#TBT: Share My World

Xander

“I’m ashamed to say how much vodka I drank while in undergrad.”

“Okay, well, I’m going to convert you today.” Looking over the menu, I decided on their whiskey. “Can we get a shot of the gold rum, coffee spiced whiskey, and the wildfire whiskey.” The server nodded, then poured our shots. “You’ll be okay,” I told Kalei after seeing how nervous she looked.

“I know,” she said. “I trust you.” 

Three shots later, we sat at the bar and reminisced about the summer we spent together. Kalei’s eyes were low, and a smirk rested on her lips. Running her fingers through her hair, she laughed as I recounted the time we almost got caught kissing on her aunt’s porch. Ms. Ethel was a sweet woman, but she didn’t play when it came to her baby girl, Kalei. When she opened the screen door and saw us, she hit me with her cane and gave Kalei the meanest side-eye. We were both scared as hell that night, but now we could laugh about it.

“I thought she was going to kill you,” Kalei said, still giggling. “Were you scared she was going to beat you with her cane?”

“Nah, I was scared she was going to tell Pops. Now, he would’ve killed me.”

Tilting her head to the side, she said, “Your father was so sweet. He probably would’ve lectured you and moved on.”

“Probably.”

“I miss doing crazy things without worrying about the consequences. Like, I knew my aunt was watching us from the window, but I didn’t care, I wanted to kiss you. Now, every single decision I make, I find myself looking at it from all sides. Takes the fun out of life,” she mused before sipping her water. 

I nodded as I thought back to all the reckless shit I wanted to do when I found out about Sami and her ex messing around. It didn’t help that I saw him at least twice a week during carpool duty. Seeing how easily he and Sami fell into a routine added more salt to the wound. While I was moping around, they were playing house like Sami wasn’t just engaged to me. The remainder of the school year was hard for me. Sami had Evan removed from my class because she was afraid I would treat him differently. She and I both knew that was bullshit. I loved Evan like he was my flesh and blood. The one thing that stopped me from acting on my anger was Evan and possible jail time. 

Heaving a sigh, I waved down the bartender for the bill. It was getting late, and we had dinner reservations. Once I closed out the tab, we went to Seacrets’ restaurant that was right on the beach. Kalei handed me her shoes as we trudged to our table. This was the first time I’d ever eaten on the beach before, and by the look on Kalei’s face, it was her first time, too. 

Two hours later, Kalei was humming and swaying from side to side as I walked her to her house. We were both a little buzzed from dinner. Kalei was feeling good. We stayed at the restaurant until the sunset, then watched their in-house band play for an hour. Between the drinks and the music, we’d gotten over our nerves of being around each other again. After a while, I didn’t feel like I had to impress her or prove that I hadn’t become a fuck boy since we last spoke. Our vibe was easy-going. We talked about our exes, missing our loved ones, and what we wanted in future relationships. I felt like I had my friend back.

“Thank you for tonight, X. I needed it,” Kalei said, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her lips curved into a seductive smile. “It’s been months since I went out and enjoyed myself. I let myself go, and for what?” She dropped her arms and took a seat on the bench. “I was in such a rush to grow up and start a family. I wasted so much time trying to be something I’m not.” Patting the seat beside her, she beckoned me to join her. 

“What were you trying to be?”

She shrugged. “I guess I was trying to be like my aunt. Superwoman, a nurturer, just everything she was.” Kalei shook her head and chuckled. 

I nodded. “Trust me; I get it.” She stared at me with a doleful expression.

“I thought about you a lot over the years,” she confessed.

“I thought about you too, Kay.”

“Truthfully, I thought you forgot about me.”

“Nah, never.”

Her gaze was heated, adding to her appeal. Leaning in closer, she reached for my chin, running her hand down my jawline. I took a deep breath, never taking my eyes off her.“Want to see my garden?” 

Kalei’s eyes lit up, and her bottom lip was tucked between her teeth. I wasn’t given a chance to respond before she grabbed my hand and led me to the backyard. She was all over the place, but I understood why. All the shit we got off our chest tonight was therapeutic. Something about venting to someone in a similar situation was cathartic. Talking to Mac and Bella helped, but at the end of the day, they had each other. The shit I was going through wasn’t typical and people had a hard time finding the right words to say to me. I could tell Kalei was still processing her emotions. The drinks we had earlier didn’t help, honestly.

Kneeling, she pointed at each plot,  explaining where everything was planted. “I come out every morning with my coffee and smile at the work I’ve done. It’s not much, but hey,” she said, standing up.

“You’ll have to let me know when they start to sprout.”

“Definitely.” She smiled, tilting her head back to meet my gaze. “Do you believe in fate?”

“Can’t say that I don’t.”

She reached for my hand, linking her pinky around mine as she led us to the back porch. After unlocking the back door, she stepped aside for me to enter. Once she locked the door, she turned on the floor lamp. I watched at the back door as she took off her sandals and fell onto the loveseat. She nodded toward the empty couch, and I took a seat.

“I was talking to my best friend about you.” Her cheeks turned red as she lowered her head. “She said maybe it was fate that brought us here for the summer.” 

“My brother said something like that to me too.”

Her glossy eyes widened. “Wow.”

“So, what does this mean?”

“It means we enjoy this time together. In all the years we spent apart, I still feel like you get me the most.” Heat covered me and my heart thudded against my chest when she came over to me. “I probably sound crazy right now,” she said, pushing out a breath. I grabbed her chin, pinning her eyes on me.

“You don’t.”

Kalei sighed, the warmth of her breath tickling my lips. She leaned in closer, her gaze fixed on my lips. I ran my hand up her shoulder to the nape of her. She shuddered another breath before licking her lips. When her eyes finally met mine, I closed the space between, us capturing her lips with mine. My eyes closed as our lips molded together. A whimper fell from her lips and she gripped the hem of my shirt. Her lips were soft and warm with hints of the rum punch from earlier. Kissing Kalei came naturally. Our heads tilted in opposite directions at the same time as our lips parted. Gone was the once innocent, shy Kalei who used to giggle between pecks and blush once we finished. She straddled my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck and drawing our bodies together. One hand held onto the nape of her neck while the other held her waist. A small smile spread across her lips as she pulled away. 

Through heavy lids, she peered at me. My heart thudded at the look of uncertainty on Kalei’s face. After running her fingers through her hair, she pushed out a sigh. I removed my hand from her waist and fell back onto the couch. Silence loomed over us as we continued to stare at each other.

“I should go,” I said after a moment.

Kalei shook her head. “No, stay.” 

My eyebrows drew together, and my eyes narrowed.

“I want you to stay.”