinkling her nose. “No. Honestly, I think it’s super gross, the thought of you tongue-locking with my brother…” She shuddered, making a gagging face. “But I guess I can pretend it’s not happening.” She gave me a shove towards Adam. “Go!”

I didn’t have to. He was across the room before I could
even think to breathe in relief. His arms swept around me and I was lifted into his chest.

“
Finally!” He groaned wickedly before claiming my mouth in a bruising kiss.

I was vaguely aware of Nessie making gagging noises
behind me. “I’m going to go upstairs and pretend you’re not spit swapping with my brother … in the kitchen … where we eat our food.”

Her heels clacked as she scurried away.

I broke Adam’s hungry kisses and tipped my head back to peer into his face. “I feel like this is a dream and I’ll wake up and—”

“And I’ll be right there next to you
,” he finished, bending his head and nipping at my bottom lip.

I smiled
and looped my arms around his neck. “I like the sound of that.”

Epilogue

Kia

Four months later…

“Hello Kia!” Mrs. Chaves swung the door open and moved aside to let me into the house.

“Hello Mrs. Chaves. Is Adam or Nessie home?”

Mrs. Chaves checked her watch and then tossed a fretful glance towards the stairs. “They are, but Vanessa and I are on our way to see Dr. McKevitt, which we are going to be late for if someone doesn’t hurry up!” The last parted was shouted up the stairs.

A moment later, we heard the pounding of feet and Nessie came thundering down the steps. Her unbound mane bounced around her shoulders as she hopped the last two steps to stand before her mother.

“Relax, Mom!” she muttered, rolling her eyes. “I just need to grab my purse. It’s in the kitchen.” She glanced at me, grinned. “Hey! Here to see dork-boy?”

I laughed. “I came to see whoever’s home. I forgot you had your appointment today.”

Nessie rolled her eyes again and I wondered how many more times she could do that before her eyeballs got stuck pointed towards the back of her skull. “Today. Tomorrow. Every day until I die.”

“Can we save the drama for our therapy sessions, please? We have ten minutes to get there and it’s almost rush hour.”

Nessie snorted. “Who are you trying to beat, Mom? The cows? Mayferd doesn’t have traffic.” But she turned on her heels and hurried into the kitchen.

I turned to Mrs. Chaves. “How is she?”

The other woman shrugged. “It’s only been three months, but the doctor says she’ll be fine so long as she continues to take her medication and makes regular appointments.” Her worried eyes landed on me. “How’s she holding up at school?”

I nodded slowly. “Okay, I think. I mean, I don’t think anyone is stupid enough to continue what they were doing after half the football team got expelled back in January for sending Nessie those texts
and images.”

Relief flickered over Mrs. Chaves’ pretty face. “I’m glad to hear that.
” She offered me a hesitant smile. “Plus, she has you there so I know she’ll be okay.”

I grinned at her. “She’ll be fine. She’s tough.”

Her smile was brighter, genuine. “Yes, she is.”

I darted a glance towards the kitchen before turning back to Mrs. Chaves and dropping my voice. “How are things with you?”

Her smile faded and the lingering sadness that had been in her eyes for months returned. “I’m all right. Thank you for asking. It’s been hard, you know? But we’re coming around now that we know what we’re dealing with. The doctor said depression was common with teenage girls and she’s confident Vanessa will make a full turn around with lots of support. That helps. The knowing,” she added in case I didn’t catch on. “Everything else … well, we’ll manage.”

It was a lie. Adam and Nessie never had to say a word about it, but I knew things hadn’t gotten better. One only had to have ears to hear the shouting match behind closed doors.

I opened my mouth to say something, although I wasn’t sure what. I was saved by the return of Nessie. She swung the strap of her purse over her shoulder and marched up to us.

“Ready for another
round,” she said.

Mrs. Chaves smiled and turned towards the door. “We’ll be back in an hour or so,” she told me pointedly and I felt my cheeks burn.

