Fading Away (Hardest Mistakes #1) (8 page)

CHAPTER 12

Kai

Everything hurts. My whole body feels like it’s on fire. I don’t know how long I’ve been out and I don’t remember trying to become human again, but when I climb out of the fog my mind has been trapped in, I’m naked on Sam’s bed.

Slowly, I drag my shirt over my head, it pulls at my neck and I gasp at the pain. I can’t tell her what happened because I don’t know. I’m not going to scare her by telling her the truth—I blacked out and I don’t remember anything.

I pause to catch my breath before pulling my pants on and plodding down the stairs, heading to the kitchen. As I get closer, I realize someone is singing. I stop in the doorway to watch. Sam dances around the kitchen using a bottle of sauce as a microphone as she dumps a handful of chicken pieces into the frying pan.

Sammy

Someone chuckles from behind me and I jump in surprise, dropping the sauce bottle in my hands and knocking a mixing bowl off the counter.

“Don’t stop on account of me,” Kai says from the doorway.

“Oh umm…” I scramble around the kitchen and then drop to my knees to clean the mess off the floor. “I’m sorry; I didn’t know you were awake and walking around. The music didn’t wake you, did it? Oh god, I was just making dinner…” Okay, stop talking now, Sammy. Kai kneels down beside me to help. When he reaches up to grab the cloth off the counter, I hear him suck in a pain-filled breath. The cut on the right side of his neck has split open and is weeping blood on his shirt. I stop cleaning the floor, grab the tea towel off my shoulder, and press it to the wound. He flinches and lifts his gaze to mine.

The corner of my mouth pulls up in a small smile. “You did this to yourself, you know.” He smiles crookedly and lifts his hand up to hold the towel to his neck himself. I ignore the pained look he gives me when he glances at my bandaged arm. Turning back to the mess on the floor, I finish wiping the sauce off the tiles.

I look at the leftover ingredients on the counter with dismay. Not enough to make what I wanted.

“I’ll help cook something else?” Kai suggests from over at the sink. I raise my eyebrows in surprise. “Don’t look so shocked. I know how to cook,” he exclaims with mock hurt.

I smirk and step to the side. “Okay, be my guest.” He leans down and pulls another saucepan from the cupboard and then searches the fridge for more ingredients. I stay out of his way and watch him.

Whatever he’s cooking starts sizzling and popping. He has the temperature on the stove up to high, but I’m not going to tell him. He thinks he knows what he’s doing. I step closer to try and see what’s sizzling in the pan. He’s standing so close I can smell my soap on his skin. He turns his head toward me and his eyes lift from the frying pan to my mouth for just a second before he looks away again. I take a shaky breath and decide I should probably sit at the table and wait a safe distance away from him.

We end up with burnt something and barely edible something else. I can’t even tell what I’m about to eat it’s so screwed up. He sets it down on the table and I take a bite, turning my nose up—it tastes absolutely horrible.

“What did you do to it?” I exclaim. He laughs and tips the burnt food in the bin. “I didn’t expect you to actually take a bite.” I narrow my eyes. “Maybe you should order a pizza,” he throws over his shoulder as he leaves the kitchen and heads up the stairs.

The pizza arrives just as Kai decides to join me back downstairs. I open the door to pay the young boy holding out two large pizzas. I’m so hungry my stomach is grumbling loud enough for the neighbors to hear. I jump on the couch with my pizza and toss an open box on the floor for Kai before turning the TV on and finding a movie to watch.

***

I need to get out of the house. I grab Kai’s lead off a hook beside the door and we set out. I lead us past the main part of town and into the park. We stop at a picnic table and I dust off a bench with my hand. I sit and pull out two corned beef rolls from my bag.

I talk to him while we eat. “So when Ashlee arrives, you’re going to have to be careful. I’m a hundred percent positive seeing her dead boyfriend would freak her out and send her over the edge.” He snorts at me. “Hey, I’m serious. I don’t want to be the one that has to admit her to a crazy house,” I kid. He sighs loudly and walks away, the lead trailing along after him. “What?” I call after him, “Don’t like the jokes?” He ignores me—I laugh and get up, jogging to catch up to him.

About halfway home the skies open up and it pours down with ice cold rain. I shriek and head for cover under the nearest shop awning. Kai slinks in and hides behind my legs. I’m basically protecting him from the cold. The rain doesn’t let up, so after twenty minutes of waiting I decide to sprint home.

