Page 141 of Until We Burn
“This shit tastes horrible.” Luke scowls. But he snatches the rest of the sandwich and scarfs it down.
Rowan stares down at his phone. The dimmed screen faintly illuminates the sunken look on his face. “I’d ask Shelby to bring you something better if she wasn’t organizing Wallace’s work.”
Shelby spent the day emailing everyone at DHUSA and Wallace’s professors about what happened. She’s been negotiating extensions and organizing his class notes. It’s moments like this where I really want what Wallace and Shelby have. It’s comforting to know thatwhen you’re bruised up, there’s someone who loves you enough to make things easier for you when you come out on the other side.
I reach into my pocket and take out Diana’s hair clip. I bring it to my nose, breathing in the smell of her faded rose shampoo.
I want to tell her what happened, but with everything she’s going through tonight, I don’t want her to worry about it.
Still, I miss her so fucking much.
“New emerging evidence reveals Gregory and Jonathan Huang, heirs to the HMG, are responsible for leaking the details of singer Sasha Vellair’s private relationship.”
My head snaps up at the TV hanging in the corner. Sasha Vellair, Gregory, Jonathan, and Diana’s faces flash onto the screen as the news anchor and the whistleblower reveal the truth.
“Edward Huang, current CEO of the HMG, reveals he was unaware of the plot orchestrated by his sons,”the news anchor continues,“Huang says the board of directors will convene to address how the heirs will move forward with the succession plan.”
She did it. Diana cleared her name.
But the relief I feel comes with a dread I can’t ignore.
I’ve always known this was coming. Diana was always going to expose the truth sooner or later. I just didn’t realize how fast everything could change and shift. Now that she has a better chance of becoming CEO of the HMG, she’s going to be busier with whatever shit her dad wants to wring her through. That secret little bubble we’ve been hiding under is inevitably going to shatter under the weight of reality sinking in.
I look up at the screen. I’ve seen this photo of Diana so many times. She’s in that fitted black dress, her dark hair falling sleek and straight down her back. Her full lips are set in a neutral expression, uncaring and aloof, as her dark eyes stare ahead.
That photo never mattered to me. Now all I want to do is reach into it and hold Diana’s face. I want to see her eyes shine up at me, see those lips smile, slow and wicked at me, I want to hear her say my name in that soft whisper that makes me give into her every time.
I just want to see the girl I’ve been idiotically falling for.
“Kainoa!”
I turn around. Uncle Manu stands at the doorway in his work clothes, panting softly. Stray strands from his bun flail against his gap-toothed smile. I scramble out of my seat.
“Tonton.”
Uncle Manu drops the bags in his hands before he crushes me to his chest. The smell of leaves and cold evening air falls over me. I hold him so tight, the Maiau and Marks Landscaping logo on his jacket presses into my cheek.
“It’s been one hell of a day, huh?”
I close my eyes, clinging onto his strong grip and his steady voice, the way I have since I was kid. “The concussion I had at sixteen is starting not to look too bad.”
Uncle Manu laughs and pats my head. “Hey, at least you got to have jello that day.”
A weak chuckle breaks out of me. I pull away to nod at the bags by his feet. “You brought food?”
“I just got some takeout from a place down the street.” He sets everything on the table nearby. “I thought it might be better than catching listeria here.”
He walks over to the boys. Rowan stands up to hug him. Quiet ‘how are you doing’s exchange back and forth between them. Uncle Manu pulls away from Rowan and pats Luke’s shoulder. Surprisingly, Luke reaches up to hold it.
Uncle Manu’s smile wanes when he sees Wallace in his hospital bed. “How long have you boys been here?”
“We got here the moment practice ended.” I glance down at the time on my phone.
“So…just before lunch.”
“And it’s almost 9 p.m. now.” Uncle Manu shakes his head. “I think you boys need to take a break and go home for the night. I’m sure they’ll take good care of him here.” He rolls his eyes. “At least I hope so. Especially with how much it costs tobreathein this damn city.”
“No.” Luke shakes his head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
