Seat 2A

by Dela

  “I don’t know how I can undo that. I suppose you don’t. It’s inhuman to undo love, almost evil. Whether you like it or not, he was a part of my life and I can’t ever forget that.”

  “I can’t compete with that.” He sighed, and his grin lowered.

  “I’m not asking you to. You just have to accept it. And if you can’t, you and I will never have a chance.”

  His chin barely moved when he whispered, “I know.”

  “My feelings for you are untouched.” I reached for his arm without asking. It felt so good to touch him, to know he was real after all this time. “They’re the same now as they were the moment you became Seat 2A. So really, it was Colby who was competing with you.”

  A glimpse of relief poked through his troubled eyes. “Thank you, Jessie.”

  I tried to hold his gaze but another relentless shiver made me stand. “It . . . is . . . so . . . cold! I, I’m going to h,head inside. You want to come?”

  “Are you sleeping in my room with me tonight?” He asked, standing up and stretching. He started to chuckle. “I told Gizelle that you should sleep in my room but she wasn’t buying it.”

  “I know, I heard on the way over. What happened to your habit of not sharing?”

  “I suppose I can share with you.” We stepped inside the sleeping house when Kendal leaned into my ear. “I’m a really good bed heater. I can warm you up in seconds,” he whispered.

  His closeness dropped electrifying pulses down to my toes. “What would everyone think if I woke up in your bed?”

  “I can’t handle being discreet. It’s too hard.”

  “Because you’re used to getting what you want.” I started back toward my bedroom. He followed close.

  “Well it wasn’t hard in Ashland,” he said.

  “I was vulnerable,” I reminded.

  “You were perfect.”

  How the hell am I supposed to remain a composed adult when hotness is swaying me toward him? I could only imagine how that would look in front of Colby. I turned around and promptly jabbed my finger in his chest. “Kendal, no.”

  “Fine. Breakfast tomorrow?”

  “With everyone? Sure.”

  “No. Just us.”

  We were nearing the bedrooms so I lowered my voice. “You know we can’t. Colby will be here early. He’ll probably get here before we wake up. I still need to respect him.”

  “Well then I will say goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Kendal.”

  I moved first, turning my back on him as I stepped away, but warm fingers clenched around my wrist—around our old, withered promise—and yanked me back. I fell into his chest and dared to look up with our faces in kissing range. He remained calm and steady, placing my face between his hands without permission. Remember, Kendal.

  He tilted my head up with a precise purpose and whispered, “Goodnight.”

  I closed my eyes, waiting impatiently, for his lips to claim mine. They were raw and satisfying, lingering only with soft foreign pecks until Kendal deepened his kiss with more hunger. He moaned as his tongue slid through my mouth swirling through new territory and intertwining with mine. His hands pressed tighter against my cheeks as I wrapped my arms around his waist. His touch was heaven and drove me crazy but suddenly Kendal let out a heavy breath and stopped, touching his forehead to mine.

  “Be with me,” he pleaded, nearly panting.

  My kitty was purring below, and wanted to be satisfied in ways I knew only Kendal could handle; but what about Colby, and taking time to myself, and finding out what my dream was? I nimbly smiled and whispered the only thing that sounded right, “Goodnight, Kendal.”

  I tried to step away but he pulled me back in with a farewell kiss. It was soft and slow and everything but boring. It was the kind of kiss you never say goodbye to. The romantic kind you imagine under the mistletoe. The safe kind you keep close at bay.

  I was leaning in, pining for more when he pulled away.

  “Sleep good,” he grinned.

  I slipped back into bed moments later without a sound. I turned to the side and pulled my hands beneath my head, imagining where Kendal and I would be if he never had to leave Whistler. I wondered how many kisses like those I could have had the last seven years.

  “It’s snowing!” someone shouted from the kitchen the next morning.

  It was hard to not wake when the noise in the great room was growing. Alone in my room, I dragged my bare feet to the window and stared out at the dark clouds casted over the ocean that made furry flakes drift along the beach. I was freezing just by the sight of it. I was tightening my sweater across my chest when Kendal peered from outside the window, startling me so hard I jumped.

