Bloated and sad I crawl into my bed and cry missing Kai, missing his arms holding me tight, making everything else disappear.
I pull out my phone and send him a text.
Me: Killing me Kai <3
Kai: Want you so bad Kat <3
A FaceTime call comes through a few minutes later from Kai. “I wish I was there with you Kat. Do you know what I would be doing?”
“What’s that” I ask and try to smile.
“I’d be eating all of your cupcakes.” He laughs.
“Too late, I already did that. Thank you for everything today. Kai you made this my best birthday ever, even if I didn’t get to spend it with you. You are the most amazing boyfriend in the universe.”
“WOW, the whole universe huh, you sure think a lot of me.” His dimples are popping out. Then Vance sticks his ass next to Kai’s face and farts ruining the moment. “Motherfucker!” Kai shouts dropping his phone. I can’t help but laugh until I cry, hearing Kai punch him.
Vance is shouting “Uncle,” in the background.
Hunter picks Kai’s phone up. “Guess Kai will call you back after he kills Vance. Happy Birthday Katie.”
“Thanks Hunter.” I end the call and go to bed with a smile on my face.
Chapter 25
Kirk was right; prom without Kai is a total shit time. Penny is eyeballing Aaron and his freshman date all night giving me an earful of their every move. Raven is pissed over a picture showing up online of Jake and some chick from an all-female band that is going on tour with Cooper’s Religion.
“Don’t that bother you Katie? Kai is there too, doing whatever Jake is doing,” she says puffing her cheeks out.
“I trust Kai. He wouldn’t hurt me like that.” He wouldn’t I just know it. We have been playing phone tag all night. He is at some party for his record label. He already warned me that the label wants shots of the two groups hanging out to be ‘leaked’ for publicity. I’m not worried. I told Kai to do what he has to do ‘within reason.’
I don’t have to like it but I AM going to be supportive of MY boyfriend, even if the world doesn’t know he is mine, I DO.
Two weeks later though, I no longer feel like being so supportive. Now that Kai is being thrust into the public eye, reporters have been sniffing around our town trying to dig up gossip on the band. Kai told me to avoid any and all questions, only answering with a ‘no comment.’ The label doesn’t want it known Kai has a girlfriend. Of course they don’t. They want the public to think Kai is getting ‘cozy’ with Lena Lovelace, the lead singer of Ashes & Roses—that all girl band.
The only good thing is Kai is coming home this weekend for Khloe’s birthday and my graduation. I have been so busy getting ready for graduation and Khloe’s party I haven’t had much time for anything else. I tried to track down my mom, but Nancy Francis, has disappeared from the planet.
I try to put all of the craziness out of my head. Tomorrow is my graduation and my boyfriend will be here any minute now! I have only seen him through FaceTime the past few months, and I cannot wait to kiss his face, lick those dimples, and run my fingers through his hair.
His single is dropping next week. He wants to fly me to LA, for the release party. He said he refused to have anyone else be his date. He also says he has a surprise for me when I come to LA. I don’t know what he has planned but I am so flipping excited. Penny is waiting in the driveway with me. I don’t know if she is more excited to see Vance or Hunter. Raven is coming to the party tomorrow reluctantly. She said she is only coming for Khloe. Jake has been getting hot and heavy with Gina Lux the chick who plays the drums for Ashes & Roses. Kai told me he is bringing her with him this weekend. I can’t blame Raven for not wanting it flaunted in her face.
It would kill me to see Kai with someone else. I think I would actually die.
Finally, Kent pulls up in his wife’s Escalade. He left early this morning to get Kai from the airport but they had a delay and are getting home now three hours late. The vehicle has barely been shifted into park when Kai flings his door open and charges me. His hands are on my butt, his mouth on my neck hot, fast and needy. My fingers are in his brown shaggy hair I have missed feeling so much. He hasn’t shaven and now has a goatee and mustache thing going on. It makes him look so much older.
“Killing me Kat,” he growls in my ear. “Want you so bad,” he says as I kiss his dimples.
