Chapter 11
“So all B names?” Kai muses as we sit at our booth, waiting for our food.
We ended up at IHOP because Kai isn’t familiar with many places around here.
“You caught onto that? It’s so embarrassing.”
He chuckles. “Why is it embarrassing?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Who names all their kids with the same letter?”
He squints his eyes in silent question. “My parents.”
I chuckle. I never even realized Kai and Kevin are both K names. “There’s another thing we have in common.”
“Sirloin steak tips for you,” the waitress says, placing the plate in front of Kai. “And chocolate banana pancakes for you,” she addresses me. “Can I get you anything else?”
“I think we’re good. Thank you.”
I wasn’t too hungry, so I decided to order pancakes even though I had them for breakfast earlier. You can never go wrong with pancakes.
“So, am I the only girl you’re seeing?” I hope he isn’t involved with someone else.
We’ve never talked about this. I have a feeling I’m the only one, but given my history with the other guys I’ve dated, I would always find out they were talking to other girls behind my back.
I don’t want to be just another one of those girls again.
He chokes back his food, clearly surprised at my question. “Yes. Why wouldn’t you be?”
“Everyone else I’ve ever dated was talking to other girls behind my back,” I admit.
We’ve been together a lot since we first met. We’ve kissed a lot. More than I have ever kissed another guy before. I like Kai a lot. I don’t want this to be another stupid fling.
“I’m not like other guys, Blakely. You can trust me. You’re the only one I’m talking to.”
I can’t help but bite my bottom lip to stop myself from smiling.
We’ve hung out quite a bit since meeting only a month ago. The time has gone by so quickly. Is he ever going to ask me to be his girlfriend? How long does it take for guys to ask?
“You need to stop doing that?”
I raise my brows. “Doing what?”
“Biting your lip?”
“Why?”
“It turns me on.”
I giggle and let my grin widen.
“Are you talking to anyone else?”
“Nope. Just you.” I take a bite of my pancake, letting the buttery cake melt into my mouth.
“I’m glad. You can’t talk to anyone else but me.”
“Then you can’t talk to anyone else either,” I demand.
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
Ripples of warmth course through every fiber of my being. Those are the words I’ve been dying to hear. I guess it could be interpreted as controlling—him telling me not to talk to anyone else—but it makes me feel better. He wants it to be me and him and no one else.
“Can I ask you another question?” I look over at him and notice he’s finishing up his plate, and I’m barely halfway done with my pancakes. My excitement over this talk made me forget about my dinner.
“You can always ask me anything, B.”
That’s the first time he’s ever called me that. It sounds good, the way it seamlessly rolls off his tongue. It sounds so flirtatious.
“Do you feel like I’m too immature for you?”
He gazes at me with one brow up. Embarrassment clouds my mind, making me regret asking.
“No,” he says. “Why do you ask that?”
I fidget in my seat, debating whether I should tell him why I feel this way.
“B…” he urges.
“It’s just that…” I pause, trying to think of what to say.
I don’t want to make myself sound so childish.
I doubt he thinks I am, but still. I don’t know why I feel so intimidated by the things he has and can do at his age.
“You’re able to go out whenever you want.
You have a job and a car that you’re able to use sometimes.
And then there is me…I have to ask my mom if I can go to the movies.
I don’t have a car, and I have to sneak out just to go party. ”
He runs his hands through his hair, leans back into the booth, and sighs.
“Even though we are both being raised by single moms, mine checked out a long time ago. When things between her and my dad got bad, she stopped taking care of us and herself. Kevin and I had to raise ourselves. My dad would always be off getting drunk somewhere, and my mom would be depressed. Sometimes I wish my mom would be like yours and care more.”
Waves of regret pass through me. I shouldn’t have asked that. With every word he said, I feel his heart breaking. Even just talking about the situation must hurt.
You never know what you have until you hear someone else’s story.
Kai groans at the movie I chose.
“Come on, it will be fine.” I grab his hand, and we walk side by side into the theater.
I read Twilight by Stephenie Meyer during the summer.
It’s the hit book everyone has been raving about.
I was a little intimidated at first to read it since it was a book that was double the size of the usual books I read.
They’ve made it into a movie now, too. I’ve been dying to watch it, but the movie has been sold out for weeks.
Now that it’s been out for a little while, it’s finally easier to get tickets.
We walk into a dimmed theater, and so far, I only see a couple of people scattered around.
Kai walks us up to the very top of the theater and to the farthest corner.
We didn’t get any popcorn because we were both full from dinner.
I wish I wouldn’t have eaten those pancakes, because it feels weird to be in a movie theater with no popcorn.
That’s part of the experience of going to a theater! Eating popcorn while you watch a movie.
The lights dim a bit more, and the last commercial on the screen says to silence our phones. I’m overjoyed with excitement because I’ve been dying to see this movie. Kai is laughing at my excitement, but I can’t help wiggling in my seat.
Kai leans in closer to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I reciprocate, leaning in toward him and resting my head against his shoulder. His warmth envelops me, instantly making me feel more at ease in his presence. I relax into him, wishing that the annoying armrest wasn’t separating us.
Midway through the movie, Kai’s actions catch me off guard.
He lowers his hand toward my center, his touch causing a blush to spread across my cheeks.
I uncross my legs, allowing him access. He cups my center with his hand, moving it up and down.
My heart rate increases with each stroke.
I reach down and place my hand over his pants, feeling around.
I jerk my hand back when I come across something hard.
He must be turned on. He has a boner. I reach back, rubbing him on top of his pants. Am I doing this right?
He leans in and stares at my lips. A rush of heat courses through me.
He places his lips on top of mine, and I open my mouth to allow him inside.
Our tongues collide. My whole body is pounding from my racing heart.
I’ve never felt this way before. A warm sensation takes over my center.
I spread my legs a little more. Our breaths deepen with every kiss and every rub.
Kai groans as he lifts his hips. This feeling is drawing us closer together, and we’re moving in a rhythm that feels natural.
Kai’s body tenses up. With both our foreheads connected, Kai whispers, “We should stop. You’re turning me on.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Yes, but I don’t want to finish in my pants and walk out with a wet spot.”
I giggle and take my hand off of him.
“Did it feel good to you?”
“Yeah.”
We both lean back into our chairs, and Kai places his arm around me again. I fall into his hold. Somehow, I feel even more connected to him now. I’m starting to like him a lot more. The things we do together connect me to him, making it easier for me to trust him.