“Well, I’m not gonna tell him and Kai…” She stopped and smiled. “Yeah, Kai might. They really don’t get along, do they?”
“They don’t, but Kai wouldn’t do that.” Ugh, morals suck.
I walked home after our talk and saw a note on the side from Mum saying they’d left to go to the village fate for the day and to meet up with them when I was ready. There was something I had to do before I went out.
Flopping down on my bed, I resigned myself to the inevitable, I was telling Lucas.
“Hey,” he answered on the first ring.
“Hi,” I said quietly. My stomach was all tied up in knots. Please don’t take this badly.
“You okay, babe?”
“Yeah, but I need to tell you something about last night.”
He hesitated and then said, “Go on.”
I took a deep breath. “Last night I stayed at Kai’s with Sophie. We weren’t going to but she met someone and spent all night in Kai’s room with him. I fell asleep on the sofa.” I paused a second to breathe. “I woke up and Kai was sleeping beside me. Nothing happened, I promise.” Silence. “Luke, I’m sorry. Please say something.”
“I’ll call you later.”
“No, Luke–”
“Tegan, you know I don’t like the guy so please give me some time. I’ll call you later.” He ended the call. Fuck sake! Sighing in frustration, I buried my head in the pillow and groaned.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Tegan
Less than an hour later there was a knock on the door and Lucas stood smiling sheepishly behind it. He winced at the pissed off look on my face. “Hey, babe.”
“Hey, babe? That’s all you have to say to me?”
“Can I come in?”
I stepped out of the way to let him through even though I felt like slamming the door in his overreacting face.
“Calmed down?” I asked.
“I’m sorry. I know I didn’t handle that well.”
“No, you really didn’t.” I tilted my head back and tied my hair in a loose ponytail. “Nothing happened.”
“I know, I believe you. I guess it just freaked me out because of your past with him.”
“Hey, key word in there, Luke, is past.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry. On the way over here I was thinking about how badly I’d reacted and I realised that you didn’t have to tell me, I never would’ve found out, and I love that you did. I trust you.”
Sophie was so wrong. I was glad I told him the truth. I wasn’t that honest and open with anyone else in my life but I was really trying with him.
“So, are we cool?” he asked.
“We’re cool,” I replied, stepping into his embrace. “Thank you for coming all this way so we could sort it out.
“Of course. Do you want me to stick around?”
“I thought you had a lot to do?”
“I do but I want to make sure you’re alright.”
“I am now,” I said and kissed him. “And I don’t want to keep you, I know I’ve been doing that a lot and I’m meeting up with my mum and Ava at the fate.”
“I’ll drop you off then.”
I was happier since we’d sorted things out and after a quick change of clothes I was ready to go to the crappy fate.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay longer?” he asked again as he pulled into a parking space.
“No, it’s fine, really.” I smiled. “I’ll see you on Friday.”
He kissed me again.
I reluctantly prised my hands off him, got out of the car, and waved as he drove away. I headed off to try to find Mum and Ava but the steady stream of floats driving through town was making it hard.
Someone grabbed me from behind, making me jump. I spun around to fucking punch them but stopped when I saw who it was. “Damn it, Kai!” I punched him on the arm anyway and he laughed.
“Your face just then,” he said, trying and failing to get a grip on his laughing.
“Whatever,” I mumbled, folding me arms over my chest.
“I’m sorry, princess.”
He wasn’t.
“Buy me an ice cream and I’ll forgive you.”
He smiled. “You’re easy. Come on.”
“What’re you doing here anyway? Didn’t think this would be the sort of thing you were into.”
He shrugged. “Got bored.”
We ordered ice cream and headed deeper into the parade.
“So, Sophie and Mark never came back then?”
“Nope, but at least they’re in his bed.”
We turned the corner and I finally saw Mum and Ava looking at a jewellery stall. Kai stopped walking as he saw them. “Are you scared of my mum?” I asked, giggling at the expression on his face.
He composed himself quickly. “No, I’m not scared.”
“Come on then.” I smiled. He reluctantly walked with me. I knew it was awkward but they all needed to get over it, Kai was my friend and there wasn’t anything anyone could say to change that.
“Hey,” I said to their backs as we approached.
They both spun around quickly. “Oh, hi, honey.” Mum’s eyes fell on Kai and he smiled a little too much. “Kai.”
“Hello, Mrs Pennells,” he replied politely. I laughed but quickly covered it up with a cough. Kai nudged my arm.