I look over Kai’s shoulder and laugh as Penny is trying to decide whom to hug first…Vance or Hunter. They both look ready to eat her alive. Jake and his new girl get out last after Kent. He walks passed Kai and I shaking his head. Guess he knows his son is totally getting laid—soon.
“I am going to lick you from head to toe. You might not make it to your graduation tomorrow,” Kai threatens and promises in a husky tone.
“I am giving a speech so I kind of have to be there,” I tease.
Jake introduces me to Gina; she is a bit funky, like Jake. They actually look perfect together. She has short blonde hair with black streaks striped through it and just as many piercings in her face as Jake has in his ears.
“It’s finally nice to put a face with the name we all suffer listening to this one pine after.” She motions to Kai and his cheeks grow red.
“You do love me don’t you,” I tease poking him in the side.
Khloe comes running out of the garage screaming for Kai. The kid is so excited to see him she is shaking and crying. It is so sweet and yet sad. She has so much love for her brother. He picks her up and hugs her tight. I can swear a tear trickles down his cheek when she says, “Kai home no go no more without Khloe.”
“I would stay home if I could Khloe-bug.” He carries her into the house and we follow them inside for the pizza Kais’ mom ordered earlier.
I can’t eat. My stomach is doing flip-flops eager to be alone with Kai.
After we eat and the guys tell us all about LA, everyone slowly files out. Penny is driving Hunter and Vance to Jake’s place. And Kai is letting Jake drive Gina to his place in his car.
I follow Kai up to his room and he leaves me briefly to take a quick shower. He is dripping wet when he comes back he…seriously had to jump under the water and straight out. He dives onto the bed after locking the door.
“We should have gotten a room somewhere.”
“Why is that?” I ask.
“Because I have been without you for too damn long, and I plan to make your toes curl, and I want you loud and screaming for me.”
“I am sure you get plenty of girls screaming your name, now that you are a famous rock star,” I tease him.
“Only person screaming my name that will ever matter is you,” he tells me and I die a little inside. He is lying on his bed naked with his hands propped behind his head. His legs are spread and he is erect waiting for me.
“Better turn on some music and hold on to those sheets Kai Cooper, because you are about to be the one screaming my name.” He smiles deviously and turns his phone on loud with my favorite playlist on shuffle.
I don’t give him any other warning than that. My lips wrap around the head of him and he groans grabbing my hair. And then it’s over my boyfriend seriously just came in under three minutes.
“Kat, baby I’m sorry. It’s been so long and I have wanted you so long, I couldn’t help it. I can’t believe I am about to say this but I should have listened to Vance.”
I look at him funny and he laughs.
“No really, he told me that because I hadn’t been with you in so long, that I should empty the chamber so to speak, before seeing you. I thought he was just being stupid, but the dumbass was right.”
‘’Seriously. You. Are. Killing. Me. Kai!” I smack him hard with a pillow.
“Just give me a few minutes Kat, and I’ll give you the night of your life. Going to set your ass on fire.” Just as he says that, a song I recognize all too well starts playing from his phone.
“That’s your song! We wrote that song together! OH MY GOD KAI!” I a
m jumping on his bed—naked. The bed is knocking into the wall loudly and Kai cracks up laughing.
“Well babe, at least my bed is getting some action. Yeah, I wanted to surprise you. It will start playing on the radio next week.” He is grinning ear to ear with pride.
“I am so proud of you Kai,” I sink down onto his lap and bite his bottom lip and he goes hard again.
His face goes all dark and lusty. He shoves me back on the opposite end of the bed and makes slow sweet torturous love to me. His mouth and his hands are all over me as he drives me wild. We make love to his song all night and he does set my ass on fire.
Chapter 26
The band causes quite the commotion when they show up at my graduation. Kai could walk with us but is choosing not to. He will actually be getting his diploma next week. Due to his hectic schedule, he was late with some of his test, but he got them all turned in and he passed, thankfully.