By the time we reach the front step we are both puffing, soaking wet, and shivering violently. I push Kai inside and up the stairs into my bathroom. Once there, I turn the shower on hot and push him in. He lets out a little yip as the water hits him, and then he sits under the spray. He jumps out a moment later and shakes the water out all over me. I scowl at him and throw a towel at his face before forcing him out the door so I can hop under the warm water myself.

***

A loud sneeze wakes me from where I passed out on my bed last night. I roll over to face Kai and he sneezes again.

I smirk. “Someone’s got a cold.” He lifts his lip and growls at me before leaving the room. I change into a pair of warm track pants and a long sleeved sweater then head out to the kitchen. I hear another sneeze—this one sounds human. Rounding the corner, I find Kai sitting at the kitchen table in his t-shirt and pants, shivering. I should probably get him some warmer clothes.

I twist the knob on the stove and set about making him chicken soup. Kai sneezes again and I giggle. He gives me a dark look, ignoring me until I place the bowl of soup down in front of him. He finishes the soup and sneezes again. I hand him the tissue box with a smile.

The corner of his mouth lifts slightly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I grab the throw blanket off the couch and wrap it around his shoulders. I notice the dark red, still raw scars peeking out from under the collar of his shirt. They probably needed stitches. I feel a little guilty as I turn and walk back to the couch to sit down. Kai gets up and follows me.

“What do you want to watch?”

“Something that looks warm?” he answers, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. Halfway through the movie he stands and exits the room, leaving his blanket behind. When he returns, I lift the blanket up and he crawls up underneath it, curling himself into a furry ball.

***

Ashlee’s moving truck pulls into the driveway, followed by her red sports car. She’s a few weeks earlier than I thought she’d be. Classes don’t start for a while yet. Two large men jump out of the truck and start unloading boxes. She skips up to me with a smile as I hold the door open for her.

“Hey, Sammy,” she sings as she rushes past me and up the stairs. Kai and I hide on the couch while Ashlee’s stuff is brought in and she gets settled. Keeping Kai out of her sight is probably the best thing anyway; she’s still scared of him, that much was evident in the way she looked at him when she moved a box up to her room.

Ashlee’s heels click down the stairs long after the sun has gone down. I get up and meet her in the kitchen. She’s bent over with her head in the fridge; her tight jeans don’t leave much to the imagination.

“I was thinking something with a bit of meat in it?” she asks, popping back up, holding an armload of ingredients. I smile and reach over to help.

“Sounds good.”

“So, do you like the house?” she asks over her shoulder as she cuts up the potatoes and throws them in the pot beside her.

“I love it. I wasn’t expecting to feel so at home here already.” She turns her head and grins at me.

“I’m glad you’re here, Sammy.”

When dinner is ready and set out on the table, we sit down across from each other and dig in. Kai watches us from the doorway; he looks like he’s drooling. He’ll have to wait until after Ashlee has gone to bed so I can sneak him some.

She catches me looking at him. “What’s its name?”

“His name is Chester,” I answer, trying to hide my smile. If only she knew.

“It’s a he? Has he been neutered?” I gag and cough around my mouthful of beef and burst out laughing. Kai sits up straighter and makes a choking sound.

Ashlee frowns in confusion. “What’s so funny? What did I say?”

I take a deep breath and wipe the tears from my eyes. “Nothing, nothing’s wrong. Neutering is a great idea, but I don’t think he’d ever forgive us.” Ashlee shakes her head at me and stands, taking her bowl to the sink.

As soon as Ashlee has gone to her room, Kai and I sneak back down into the dark kitchen. I dish up a large bowl of leftovers and set it on the floor near the sink. He devours it like he’s about to die of starvation. I chuckle softly and sit down beside him while I wait, my head leaning against the cupboard.

I clean and put away the bowl when he finishes, then tip-toe up the stairs to my room with Kai following. His claws click loudly on the hard floor. I sit on my bed, facing him. He stops walking and sits, with his head tilted to the side.

“You don’t have to keep sleeping in here. Ashlee’s here now and I know you guys are together, or were together. You can sleep with her if you want, I’m sure she’ll warm up to you.” He stands and jumps up onto my bed, curling up on top of my blankets. I sigh and head into the bathroom to change. I dress in my flannel pj’s and run as fast as I can across the cold wood floor to the warmth of my bed.

CHAPTER 13

Kai

By the time I wake up, Sam has already left her room. The cold nights make me tired, I’m sleeping more than I should. I trot down the stairs and follow their voices out onto the deck. I remember meeting Ashlee’s parents back in Miakoda Falls. Her father gave me the look as he shook my hand, the one that says, if you hurt my daughter, I will find you and I will kill you. I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel now; she doesn’t know that I’m right here with her.

