Page 97 of No Summer Hotter than You

I wasn’t sure how to respond to this apology, so my lips stayed sealed tight. I hesitated, completely dumbfounded by the turn of events.

“It’s all right,” Shoua said, slowly.. “I just hope you’re able to stay true to yourself instead of doing what your mom wants.”

Evelyn nodded. “I hope so too.”

Sai continued to look at her wistfully. “Do you want to make your mom happy or are you going to choose your own life?”

Evelyn hesitated before she answered. “I should be asking you the same. You dropped out of college because you were majoring in something your parents wanted you to, and because of that, you’re choosing not to work or have a career.”

Sai shuffled on his feet for a moment and then bolted for the door. His face was as red as the setting sun. “Wait, Sai!” Evelyn shouted as she followed him.

Jonathan, Shoua, and I looked at each other in awe. None of us expected this to come to a head this way. Then Kelvin suddenly cleared his throat. For the first time since the incident with him, he looked at me. His eyes quickly darted to Shoua for a moment before looking back at me shyly.

He faltered before saying, “I’m sorry.” He looked back to Shoua. “I’m sorry, Shoua.”

I raised a brow at him as my girlfriend let out a long breath. “For what exactly?” she asked.

“For everything. I was stupid enough to believe you were interested in me and . . . even harassed you.” The corner of his lips twitched into a plastered wince. His voice was hardly sincere as he let out a long sigh. The deep furrow in between his brows almost looked believable. He continued to glance at me in feigned shame.

“And what exactly were you planning to do with my girlfriend trapped in that bathroom with you?” I pressured, but Kelvin stayed silent. I nodded slowly. “That’s what I thought.”

I turned to leave, tired from this shitstorm. I was about to tug on Shoua’s hand, when she spoke up. “I know it was a misunderstanding,” she said firmly. “But I think it’s best if this is the last time you and I ever meet, Kelvin.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he nodded slowly. I wrapped my arms around Shoua’s shoulders and protectively pulled her to my side. I led the way out of the house with Jonathan trailing behind us. I paused for a moment by the front door, hoping Kelvin would say something about what Shoua said. But he didn’t utter a single word back as we walked out.

CHAPTER 38

shoua

I swallowed down my iced water as I watched my mom pace between Lee, Sai, and me. We were all in the kitchen with my parents. Lee and I sat by the breakfast bar on some stools while Anthony stood behind me, looming over me and watching my parents’ careful actions. My parents and Sai were across from us.

The three of them had been in an argument ever since this morning. I received a call before noon from my mom, yelling at me to head over to my parents’ place right that instant. There was a family emergency.

“Are you crazy?” my dad asked Sai as he sat across from him at the dining table.

Sai just shrugged. He came home last night, packed up all his essentials, and told my parents he was going to leave for Minnesota today. In two hours, he and Evelyn were going to start their long road trip from California to Minnesota. Once there, they planned to live together. He intended to look for a part-time job and planned to apply for college there to finish his undergraduate studies.

“I’m not crazy. I’m tired of living my life the way I have been,” he said resolutely.

I was astonished he was even speaking up for himself let alone being truthful about why he was leaving. Perhaps his relationship with Evelyn was pushing him to finally do something for himself, which I was grateful for.

“You’ve known this girl for barely a week and you’re ready to uproot your entire life for her?” my mom yelled. Her angry voice echoed through the entire kitchen.

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s better than living here.”

My mom’s lips shook as she looked at my younger brother, her favorite, with hurt etched into her expression. “Are you telling me you don’t want to live with us anymore?” she asked. She quickly looked at Lee and me with brimming tears. “Both of you tell your brother that what he’s doing is insane! It’s never going to work out! Tell him he can’t just leave!”

Lee essentially reiterated whatever our mom said in a firm voice as I shook my head. He glanced at me with a raised eyebrow, and I sighed at the way he always let our mom be. This was going to go nowhere, and I was sick of it all. I was exhausted to my bones over the hurt my mom had always inflicted on me.

She demanded I be there for her at times like this, yet refused to be there emotionally when I need her. She berated me when I couldn’t meet her expectations or called me ungrateful when I choose to be autonomous.

My mom did this to us our whole lives. She may have not treated Sai or Lee exactly the way she treated me, but she kept them locked up by limiting them like this. Not so much with Lee. But, with Sai, she did. He was the one she was the most protective of. Now he was finally waking up and trying to fight for a life he wanted, and if he didn’t get out now, he may never with how tightly my mom gripped onto him.

I, too, was waking up and finally seeing how toxic my relationship was with my mom. I love my mom deeply, but I was tired. I was tired of being caged up by her vicious words and the way she treated me. In Sai, I saw myself. I saw his sadness and frustration.

He wanted to live life and so do I.

“You know what, Sai? Good for you,” I said. My voice bellowed throughout the kitchen. “Maybe you need this to push you to start doing something for yourself for once.”

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