  He looked playful this morning, the way his shoulders shook when he laughed. I liked it; I could see dimples in his cheeks. I lifted the window up and stuck my head out.

  “What are you doing?” I whispered, looking around to make sure we were alone.

  “I brought you a breath.” He held out a few stems of baby’s breath and lifted them toward me. “You’re going to need these,” he said, looking satisfied by the shock on my face as I took them in. “I remembered after all this time.”

  “How did you—”

  “Colby is here by the way. And he seems uptight.”

  I smirked. “It’s only around you I’m sure. Colby is harmless. And thank you for the flowers. I’ll hide them in my bag.”

  Before I moved Kendal was leaning in through the window planting a lovely, morning kiss. Did I say I needed space? I reached for him but he was too quick, halfway back toward the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder every few steps.

  “Wait, where are you going?” I asked.

  He raised his empty hands to his sides with a shrug. “We’ve got company. I needed that kiss to give me strength for one in particular.”

  “Kendal, don’t you do anything.” I warned.

  “I want to trust you in the worst way.” He smiled and then dashed back to the kitchen.

  No he didn’t. He wouldn’t. I had to get there now. I collected a few things I needed to get ready and rushed for the small cubical bathroom. I threw my jeans and sweater on faster than ever, doing a quick toothbrush sweep with the barest amount of toothpaste. Fingers through hair. Good. The waves from yesterday were still here and not completely out of control. Now off to the kitchen . . .

  “Jessie,” Colby called, noticing my haste as I entered. He was standing near the refrigerator drinking a glass of water. I straightened up and smoothed out my sweater, even though it didn’t need any smoothing.

  Four long weeks I had been ignoring Colby. I thought it would make the break easier. “Colby!”

  I didn’t know what to do other than give him a welcoming hug. The tightness of his hands on the small of my back answered all my suspicions. Colby wasn’t over me. I backed away, noticing Kendal in my peripheral with a stone cold stare. I looked the other way.

  “It’s good to see you again,” I said to Colby, scanning the room for help. “You’ve already met Sue and Bianca?”

  Out of politeness, he tore his eyes away from me and spared them some attention. “Yes I did.” He stepped backwards and took a measuring head-to-toe glance. “Have you eaten yet?”

  “No, actually. I just woke up.”

  “You need to eat, Jessie,” Gizelle said, watching as Kendal left the room. “We’ve decided to play a flag football game. You’re going to need energy. Austin doesn’t play nice.” She giggled as Austin came around the counter and kissed her on the cheek.

  “Neither do you hon . . . neither do you,” he said, following Kendal out of the room.

  I wondered if he was going to his room for something, or if he was following Kendal to have a talk. I was hoping Kendal would keep his mouth shut about last night when I noticed a plate under my nose. I shook my head to focus. Gizelle’s skinny arm held it there.

  “Here you go babe.” I took it and Gizelle pointed to her side. “Hash browns and eggs on the st
ove. Bianca’s specialty.”

  “Thank you, Bianca,” I said.

  “Of course,” she nodded. She didn’t look up from the table. She was showing Sue something on her phone, but I was betting it was a distraction from Colby. Sue was acting strange. She couldn’t sit still. She kept readjusting her position on her seat. I hadn’t noticed the small bowl of gummy bears next to her until I walked over to them.

  “What are you guys looking at?” I asked, taking a bite.

  Only when they looked up could I see the determination already setting in their bodies. “Oh nothing, watching YouTube videos on how to be good at flag football,” Sue said, stealing a look behind my shoulder.

  I watched her as a little smile emerged on her expression. He was definitely looking at us. I sat down and started eating. “Anything worth noting?”

  “Don’t get caught,” Bianca teased.

  I shoved another bite into my mouth. “Your potatoes are incredible by the way.”

  “Thank you.”

  “So have you played flag football on the sand before? The guys probably already have an advantage over us,” I declared.

  “That’s why we’re breaking up into teams,” Colby replied, joining us at the end of the table.

  I opened my mouth to say something when Kendal and Austin walked back into the room. Kendal didn’t stop and headed straight for us at the table.

