Page 41 of Other Side Of Never
I saw it when he stopped and bought cookies and chocolate covered almonds from every child’s fundraiser, then turned around and gave them away.
Where I had gathered everything I owned around me, building a veritable moat of false happiness, he gave and gave and gave.
He humbled me.
And set me on fire.
I always loved to play with fire.
Holding his soft gaze, I plucked another fry from his hand, bit it in half, and held the other half up to his beautiful mouth.
His lips parted.
I hummed as I slid the French fry inside, daring to brush his bottom lip with my thumb.
Snatching my hand back with a harsh mental reprimand, I twisted back to the table and gathered up our garbage for Kian to throw away.
By some unspoken consensus, Kian chased Isaiah down to the beach while I followed along behind, granting us a few minutes of much-needed space.
When they stopped to gather flat rocks to skip along the waves, I caught up.“Park?”I suggested.
Isaiah whooped and circled back to slide his sandy hand into mine.
As soon as we rounded the corner and the park was in sight, Isaiah took off for the swings.Jumping off in midflight, he challenged us to a rousing game of tag in which, due to my inability to stop laughing, I spent an inordinate amount of time as ‘it’ that left us all parched.
Sweaty and smiling, Kian turned to me.“Are you okay with him for ten minutes while I run back to Krippy’s and grab us a few bottles of water?”
Alone?
Something in my face gave him pause.
I wasn’t good with kids.I didn’t want the responsibility.While I’d desperately wanted children once, eventually, I accepted it was a good thing I never had my own.
His brow furrowed as he studied me.“No?”
But this was Kian.
My friend.
The one who gave and gave and gave.
He desperately needed someone in his corner.And I’d be damned if I let anyone else do it.
I shook off my trepidation.What could happen in the space of ten minutes?
“No, no.Go ahead.”I smiled widely, possibly a tad unhinged.
His eyes crinkled, his pretty mouth tipping upward at the corners.Stepping closer, he tipped his face down to meet my eyes.When he touched his forefinger to my jaw, something dark flashed in his eyes.
There were times he made it clear he wanted more.This time, like every other time, he drew back and covered his interest with laughter.“He doesn’t bite.You’ll be fine.”
“Of course!”I nodded like a fucking jack in the box as fireworks combusted in my belly.We didn’t often get so close.We certainly didn’t go around touching each others’ jaws or bottom lips.“We’re good, I mean, I’m good.We’ll be good.Fine.”
Kian’s soft eyes crinkled once more as he walked backwards away from me.
Turning, he called out to Isaiah to let him know where he was going before loping off toward the beach.I watched him until he rounded the corner out of sight.
And what a sight it was.