There are reporters crawling trying to get some scoop, any scoop, on Cooper’s Religion. My stomach drops when Kai and I are trying to get into my car and a reporter calls Kai over to where he is standing with Raven.
She has a smug smile on her face. “Can I get a photo of you with your high school sweetheart?” The guy snaps a photo of Kai and Raven.
“She isn’t MY anything!” Kai shouts at him getting pissed.
“You promised me an exclusive,” The reporter says eyeing Raven speculatively.
She shrugs and says, “See you in a few at your party.”
I get in my car slamming my door. I am not to tell anyone that Kai is my boyfriend but apparently it perfectly fine for Raven to say whatever in the hell she wants to about MY boyfriend.
Kai gets in and punches my dashboard. “Sorry Kat, I told her not to be talking to the press. Guess she is wanting her fifteen minutes or something, since Jake won’t give her the time of day.”
“Not your fault that she wants you back, Kai.”
“You know she has NO chance in hell of EVER getting me back. You. Are. All. I. See Kat.” I know he means what he says; it is just hard when Raven seems to always find a way to come between us. Almost every fight we have ever had has had her name in it somewhere. I am tired of it.
“No more lies, no more it’s complicated.” I look him dead in the eye and he nods swallowing hard.
“I’ll talk to her.”
“Yeah, you do that.”
We get back to the house and go to my room.
He steps over my clothes and hangers carefully. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he flops down on the comforter lying next to me. I touch my pinky to his for support. I’m hurt but God do I love him.
“I don’t want to fight Kai but I know you aren’t being honest with me and it’s killing me!”
He squeezes my pinky hard with his. “Do you know how much I regret not just talking to you sooner? I used to watch you singing in choir every Sunday at Church. You made me so nervous. This tiny, brown haired girl, with the voice of an angel intimidated me.”
“Why?” I look at him amused by his confession.
“Maybe because when I tried to kiss her once, she kneed my balls and it hurt really bad.” He laughs but then his smile falls. “Are we okay Kat?”
“Wild horses Kai,” I tell him softly, twisting the pendant hanging around my neck.
“I have some things we need to talk about, but I need to deal with Raven first.”
“Okay,” I say and he kisses my cheek.
“I’ll find you in a bit. I love you Kat.”
Kai leaves my room and I start getting ready for tonight’s party.
I am standing in my closet trying to decide on something to wear, when Penny knocks on my bedroom door and I tell her to come on in.
“So you need to get out here to the party. Raven is here and attached to Kai like a damn leech.”
“Great!” I fake smile.
When I come out of my room, Khloe comes running down the hall wanting a hug.
I scoop her up and carry her towards the kitchen.
Kai and Raven are in the living room, I know this because I can hear them arguing.
“It has been over three years you can’t just change your mind now Raven. Funny fucking timing you have!” Kai is shouting and Khloe cringes hearing how angry he is. Penny gives me a WHAT THE FUCK look.
“I don’t need your permission Kai! End it or I go to the press and tell them everything about your family! I WILL tell them! Every. Little. Dirty. Secret!” Raven shouts and storms passed Khloe and me.
Kai comes charging by grabbing her arm forcefully. “You aren’t doing this here—today!”
“What in the hell is going on?” I look at Kai and Raven they are continuing to argue, ignoring Penny, Kirk, Khloe and me.
“You really don’t see it do you. Katie everything you need to know has been staring you in the face for months. Kai and Raven share a connection. One you’ll never be able to touch,” Kirk whispers in my ear, as Kai watches us with a horrified expression masked over his face.
I don’t know why I never thought of this before…I look at Khloe and my face pales as I remember the stories Penny told me about Raven, she gave her baby up for adoption. I count back in my head. Oh my god! Is Khloe…Kai and Raven’s kid? I feel sick. Is that what he meant by complicated? I can’t breathe. I need air.
He senses my fight or flight expression. “Kat,” he says my name with the realization that I am onto his secret hitting him. I put Khloe down and wait for Kai to stop looking at me. He looks about to crumble into a million pieces.