  “We’re picking teams,” Kendal stated.

  I glanced to Bianca, supposing she’d be the coin toss since we had an odd number.

  “Colby and I will be captains,” Austin stated. “Bianca and Sue you’re with me and Gizelle, Kendal and Jessie you’re with Colby.”

  Gizelle passed out the flags, smiling when she got to me. Was this planned? I wanted to ask. I wanted to know how Colby, Kendal and I on a team could possibly help the situation. I was the last to put on my blue flag and the last to leave the house.

  Everyone conjugated down below on the sand between the house and the water. The dark sky brought a breeze that flew hair into my face. I hurriedly pinned it up in a bun and walked over to Colby and Kendal, who were already planning our defense but careful keeping their distance from each other.

  “Jessie, we decided you should be in the middle. Colby and I will take up the sides,” Kendal said firmly.

  I shook my head in agreement.

  Colby placed his hand on my back. “Are you sure that’s okay?”

  “Yes, Colby. I can handle it.” I wormed a little to release Colby’s hand. I hadn’t realized how much security he liked to impose on me. Or the football in Kendal’s hand being squished to death. “Give me the ball, Kendal.”

  He handed it over without complaint and left them to join the close-knit, huddling team. “Let’s go guys!” I yelled, suddenly wondering who I would pass it to first.

  I cursed under my breath. This was so political it was stupid. If I passed it to Kendal then Colby would suspect something happened between us already. If I passed it to Colby then I feared Kendal would raise his competition glory. I didn’t know which chance to weather but I at least hoped they would pass it to each other and not kill me in the middle.

  A snowflake caught in my eye as Austin’s team positioned themselves. I swiped it away and looked to my right. Kendal nodded. I checked my left. Colby was watching Kendal.

  “Colby!” I snapped. “Pay attention.”

  I watched with disbelief as Sue placed herself on Colby’s side and Bianca on Kendal’s. Gizelle was in the back and Austin directly in front of me.

  “Austin, play nice,” I pleaded. He chuckled when I began. “Read, set, GO!”

  I passed the ball to Kendal first without a thought. There was no time to look toward Colby for his reaction because I was running the length of the middle, trying to escape Gizelle and Austin.

  “Pass the ball!” Colby hollered.

  Bianca was almost to Kendal, her arms reaching out for his waist, when Kendal threw it back to me. The ball landed in my hands as I heard a ‘swoosh.’ I looked down. Gizelle was grinning, dangling my flag in her hand.

  “Got you Jessie,” she chuckled.

  “Kendal! Why didn’t you pass it to Colby? I was surrounded,” I asked with a petulant tone.

  “It’s okay, Jessie. Let’s start over,” Colby interrupted.

  I started the round again, passing it to Colby this time to spite Kendal. Sue leaped for him but Colby dodged and Sue’s face planted into the sand. I laughed and kept running.

  “I’m open!” Kendal called. I checked everyone’s position. Austin was nearing Colby, Gizelle was tagging me, and Bianca was almost arm’s reach from Kendal. It was a fair toss.

  I turned and cantered towards Kendal, hoping for Gizelle and Bianca to bunch up when I noticed the football falling toward me.

  “Jessie, catch!” It was simultaneous—the catch and the swoosh.

  “Colby! Why did you pass it to me? Kendal is much taller than Bianca. He could have caught it and ran!”

  He responded with a mindless shrug. I grunted. “Okay, let’s try this again.”

  But the boys didn’t try at all and refused to pass it to one another. Five more rounds of the same heedless moves had me staring at those nitwits with a ferocious expression.

  “We need to change teams,” I stated, noticing my cold breath for the first time. “Colby and Kendal can’t be on the same team.”

  My hands and toes were nearly numb from the winterish breeze, but I was determined to play at least one round.

  “Kendal come with us,” Austin said, waving his hand. Kendal threw the ball into the sand and walked toward them. “Bianca, would you mind joining them?”

  “Of course!”

  She jogged to the ball near Kendal’s side and picked it up. “Where do you want me?”

