About halfway home the skies open up and it pours down with ice cold rain. I shriek and head for cover under the nearest shop awning. Kai slinks in and hides behind my legs. I’m basically protecting him from the cold. The rain doesn’t let up, so after twenty minutes of waiting I decide to sprint home.
By the time we reach the front step we are both puffing, soaking wet, and shivering violently. I push Kai inside and up the stairs into my bathroom. Once there, I turn the shower on hot and push him in. He lets out a little yip as the water hits him, and then he sits under the spray. He jumps out a moment later and shakes the water out all over me. I scowl at him and throw a towel at his face before forcing him out the door so I can hop under the warm water myself.
***
A loud sneeze wakes me from where I passed out on my bed last night. I roll over to face Kai and he sneezes again.
I smirk. “Someone’s got a cold.” He lifts his lip and growls at me before leaving the room. I change into a pair of warm track pants and a long sleeved sweater then head out to the kitchen. I hear another sneeze—this one sounds human. Rounding the corner, I find Kai sitting at the kitchen table in his t-shirt and pants, shivering. I should probably get him some warmer clothes.
I twist the knob on the stove and set about making him chicken soup. Kai sneezes again and I giggle. He gives me a dark look, ignoring me until I place the bowl of soup down in front of him. He finishes the soup and sneezes again. I hand him the tissue box with a smile.
The corner of his mouth lifts slightly. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I grab the throw blanket off the couch and wrap it around his shoulders. I notice the dark red, still raw scars peeking out from under the collar of his shirt. They probably needed stitches. I feel a little guilty as I turn and walk back to the couch to sit down. Kai gets up and follows me.
“What do you want to watch?”
“Something that looks warm?” he answers, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. Halfway through the movie he stands and exits the room, leaving his blanket behind. When he returns, I lift the blanket up and he crawls up underneath it, curling himself into a furry ball.
***
Ashlee’s moving truck pulls into the driveway, followed by her red sports car. She’s a few weeks earlier than I thought she’d be. Classes don’t start for a while yet. Two large men jump out of the truck and start unloading boxes. She skips up to me with a smile as I hold the door open for her.
“Hey, Sammy,” she sings as she rushes past me and up the stairs. Kai and I hide on the couch while Ashlee’s stuff is brought in and she gets settled. Keeping Kai out of her sight is probably the best thing anyway; she’s still scared of him, that much was evident in the way she looked at him when she moved a box up to her room.
Ashlee’s heels click down the stairs long after the sun has gone down. I get up and meet her in the kitchen. She’s bent over with her head in the fridge; her tight jeans don’t leave much to the imagination.
“I was thinking something with a bit of meat in it?” she asks, popping back up, holding an armload of ingredients. I smile and reach over to help.
“Sounds good.”
“So, do you like the house?” she asks over her shoulder as she cuts up the potatoes and throws them in the pot beside her.
“I love it. I wasn’t expecting to feel so at home here already.” She turns her head and grins at me.
“I’m glad you’re here, Sammy.”
When dinner is ready and set out on the table, we sit down across from each other and dig in. Kai watches us from the doorway; he looks like he’s drooling. He’ll have to wait until after Ashlee has gone to bed so I can sneak him some.
She catches me looking at him. “What’s its name?”
“His name is Chester,” I answer, trying to hide my smile. If only she knew.
“It’s a he? Has he been neutered?” I gag and cough around my mouthful of beef and burst out laughing. Kai sits up straighter and makes a choking sound.
Ashlee frowns in confusion. “What’s so funny? What did I say?”
I take a deep breath and wipe the tears from my eyes. “Nothing, nothing’s wrong. Neutering is a great idea, but I don’t think he’d ever forgive us.” Ashlee shakes her head at me and stands, taking her bowl to the sink.
As soon as Ashlee has gone to her room, Kai and I sneak back down into the dark kitchen. I dish up a large bowl of leftovers and set it on the floor near the sink. He devours it like he’s about to die of starvation. I chuckle softly and sit down beside him while I wait, my head leaning against the cupboard.
