Letting out a quick exhale, Kai worked on calming his nerves as he walked to the front door. Jessie’s truck being in the drive wasn’t helping. She was here. She would come out to say hello, to be polite to her cousin, and then she’d watch him drive off without her. Kai imagined that was going to hurt, and as he knocked on the door, he wished Jessie had stayed away for this. She shouldn’t have to see this.
The door opened wide, and Kai smiled at seeing April standing there. She was very pretty. Given a different set of circumstances, Kai probably would have enjoyed going on a date with her. Having taken his advice, April had layered a couple of long-sleeved T-shirts over a pair of tight, stretchy denims. Her hair was perfectly styled, every strand in its place, and her makeup was meticulous. While she looked amazing, Kai was worried that she wouldn’t approve of a helmet potentially ruining the smooth, low ponytail she had her hair in.
“Kai! Hello!” Leaning forward, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Kai looked down for a second, conflicted. He didn’t want to be attracted to April, but he was a man, and her attention was enjoyable. And that made him feel guilty. He felt even guiltier when he looked up and saw Jessie, a few steps behind April, watching them. As April pulled him into the house by his arm, he locked gazes with Jessie. Not able to control it, he stared at her longingly. If he hadn’t agreed to this, he would tell April that he really wanted to go out with his cousin tonight, not her. But this was what Jessie wanted, what they both needed.
He watched Jessie swallow and give him a slight nod. “Hi, Kai.”
Trying to keep the wistfulness in his face out of his voice, he told her, “Hi, Jessie.” By the way Jessie’s eyes watered, he wasn’t quite sure if he’d succeeded.
Oblivious to the mood in the room, April grabbed a fluffy jacket from the back of the couch. She was attached to his arm in an instant, wrapped, bundled, and ready to go. Kai pulled his attention from Jessie to concentrate on his date. “Ready?” he asked her.
April hugged his arm, pulling herself close into his side. “Yep.” Without a second thought, she glanced over at Jessie. “See ya! Don’t wait up.” She winked after she said it, and Kai closed his eyes to block out the image of Jessie’s face paling.
As April tugged him out the door, Kai looked back at Jessie. “Goodbye,” he whispered.
Jessie feebly raised her hand in a wave, her already wet eyes looking heavier. It killed Kai to watch April close the door between them. He’d never felt guiltier, but somehow they had to change their relationship. They had to be a family. They had to get rid of the…tension between them.
Once outside, April started digging into her purse, like she was looking for her car keys. Clearing his throat, Kai pointed to his bike. “I thought we’d ride?”
April had seemed to like the idea before, when Kai had picked up Jessie for lunch, so he assumed she’d be thrilled, and she did smile, but one of her hands slinked through the end of her long ponytail, and Kai could tell she wasn’t excited about getting her hair messed up. Kai wanted to grimace at the awkward tension he felt building, but he resisted. Walking over to his spare helmet, he helped her put it on. April looked to be containing her reaction as well. Her face was frozen as he carefully slipped the safety device over her once-perfect hairdo. It gave his gut a weird pang to put a present he’d purchased for Jessie over another woman’s head. He felt like he was cheating on her, or somehow betraying her. It was a really strange feeling to have on a date.
While the helmet fit Jessie perfectly, it was just a little too small for April; her ponytail was going to be a mess when she pulled it off. He felt bad about that, but as he glanced over at the window and saw Jessie discretely watching them, his thoughts instantly rewound to watching her pull off the helmet; it had been one of the sexiest things he’d ever seen. Her curls had instantly bounced back to life once freed of the contraption, almost as if they’d been taunting the world that they couldn’t be squashed so easily.
Kai nodded at Jessie through the window, then popped his helmet on and slung the bag over his shoulder, positioning it in front of his chest so April could hold on to him. As he sat on the bike, still half watching Jessie in the window, he remembered the feel of her body clinging to him. When April slipped on the bike after him, her hands immediately drifted to the front of his jeans; she even slid her fingers through his belt loops. Knowing April wouldn’t hear it through their helmets, Kai let himself sigh. There were so many things about this night that he already wished were different.
Like his date.