I can’t do this. I don’t want to do this with him right now.
I feel frozen and unable to speak. I shake my head ‘no’ at him.
His face falls. A lone tear trickles down his cheek.
Kirk grins and takes Khloe from the room.
“Is Khloe your kid?” I ask the question that I never thought I would be asking. Anger is flowing through my blood. I am drowning in a deep sea of red. The thread that connects me to Kai is unraveling.
Raven smiles at me and winks. “Let your mom know I have changed my mind. If you break up with Katie, I might change it again Kai.” She struts out the back door holding her head high proud that she just sliced my soul in half.
Kai’s face is pale and he looks like he can’t breathe. He looks the way I feel. My world is crashing down.
“God Kai! You must think I am so dumb – I would have kept your secret.”
Penny grabs my hand and I jerk back from her. I don’t want anyone to touch me right now. My skin is crawling.
“Katie it wasn’t like that please you have to understand…,” he pleads. I don’t have to do anything.
“You LIED to me Kai—your whole family LIED to me for months. I bet you and Raven sit around and laugh behind my back, while I take care of your kid! I’m DONE Kai. I hope you find what you are looking for in LA.” I start to move away from the counter.
Kai steps in front of me. “Kat, don’t leave me please! I don’t need to look for anything I just need you by my side.” He is down his knees begging me and I cannot bear to look at him right now. Tears are trickling down his beautiful face and it kills me to see him in so much pain, but I am hurting too.
My fingers brush through his hair aching to soothe him. He is hugging my waist clinging to me. I keep hearing his lies playing on a loop in my head. I can’t just let this slide. Kai is breaking my heart. I don’t think I can get over this.
His mom comes in wanting to know why Khloe is crying and saying everyone is fighting.
“Raven wants Khloe back—if I don’t break up with Katie,” Kai admits his voice cracking.
“Over my dead body!” Kelli screeches. She storms off going after Raven I can only assume.
“Kat, baby, I can explain. I just I have to take care of this with Raven first. If she goes to the press. It could ruin everything. I don’t want lose you, but I HAVE to protect Khloe.” His arms fall to his sides when he sees I am like a statue and no longer r
eceptive to his touch.
“Go Kai,” I tell him knowing that I will be gone when he comes back.
He kisses my cheek and I die a little on the inside knowing it is the last time I will ever feel his lips on me.
Gasping for the air I so desperately, need I run to the bathroom and throw up violently as Penny holds my hair.
“I knew she was a conniving bitch,” Penny rambles going on and on about how she was right.
“You aren’t going to let her stand between you and Kai are you Katie?” She reaches me a damp cloth as I lie in the floor wanting to die.
I have been watching Khloe for months. Kai has had every opportunity to tell me the truth and yet he continued to say nothing. ‘Khloe is my little sister.’ God! It all makes sense…why he would randomly take Khloe to Beans so Raven could give her a cookie. ‘It’s complicated.’
“Well are you Katie? You just going to give up on Kai because he kept one secret!”
“That’s a pretty damn big secret Penny. I won’t be with someone who can’t be honest with me. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me.” I wipe at my tears and blow my nose.
Grabbing my bags, I start shoving my clothes inside. Penny sits on my bed watching and questioning me. “You aren’t even going to hear his reason why? Aren’t you at least curious?”
“Stop talking Penny!” I snap at her.
“Why because you can’t handle the truth? There is a little girl out there who thinks you hung the moon, and today is her birthday, and her world may be about to be turned inside out. You are being a selfish brat Katie Francis.”
I stop packing and think about what she is saying. I throw myself backwards onto to my bed. “I just—HE LIED TO ME, THEY ALL LIED TO ME! Besides, Kai is going to be touring and recording, he doesn’t have time for me as it is. It’s too much Penny. I just graduated today. This isn’t the kind of problems most eighteen year olds go through. I won’t be the girl that ruins his chance at making it big. And I will NOT be the reason Khloe gets her life as she knows it to be screwed up.”
The Suffocation of Katie Page 16