I clean and put away the bowl when he finishes, then tip-toe up the stairs to my room with Kai following. His claws click loudly on the hard floor. I sit on my bed, facing him. He stops walking and sits, with his head tilted to the side.
“You don’t have to keep sleeping in here. Ashlee’s here now and I know you guys are together, or were together. You can sleep with her if you want, I’m sure she’ll warm up to you.” He stands and jumps up onto my bed, curling up on top of my blankets. I sigh and head into the bathroom to change. I dress in my flannel pj’s and run as fast as I can across the cold wood floor to the warmth of my bed.
CHAPTER 13
Kai
By the time I wake up, Sam has already left her room. The cold nights make me tired, I’m sleeping more than I should. I trot down the stairs and follow their voices out onto the deck. I remember meeting Ashlee’s parents back in Miakoda Falls. Her father gave me the look as he shook my hand, the one that says, if you hurt my daughter, I will find you and I will kill you. I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel now; she doesn’t know that I’m right here with her.
I sit on the top step and stare out at the yard. Sam and Ashlee walk out into the slushy mud from the rain.
“Ever been in a mud pie fight?” Sam calls out from across the yard.
Ashlee glances up from looking at her wet shoes in disgust. “No, and I don’t intend to be. Ever.” Sam laughs two seconds before throwing a handful of sloppy mud at Ashlee’s face. It hits her in the chest and she looks over at Sam with a shocked expression. Next minute Ashlee has a handful of mud and she’s chasing Sam around the yard.
They come back to the deck and sit down, out of breath, puffing and covered in foul smelling mud.
“We should go clubbing this weekend.” Ashlee leans away from me as I lay down.
“I don’t know,” concern fills Sam’s voice. I tilt my head.
“Come on, Sam, all you’ve done over the break is stay at home. It will be fun, I promise.”
“I don’t have anything to wear.”
Ashlee claps her hands, excited. “That gives us an excuse to go shopping tomorrow, my treat.”
Sam hesitates and glances at me. “Okay, fine.”
Sammy
“He won’t hurt you,” I promise Ashlee when Kai decides to sit on the couch beside her. I assume he’s trying to get her used to him so he can follow her around instead of being stuck with me. She’s scrunched up in the corner, holding the arm of the couch in a death grip. I gently grab her hand and pry it off the couch, lifting it up. I place her hand on his head.
“It’s fine, see? He likes you.” She relaxes slightly, her body unfolding from the tight ball she’s in. Pulling her hand back, she takes a deep breath and turns to the TV.
***
I brush my teeth and change into my pj’s for bed. Kai is already half asleep, ignoring me. “Do you want me to buy you some new clothes tomorrow while I’m shopping?” He opens his eyes but doesn’t move. I’ll assume that’s a no then. “So you think you can survive in just a t-shirt and pants?” His tail wags slowly and he closes his eyes again. “Fine, have it your way.”
***
A loud banging on my door makes me jump up and out of bed. In one swift move I’m holding a small bat over my head.
“Come on, Sam! Get up, let’s go. You’re wasting valuable shopping time!” Ashlee shouts from the other
side of the door. I groan and drop the bat, trudging into the bathroom to get changed.
Kai yawns and jumps off the bed when I come out. He walks out the door ahead of me. Something clatters to the floor loudly down in the kitchen. I dash down the stairs and into the kitchen to see what she’s doing.
She’s bent over, wearing those tight jeans again, rummaging through the cupboard under the sink. Kai plants himself on the other side of the room, a perfect view of her bum. He’s not looking at her though, he’s watching me. I frown and turn to Ashlee.
“What are you looking for?” I ask, propping my hip against the counter beside her and crossing my arms.
She hits her head in surprise and straightens up. “I was looking for something to feed him with.” She points at Kai and rubs the back of her head. “We need to feed him, don’t we? Where do we keep the dog food?”
I look at her, a little shocked. “Umm, I’ve been feeding him at night.”