  I couldn’t help but notice her sharp-minded play for Kendal’s attention. Luckily he had already walked to Colby’s side without a glimpse in her direction. I smiled when I shouldn’t have because now he was on Colby’s side, and that was forbidden ground, he just skirted over there like a bad baby kitten.

  “You take middle. I’ll take Kendal’s side,” I told Bianca, watching Kendal and Colby carefully.

  “You got it.” She winked at Kendal in case he was looking—he wasn’t—and ran to the center of formation. She had white snowflakes stuck to her fiery red hair. My limbs were starting to ache from the cold, but we kept going.

  “Ready, set, GO!” Bianca called.

  She threw the ball to me first. I ran tiredly in the cool sand a few steps before trying to ditch the ball without Sue tagging me. It was a pathetic pass. It moved slowly across our heads on its way to Colby, so slow that Kendal had enough time to jump for it the same time as Colby and they collided in the air like two sacks of flour. I winced.

  Kendal was much taller than Colby, though, and snatched the ball with ease. Colby recovered quickly and yanked Kendal’s flag off with a wiseass smirk. Kendal grunted. We started over.

  Bianca and I learned fairly quickly that we couldn’t pass the ball to Colby at all because freaking Tarzan-Kendal stayed centimeters away, waiting to steal the ball with a determined expression. And he did. Every time! But because he had to be so close to Colby to fetch it, Colby’s hand was always there ready to snatch Kendal’s red flag right off. The game never got anywhere.

  “Kendal, quit getting so close to Colby,” Austin muttered under his breath.

  Kendal grunted, resuming his position.

  The game lasted another ten minutes before everyone surrendered to both the cold and the feuding children, who threw annoyed glances at one another as we walked back to the house.

  “Does anyone want to BBQ for lunch?” Gizelle asked.

  “I’ll do it,” Kendal swiftly offered.

  “Thanks, Kendal. The meat is in the fridge.” She turned to the rest of us. “How about we freshen up and meet in the kitchen when you’re ready? Kendal, you can use Austin and I’s bathroom to give the others more space.”


  “I don’t need to get ready. I’m okay for now,” Colby added.

  “Oh alright. Well you can fill up the cups with ice then maybe?”

  “Sure.”

  “Oh, Kendal, the coleslaw in the fridge needs to be mixed. Can you do that while the meat is cooking? I’ll be quick and come do the rest.”

  “It’s okay, Gizelle. I can help too. I’m just going to grab my sweater,” I offered.

  “Thanks, Jessie. Alright then, see you guys in a bit!”

  We all split. Sue, Bianca, and I went to our suitcases and all pulled out thicker sweaters. I was frozen, my nose a little drippy. And I saw Sue’s was too when I caught her wiping at it with a Kleenex.

  “Do you guys mind if I use the bathroom first? I just need to use the restroom,” I asked.

  “Go for it,” Bianca said. Her biceps couldn’t help but bulge as she pulled her hair up into a pony. “I’m going to rinse off my body. Sue, you okay with that?”

  Sue looked at me and sniffed. “We’re right behind you. Go on.”

  I nodded and walked to the bathroom with a thick sweater and clean leggings jumbled in my arms. I yanked them on quickly once I had the bathroom locked. I cleaned up my makeup, and fixed my hair by pulling it up and spritzing some hairspray to tame the flyaways.

  Then I marched straight to the kitchen.

  Kendal and Colby were alone in an utterly awkward silence with scowls tattooed across their faces. Kendal stirred the coleslaw with an absent motion while Colby filled cups with ice, neither paying any attention to what they were actually doing.

  I decided to pull out all the condiments and do whatever I could before Gizelle came back. I opened the fridge and saw a pickle jar first and thought it would go nice as a side. I managed to put it on the counter without looking at either of the large sloths at my side. I snugged my hand around the lid and turned my wrist hard. It didn’t move, so I let go and started over. Nothing. Not even a budge.

  After a minute, the skin on my palm burned. Colby was suddenly there, at my side removing my hand from the jar and taking it in his. He gripped and turned, only his mouth pinched tight and his face went red from holding his breath. Not even a hairline fracture of movement on the lid. He let out a big breath and tried again.