Page 61 of Try Easy

“K’den,” Keoni agreed. “Hurry.”

“Don’t let go,” Lou said, clinging to his hand. “I don’t want to lose you.”

His heart lurched at her words. He didn’t want to lose her either. But their time together would be brief, and losing each other was inevitable.

They hurried up the beach to the crowd surrounding the stage, and finally found Bones and Penny sitting together.

Keoni had a bad feeling when he saw them. Their heads were close together, but they weren’t speaking. Keoni knew in his bones that his cousin was going to cut Penny loose tonight. The promises of marriage were coming to an end.

“Penny?” Lou asked. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Penny stood up, and the two girls walked off together. “What’s going on?” Keoni asked Bones when they were out of earshot.

“Nothing.”

“You dumping her?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Awrite.” Keoni looked over at Lou and Penny and sighed. “Lou’s coming to my house tonight,” he said.

“You serious?”

“Yeah.”

“Stupid move, brah,” Bones said, standing up. “You’re breaking your rule.”

“Shut up about my rule,” Keoni said, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. “It’s my fucking rule. I made it. I can break it.”

“Sure. I get it.” Bones raised his hands in the air in surrender. “Don’t go falling in love or any of that shit, eh?”

“K’den.”

“And don’t be late tomorrow. Be at Henry’s at 6:00 a.m.”

“That’s early,” Keoni complained.

“I want to get it done. Looks like a storm might be coming through.”

“K’den.”

Bones gave him a stern look. Keoni thought he was going to start in about Lou again, but he kept silent. Keoni told Bones goodbye and went to wait for Lou at his car.

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