“With what?”
“Leftovers?” I shrug. She frowns, then shakes her head and leaves the room, heading for the front door.
“Let’s go then.”
***
Ashlee drives us to the mall in her flashy car. As soon as we get out in the parking lot she grabs my hand and drags me into the first clothing store she finds. Most of the outfits she holds up make me shake my head at the gaps or missing material. Is this what people wear out these days? They might as well not wear anything at all. We move onto the billionth shop and I half-heartedly look around. Hold on, what is that?
“This is it.” I hold up a dress for Ashlee to see.
She looks up and down at it, inspecting. “Well, go try it on.”
I come out of a changing room a couple of minutes later. The dress looks like fire; the orange-yellow color shimmers as I move. It comes down to just above my knees. I love sparkles.
“Wow, that looks great,” Ashlee says from the open dressing room door beside me. She smiles and twirls in her sapphire blue, extremely short cocktail dress.
“Won’t we get cold?” I ask her as I turn back into the room to take the dress off.
“ It will be hot and stuffy inside with all the people.” Yay, people…I shake my head and pull up my jeans. What have I gotten myself into?
Kai
I stretch out beside the front door, waiting while the girls get ready to go out. Ashlee strolls down the stairs first, her blue dress clinging to her in all the right places. Sam walks down soon after wearing a pretty orange dress. They both turn to the rack to grab their coats. Sam leans over and brushes her fingers over the top of my head as she walks through the door. It bangs shut behind them, and the silence closes in. I look down at the tiles. This is it; this is all I have to look forward to for the rest of my life—being alone in the quiet.
CHAPTER 14
Sammy
I can feel the thumping of the music from outside the club where we are waiting in line. It doesn’t take long to be let in. As soon as we enter I feel suffocated. The music is so loud I can’t hear myself breathe, let alone speak. The lights flash in erratic patterns and colors. I glance down at my dress; it glitters in the colorful lights. I smile to myself as I follow Ashlee to the bar where she orders us both a Coke. With drinks in hand, we walk around the room looking for somewhere to sit.
A group of people leave their seats to dance and we rush over to snag them before someone else. Ashlee lent me a pair of strappy silver heels and my feet are already killing me. We finish off our drinks and Ashlee grabs my arm, tilting her head to yell in my ear. “Let’s go dance.” She tugs me up from our seat and leads me into the pulsating mass of people on the dance floor. She starts twisting and spinning—I just stand there, not knowing what to do. I don’t know how to dance.
“Just let the music take over!” she shouts in my ear and grabs my wrists, pulling me around in a spin. I close my eyes and let the music sink into my skin, twisting and turning my body to the rhythm.
Sweat dribbles down my temple and I’m grinning so wide it almost hurts. Ashlee pulls me off the dance floor and toward the front of the club and the exit.
“Are we leaving?” I ask her, gasping a little for breath. I’m so unfit, it’s not even funny. She smiles back at me and we walk out onto the street.
“It’s past one o’clock. You look like you’re getting tired. I know I am.”
“Not at all.” I grab a light pole as we walk past and spin myself around it. “That was the most fun I’ve ever had.”
“Good, we’ll go again. I promise.”
***
I nearly trip over Kai because he’s lying inside the front door. The adrenaline from the club is starting to wear off and I feel like I’m going to collapse in exhaustion at any moment. I trudge up the stairs, lifting my heavy legs slowly. Ashlee follows me up and heads to her own room with a goodnight.
It’s well past midday when I wake up, and even then I’m still tired. My body aches in places I didn’t know I had. I stretch out and groan. Who knew dancing would be such a workout? Kai pushes his wet nose into my face. I gasp and jump away.
“What was that for?” He whines and looks toward the door. He’s been trapped in here with me since last night. Whoops. After opening the door for him, I change and plod down to the living room, curling up on the couch and switching on the TV. Ashlee emerges soon after and sits, curled up on the cushions next to me. She looks how I feel.
