Jessie laughed with her and stopped when she saw April and Kai talking. In a whisper, Jessie unintentionally added, “I’m not alone…Kai’s here.”
Kai twisted to look at her then, and Jessie beamed at him. He returned her grin, and even with the physical distance between them, Jessie felt the warmth in it. Harmony was silent for a moment then said, “Sure…but…you can’t date Kai. Maybe you should try and find your Ricardo.”
Harmony laughed as she said the fictitious name Jessie had told her, but the comment about Kai struck deep. Her face flushed, Jessie smacked Harmony’s arm. Little did Harmony know that Jessie actually had found her Ricardo…and Harmony was right, she couldn’t date him.
Ignoring the sadness in that fact, and Harmony bellyaching at being smacked, Jessie walked up to Kai. His eyes were curious; he’d seen her hit her friend. “Okay,” Jessie sighed dramatically, “I’m ready.”
Kai laughed at her put-out expression. “Let’s hit the road then.” His eyes twinkled playfully. It was astoundingly attractive, and Jessie felt her heart race for more reasons than just the fear of riding a motorcycle.
Ignoring the adrenaline surging, she groaned again. “We’re not literally going to hit the road, are we?” Her face scrunched in concern; she actually was nervous about that.
Sighing, Kai lightly grabbed her arm, just above her elbow. Jessie felt the heat of his touch through her padded jacket. “Would I let you down, Jessie?” His eyes searched her face, and Jessie could have sworn he wasn’t really talking about dumping her on his bike.
Gazing up at him, she shook her head. “No,” she whispered.
He smiled softly, and his hand drifted down her arm. His fingers passed over hers, and Jessie had to stop herself from grabbing his hand. As one, they both looked back at her roommates. “Have a good afternoon, ladies,” Kai said politely.
Harmony smiled brightly and told them to have fun. April pursed her lips and gave Kai a seductive smile. Walking right up to him, close enough that Jessie had to take a step back, she cupped Kai’s cheek. “See you Saturday night,” she said in a breathy voice.
It made Jessie ill that they’d made plans while she’d been getting ready. But what April did next shocked her. In an all too obvious maneuver, she leaned up to his mouth. She was going to kiss him, right in front of Jessie.
Kai’s eyes widened as she approached, but he didn’t pull away. Jessie wanted to do something, wanted to avert her eyes, but she couldn’t stop watching as her friend lightly pressed her lips to his, enclosing them in a soft kiss. Jessie knew that April was forward, but she kind of thought she’d at least hold out until their official first date before feeling comfortable enough to casually kiss him goodbye. Although it was really more of a peck than a full-on kiss. Even still, Kai’s eyes half-closed, and he seemed affected by it when she pulled away.
The spell broken, Jessie finally looked away. Needing air, she turned and strode out the front door. She could hear Kai murmur goodbye to her friends, before hurriedly following her out the door. Jessie felt the tears stinging, but she forced them back. He should be with April, they made sense together, and she shouldn’t be negatively affected by seeing them kiss. She couldn’t kiss Kai, and April could. And Kai deserved to be kissed, deserved to be loved. It was as simple as that.
But still…that didn’t mean she liked watching it.
Kai wasn’t sure what he was doing, showing up at Jessie’s place the day after they’d decided to go their separate ways, but not really. They’d never truly go separate ways, not with what they meant to each other. And not with the fact that they were family. That would never change. Even if the feelings brewing were hard and confusing, they would eventually fade, and the family ties would be all that remained.
As he watched Jessie walking to his bike, he wondered how she really felt about him and April. She couldn’t have liked seeing April kiss him. Even if Jessie was only mildly attracted to him, she probably hadn’t liked watching it. Kai wished he’d pulled away, but if he had, it would have ruined the perception that he was open to a relationship. He couldn’t send April mixed signals before they’d even begun to date. Not when Jessie had asked him to try. And he was trying. For her, he was trying.
Kai smiled when Jessie stopped at the back of his bike, looking unsure what to do next. Regardless of that awkward situation, he was very glad she’d said yes. Kai missed being alone with his cousin, and he wanted to share with her something that was important to him. He wanted them to be closer…even if, in some ways, they had to be farther apart.