Page 17 of Ky
CHAPTER SEVEN
Chris
Ingram was kinda different, but awesome. It was obvious she was a little sheltered—okay, a lot sheltered. It was almost as if she’d grown up in a different time than this one. If I believed in time machines, I would have sworn she’d taken a ride in one. But that wasn’t it, so I had no choice but to guess that she had very strict parents and quite possibly grew up in the middle of nowhere. Like on a farm, living solely off the land and all that.
I didn’t want to push her to talk about it, so I kept my observations to myself. The differences between her and her brother were kind of funny. Most of it had me scratching my head and insanely curious about how Ky had come to seem so normal. From what I could tell, she hadn’t seen her brother in a very long time.
“I am still getting used to this whole car thing,” Ingram said with a nervous laugh as we made our way off the beach and into the city.
The last thing I wanted to do was make her feel any more uncomfortable than she already was. I knew what it was like to feel weird and like an outsider, and I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone.
I tried to imagine what it would be like if I hadn’t grown up riding around in a car. I could see where it would be scary and a bit nerve-wracking. By the death grip she had on the sides of the seat, I sensed it was not only a shock but a terrifying one.
“I’ve been driving since I was fifteen. It’s almost like second nature at this point.” I said and my words were meant to ease her. It was at that moment some asshole decided to switch lanes and cut me off. Even though I only tapped the break, it jerked the car more than necessary. At least I knew they were working. “Sorry,” I said sincerely.
It wasn’t me, it was the damn drivers in the town. I’d never had road rage until I moved here. Now, it was at level one thousand. I hated driving in this city, but it wasn’t like there was any way around it.
“I’m hungry. You want to grab some lunch before we get to shopping?” I asked as a way of trying to take her mind off of things.
“Um, okay?” It was a question. I had a feeling that she wasn’t sure if there was a right answer or what it should be.
“What kind of food do you like—or don’t like?”
“I am not sure…”
How could you not know what you like and don’t? That was strange to me but I chalked it up to the fact that she might not have a whole lot of experience with new things and that it had been limited for her growing up.
“I know just the place,” I said as I checked my blind spot so I could change lanes, and direction. I figured pizza was a good choice, because who didn’t like pizza? Right?
“Oh,” Ingram mumbled around her hot slice, cheese still bubbling and hanging on for dear life. She giggled as it finally broke and splattered onto her chin. “This is so good.”
“Yeah? You like it?” I asked as I folded my slice in half and took a huge bite.
It was the best pizza I’d found in the city. And believe me, I’d tried more than I would have liked to admit. That was one thing about Wilmington, it never lacked for places to eat. I would have sworn there were more restaurants than gas stations and grocery stores combined, and that was saying something because there was at least one of those at every stoplight.
She ate three slices and I wasn’t surprised. Not only was it delicious food, she was eating for two.
“How far along are you?” I asked trying to find a relatively safe subject. By the way her eyes looked down, I figured I might have chosen wrong.
“Seven months. I think.”
“You think? Have you been to a doctor.”
She shook her head and though I couldn’t see her face, I could tell she was trying not to cry.
“Hey, Ingram. It’s alright.” My words came out soft as I reached across the table and placed my hand on her arm. “Talk to Ky, okay?”
“I do not…know if that is the best thing. I think me being here is hard for him,” she said, her gaze still down. Then they flicked up to look at me and went wide like she’d gotten an idea. “Could you maybe…talk to him?”
“Me?” I asked and cleared my throat. The idea had me choked up and I wouldn’t say I was thrilled about it. “Uh, sure.”
I sighed, knowing that I wasn’t about to tell her that I couldn’t. Ingram needed a safety net, to feel secure in the world around her, and if this would help her with that, then I would suck it up and do it.
But how did I even start up a conversation like that?
Hey, Ky, I know you’d rather be talking to anyone else but me, but can we have a little chat about your pregnant sister?
Yep, I definitely didn’t see that going well at all.