***
A clap of thunder wakes me. I’ve fallen asleep on the sofa. The house is dark, so I assume Ashlee’s already gone to bed. I wipe my eyes as I walk into my room; I’m not getting to sleep anytime soon.
The storm outside howls, making the windows creak. Lightning flashes again, illuminating the room in bright white light. It starts to rain, the drops coming down heavy and thick.
Kai trots into my bathroom where I keep his clothes and knocks the door shut behind him. I get up and close my bedroom door, just in case Ashlee happens to walk by and see him. That would be a disaster.
Kai comes out a moment later, rubbing his arms and shivering in the cold air.
“I did ask if you wanted warmer clothes,” I say, looking back down at the book in my lap.
“Did you?” he asks, lying on his back at the bottom of my bed. “Sometimes I can’t understand what you’re saying to me.”
“Really?” Should I be worried? That seems like a big deal. The scars on his neck stand out sharply in the light from my bedside lamp. I reach over, chucking him my throw blanket and he spreads it over himself.
Lightning flashes through my window, making Kai flinch. “I hate lightning.”
I put my book down and arch my brow at him. “Why? What’s wrong with it?”
He turns his head to stare at me in disbelief. “It’s electricity in the sky, what’s not scary about that?” He’s completely serious. I can’t stop myself—my hand flies up to cover my mouth, trying to hide my laugh.
He glares at me as I try to pull myself together. “Finished yet?”
I smile. “Yes. Sorry, I just can’t believe someone like you is afraid of a little storm.”
“Someone like me?”
“You always act so tough, like you’re not scared of anything. It’s just weird to think of you being a normal person like the rest of us.” I stop, looking away. Did I just say that? I can already feel my cheeks burning. “Never mind, forget I said anything.”
“You think I’m tough?” Kai asks, sitting up with a grin.
“Oh shut up.” I throw my pillow at him with a frown.
“Sam, are you okay?” Ashlee’s voice from the other side of my door makes me jump. Kai freezes where he is with my pillow clutched tightly to his chest.
“Umm yeah, I’m fine. Just have my phone on speaker. Sorry,” I call back to her, holding Kai’s frightened silver gaze.
“Okay, goodnight then.” Her footsteps retreat down the hall toward her room. I suck in a deep breath and let it back out slowly.
“That was way
too close.”
Kai nods in agreement and lies back on the bed. I lift my book back up and start reading again, it’s starting to get really good.
“What’s your favorite color?” Kai suddenly asks, interrupting an awesome kissing scene between the two main characters.
I look up, confused. “My favorite color?”
“Yeah. I mean, I’ve been living with you for a while now and I don’t even know the important things, like your favorite color. We’re friends, aren’t we?” He turns his head to look at my confused expression. Friends? I can still remember the last mean thing he said to me and I’m having a hard time letting go of it.
“Don’t worry about it; I was just trying to make conversation. It’s not like I have anyone else to talk to in my limited human hour.” He says the last bit softly, but I still hear it.
Sighing, I shift on the bed. “It’s blue.”
He stares up at my ceiling, flinching when lightning flashes again. “Mine’s red, I think, or maybe green. Come to think of it, I’m not actually sure what my favorite color is.” The lightning flashes again and he tenses, his fingers clenching the pillow and pulling it tight. “What are you studying at Uni, anyway?”
“Oh, I’m majoring in advertising and marketing.”
He gives me a sideways glance. “Advertising? You want to sell stuff for a living.”
“No, I actually want to do the graphic design for logos and stuff.”
“Oh.” He turns back to the ceiling.
I shake my head, a little frustrated at the way he just dismissed my future. “We’re not friends, Kai. I know exactly who you are and what you’re like. I also know that as soon as you figure out how to fix yourself, you’ll go back to being the same arrogant, self-absorbed idiot I grew up with. Nothing will change.” Oh wow, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I’ve surprised myself. But what I said is true, he can’t just intrude on my life, expecting me to forget the person he’s always been, especially toward me.
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