Page 43 of The Burning
“Yeah. I’m sweet. I know.” He wiped sweat from his forehead. “So are you going to stop being a brat and come with me or not?”
Chapter Eighteen
When I first agreed to go, it was mostly the thrill of bickering with Kael that fueled the choice. It was also annoyance and anger that Elodie’s friends hadn’t even thought to invite me, or worse, maybe they purposely hadn’t. I would find out soon enough.
My stomach ached with anxiety, already regretting climbing into Kael’s truck. I was waiting for him, staring into the mirror, watching his body grow bigger and bigger as he got closer and closer in the reflection. He’d told me to wait in the truck while he did the work. I attempted to argue once, but the stinging from the cuts on my arms from the plants and the gash on my leg told me to shut it and I sat inside his car and watched him through the mirror. He was carrying my two new plants in both his arms. He was so solid, the body of a man who carried the world with him everywhere he went.
When he approached, I turned the music up while he fit both the chair and the plants into the back. I watched him playTetriswith it all for a few seconds, offered to help, but he ignored me. I thought about ditching out one more time before I snapped my seatbelt on and off out of boredom and checked my phone. Alerts for Instagram were still popping up from the picture of the purple chair. I knew the picture was good, but I didn’t expect actual attention for it.
It was weird, this unfamiliar rush that came with scrolling down the list of somewhat familiar names. I usually didn’t give a damn about these people; I just looked at their socials when I was bored. But now that I was fresh on their minds with my chair pic, I wondered what they thought about me and my post-high-school life. Hopefully they were under the impression that I had a lot more going on than I actually did. My senior year of high school was already three years ago, and it didn’t feel like that much time had passed at all. Maybe because outside of putting a roof over my head I hadn’t really done shit with my life beyond becoming a licensed massage therapist, which was great, but even that was over two years ago. In that time, Kael had deployed twice and many people I knew had long-term relationships, marriages, and some even had kids. I shivered a little even though it was hot as hell outside.
“Should we drop the stuff off at my house first?” I asked Kael when he sat down in the driver’s seat. “You can follow me.”
He turned the radio volume dial down until it was silent and shook his head. He took the bottom of his T-shirt and lifted it up to rub the sweat off his forehead. God, this car felt small, despite being a huge Bronco. I turned the a/c up higher. Not just for his comfort, but so he would keep his body covered.
“Not a chance.” He smiled, wiping his face again.
I didn’t look down at his bare skin, even though every part of me wanted to.
“Why not?” I asked.
“Because you won’t go to Tharpe’s house with me. You’ll have me help you drop your shit off and you’ll bounce. I know—”
He stopped himself before he saidyou.
“No way!” I laughed at his audacity for being so close to the truth. “I mean, yeah, I would maybe try that, but who knows? Maybe I go and we have fun?”
I caught what I said at the same time he did.
I stumbled to correct myself. “Notwe. I meantI. Maybe I’ll have fun.”
He looked at me, skeptical, but his eyes were alight in a way that almost convinced me to tag along.
“Karina. You’re honestly trying to tell me that you’re willing to come? Because I can bring the stuff by, then drive there. You don’t have to go. I just think it would be nice for Elodie if you were there. You’re important to her, but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable,” he explained.
I blew out a puff of air, my legs fidgeting under my body, and ended up even closer to him.
“I’m going. Still feels like I’m intruding, though. But I can’t go like this.” I looked down at my ratty clothes. “My shirt has a literal hole in it.” I poked my purple fingernail through. “I’d look like an idiot.”
“You won’t. Trust me,” he said, like it wasn’t weird for him to compliment me suddenly.
“Thanks.” I met his eyes.
His breath caught in his throat and if he didn’t mean to look at me like that, then it sure as hell felt like he did. Seconds passed as neither of us moved. Not one coherent thing passed through my mind. I could feel him, so close to me, all around me. The closest thing to the feeling was a hot bath with lavender-scented bubbles floating around the air, calming, refreshing.
He leaned in a little closer, and my heart picked up such speed that I worried he would hear it.
“See, we can be friends, after all.” His words fell between us heavily.
I blinked, a little stunned and a lot ashamed that for a second I’d thought . . .
I don’t know what I’d thought. I shook my head, scooting toward the window and away from him.
“We’ll see about friends. Don’t get your hopes up.” I tried to keep my tone as playful and as far away from desperate as I could.
“Oh, I don’t have any hopes, Karina.”
He kicked his truck into reverse.
