Page 111 of Second Time Around
Chapter 22
Kyra’s arms were buried up to the elbows in a giant bowl of chopped fruit when Isaiah peered around the doorjamb from the Carver Center’s hallway. “Oh, good, you alone,” he said.
“Youarealone,” she corrected, but Isaiah had vanished. “Yeah, I’m alone,” she muttered as she mixed the salad with her bare hands. A piece of loose hair fell over her forehead. Without thinking, she used her wrist to brush it back, smearing fruit juice over her forehead and in her hair. At least she didn’t have to look good later for bartending. “And who knows? It might even be good for my hair.”
She smiled. In less than twenty-four hours, she’d gotten into the habit of conversing with Malcolm about whatever she was doing in the apartment. He was a very chatty cat, so he often responded with trills, chirrups, or an occasional ear-splitting yowl. She’d have to watch her impulse to continue her external monologues at the Carver Center since the kids might think she was going crazy.
As she redistributed a clump of diced apple, she heard footsteps that sounded noticeably different from the kids or the staff. Each thud was sharper and heavier. Somehow she wasn’t surprised when Will appeared, framed in the kitchen doorway, looking like pure temptation in a tailored gray suit, his jewel-green eyes and golden hair glinting inthe kitchen’s harsh light. Only he could look good under fluorescent bulbs.
She squeezed her eyes shut to battle the longing that threatened to choke her.
“Kyra, please hear me out.” His smooth, deep voice sent ripples of yearning through her as his footsteps came closer.
She angled her head downward, so when she opened her eyes, she was staring at the multicolored fruit. “Will, I told you that I can’t be your friend.”
“I don’t want to be your friend,” he said.
That made her look up, bracing herself for the familiar perfection of his face. “Then why the hell are you here?”
“I missed you.”
She sucked in a breath as the simple words battered her self-control. “Yeah, well, life’s tough all around.” Her harshness was an attempt to stop the conversation in its tracks.
“Please, Kyra ...” Will stretched out his hand, palm up.
She heard whispering outside the door and suddenly Isaiah, Jayden, and Zion poured in from the hallway, lining up in front of Will. Isaiah nodded and Jayden stepped forward as the other two began to beatbox. “Hey, Ms.Kyra, don’t be on his case,” Jayden chanted. “’Cause he’s our homie, Mr.Will Chase.”
The other boys repeated, “He’s our homie, Mr.Will Chase.”
“He know he done wrong so give him a break,” Jayden rapped. “Let him say sorry, he make a big mistake.”
“He make a big mistake,” Isaiah and Zion said, busting out some moves as they got into the swing of things.
Kyra glanced at Will’s face to see that his jaw was slack with amazement as he watched his young supporters.
She pulled her arms out of the fruit and planted her hands on her hips, picking up the rhythm of Jayden’s words. “You tellMr.Chase that he better make it good, ’cause I don’t want things to be misunderstood.”
“To be misunderstood,” the chorus chanted.
Will took up the challenge. “See, Ms.Kyra, I gave it lots of thought, especially the thing that happened on the yacht.”
Kyra’s gaze flew to his face as heat flared through her. His eyes danced when the boys repeated, “That happened on the yacht.”
She glared at him and shook her head, but she could feel his hands on her as though they were back on board theRoyal Wave.
“Okay, boys,” Will said, his voice commanding. “You’ve broken the ice for me and I appreciate that, but I need to talk with Ms.Kyra alone now.”
“We hear you, Mr.Will,” Isaiah said, giving Will a fist bump. “You got this.” He led the trio out into the hallway.
“Completely alone.” Will pivoted to swing the heavy door closed and shot the ancient, pitted bolt. He stood with his head down and his back to her for a few moments before he turned. “I didn’t know they were going to do that.”
Kyra wiped her sticky, wet hands on her apron. “I figured that out.”
“I told them you had good reason to be mad at me and I had to apologize. I guess they decided that I would need some help,” he said with a rueful grimace. He stood in front of her, his gaze roaming her face as though he were trying to memorize every detail.
Kyra wiped her hands again because she didn’t know what else to do. “Could you just say what you came to say?”
He walked forward until only the kitchen island separated them. The air seemed to vibrate with his presence.