“Oh, I can’t stay long,” I said quickly. “I have to work. I just came to say hi.”

She didn’t say it, but it was in her eyes and I wanted to die. “Well, we’ll be back in an hour.”

She headed out the door. Nessie skipped after her. She paused on the threshold to glance back at me. Her grin was as knowing as her mother’s.

“Use a raincoat!”

Then she was shutting the door and I was left staring at it with absolute horror.

It was still surreal, being so open about my relationship with Adam. There were days I still worried Nessie would change her mind
, but they were becoming less frequent with every passing day. The first few weeks had been the worst, but not as bad as the days following the first time we had sex. I had no idea how everyone knew we’d done it, especially since we’d been the only two in the house, and maybe it was just me being paranoid, but I could have sworn everyone I knew and everyone I passed on the street knew I’d done the deed. Adam thought it was hilarious, which didn’t quench my fears.

“So what if they know?” he’d said when I told him.

“I have to look your mother in the face. The last thing I want is for her to think I’m, I dunno, immoral.”

His eyebrow had lifted. “Well, you
are pretty dirty once I get you naked…”

I hit him.
“Stop that!”

Laughing, he kissed me.
“Relax. It’s not such a big deal.”

I knew he was right, but I still blushed furiously every time he walked into a room with me in it and our eyes met. It probably didn’t help that he smirked
when he did it, as though he was remembering us tangled, sweaty and naked across his bed. I was always torn between hitting him and dragging him back to bed. The guy was incorrigible and I was absolutely crazy about him.

With one hand on the banister, I jogged u
p the stairs to the second floor. I knew Adam was locked away in his room, studying for his exams, but I promised myself that I would only stay a minute. I would say hi, give him a kiss and leave. At least, that had been the plan.

I reached his door and knocked softly.

“Yeah?” I heard him mutter.

I turned the knob and stuck my head inside. It always amazed me how organized his room was for a boy. I tried not to think how messy we’d made it the weekend his parents took Ne
ssie to some doctor in Calgary to get diagnosed, leaving him home alone. Well, semi-alone.

“Hey,” I murmured, slipping inside and shutting the door behind me.

His head came up from the text book open across his cluttered desk, his blue eyes wide behind his glasses. Other books, papers and notebooks lay scattered around his elbows. A mug of cold coffee sat beneath a dim lamp and he had a pen sticking out from behind his ear even though he held one between his fingers, poised over papers. He was a mess. His face was shadowed in at least two days of growth. His hair needed a cut and stuck up around his head in spikes. His clothes were wrinkled and stained, and I never thought he could look sexier.

“Hey,” he said, dropping the pen in his hand onto his open book.
“I thought you said you were avoiding me until after the exams, which I still think is horribly unfair.”

I smiled, tilting my head to the side. “
I’m not staying long. I just wanted to see you.”

He turned his chair to face me. “Does that include you moving closer or
…?”

Laughing, I shuffled over to him. I bit my lip when his fingers found my hips and I was dragged between his knees. My hands rested lightly on his shoulders.

“You need a shave,” I said, raising one hand to touch the soft bristles along his jaw.

He made a humming sound. “
There’s something else I need way more.”

I felt the hot tingles way before his gaze swept up to meet mine. “Yeah? What’s that?”

In a move I thought he was very good at, he rose and hoisted me up into his arms. My legs went automatically around his hips and my arms around his neck as I was carried to the bed. His phone vibrated, making a loud, cluttering sound across the desk.

“Ignore it,” he
said, yanking off my sneakers. “It’s just Kenny.”

“You sure?” I had no idea why I was breathing so hard, but I couldn’t seem to slow my heart rate down once
my top was torn over my head and his hands were on me. “Could be important.”

He shook his head, his mouth attacking my shoulder and neck. “
He wants to come over this weekend to study. I’ll answer him later.”

“I told you, I can’t stay,” I said, but put up no fight when he reached for the fasten
ers on my jeans. My own fingers tucked under the hem of his shirt and made quick work yanking the material over his head.