I sit on the top step and stare out at the yard. Sam and Ashlee walk out into the slushy mud from the rain.

“Ever been in a mud pie fight?” Sam calls out from across the yard.

Ashlee glances up from looking at her wet shoes in disgust. “No, and I don’t intend to be. Ever.” Sam laughs two seconds before throwing a handful of sloppy mud at Ashlee’s face. It hits her in the chest and she looks over at Sam with a shocked expression. Next minute Ashlee has a handful of mud and she’s chasing Sam around the yard.

They come back to the deck and sit down, out of breath, puffing and covered in foul smelling mud.

“We should go clubbing this weekend.” Ashlee leans away from me as I lay down.

“I don’t know,” concern fills Sam’s voice. I tilt my head.

“Come on, Sam, all you’ve done over the break is stay at home. It will be fun, I promise.”

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

Ashlee claps her hands, excited. “That gives us an excuse to go shopping tomorrow, my treat.”

Sam hesitates and glances at me. “Okay, fine.”

Sammy

“He won’t hurt you,” I promise Ashlee when Kai decides to sit on the couch beside her. I assume he’s trying to get her used to him so he can follow her around instead of being stuck with me. She’s scrunched up in the corner, holding the arm of the couch in a death grip. I gently grab her hand and pry it off the couch, lifting it up. I place her hand on his head.

“It’s fine, see? He likes you.” She relaxes slightly, her body unfolding from the tight ball she’s in. Pulling her hand back, she takes a deep breath and turns to the TV.

***

I brush my teeth and change into my pj’s for bed. Kai is already half asleep, ignoring me. “Do you want me to buy you some new clothes tomorrow while I’m shopping?” He opens his eyes but doesn’t move. I’ll assume that’s a no then. “So you think you can survive in just a t-shirt and pants?” His tail wags slowly and he closes his eyes again. “Fine, have it your way.”

***

A loud banging on my door makes me jump up and out of bed. In one swift move I’m holding a small bat over my head.

“Come on, Sam! Get up, let’s go. You’re wasting valuable shopping time!” Ashlee shouts from the other side of the door. I groan and drop the bat, trudging into the bathroom to get changed.

Kai yawns and jumps off the bed when I come out. He walks out the door ahead of me. Something clatters to the floor loudly down in the kitchen. I dash down the stairs and into the kitchen to see what she’s doing.

She’s bent over, wearing those tight jeans again, rummaging through the cupboard under the sink. Kai plants himself on the other side of the room, a perfect view of her bum. He’s not looking at her though, he’s watching me. I frown and turn to Ashlee.

“What are you looking for?” I ask, propping my hip against the counter beside her and crossing my arms.

She hits her head in surprise and straightens up. “I was looking for something to feed him with.” She points at Kai and rubs the back of her head. “We need to feed him, don’t we? Where do we keep the dog food?”

I look at her, a little shocked. “Umm, I’ve been feeding him at night.”

“With what?”

“Leftovers?” I shrug. She frowns, then shakes her head and leaves the room, heading for the front door.

“Let’s go then.”

***

Ashlee drives us to the mall in her flashy car. As soon as we get out in the parking lot she grabs my hand and drags me into the first clothing store she finds. Most of the outfits she holds up make me shake my head at the gaps or missing material. Is this what people wear out these days? They might as well not wear anything at all. We move onto the billionth shop and I half-heartedly look around. Hold on, what is that?

“This is it.” I hold up a dress for Ashlee to see.

She looks up and down at it, inspecting. “Well, go try it on.”

I come out of a changing room a couple of minutes later. The dress looks like fire; the orange-yellow color shimmers as I move. It comes down to just above my knees. I love sparkles.

“Wow, that looks great,” Ashlee says from the open dressing room door beside me. She smiles and twirls in her sapphire blue, extremely short cocktail dress.

“Won’t we get cold?” I ask her as I turn back into the room to take the dress off.

“ It will be hot and stuffy inside with all the people.” Yay, people…I shake my head and pull up my jeans. What have I gotten myself into?

Kai

I stretch out beside the front door, waiting while the girls get ready to go out. Ashlee strolls down the stairs first, her blue dress clinging to her in all the right places. Sam walks down soon after wearing a pretty orange dress. They both turn to the rack to grab their coats. Sam leans over and brushes her fingers over the top of my head as she walks through the door. It bangs shut behind them, and the silence closes in. I look down at the tiles. This is it; this is all I have to look forward to for the rest of my life—being alone in the quiet.