32. Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Sloane
W hile the senior class all wait anxiously for our college letters to arrive, Ky is coming to town with two friends to see Mudhoney at the Masquerade. This will definitely take college acceptance letters off of my mind. As I wait for him to get here, I thank my mom for the tenth time for letting them stay the night.
“Mom, I really appreciate you letting Ky and his friends stay over tonight,” I say as I unload the dishwasher.
“Of course,” my mom says as she pulls a pot out of the cabinet under the stove. “You two hardly get to see each other and this way they don’t have to drive back so late at night.” She turns to look at me. “Are you sure you all don’t want to join us for dinner?”
“I’m sure, but thanks. That would be four more mouths to feed. We’ll grab pizza in Little Five before the show.”
“Are things pretty serious with Ky?” my mom asks nonchalantly as she starts making meatballs.
“I mean, I guess as serious as they can be when you live four hours from each other.” I think about Ky telling me he loved me on the phone. “Mom, when do you know if you love someone?”
My mom stops rolling the meatball in her hands and turns to me, her blue eyes wide. “Do you think you’re in love with Ky?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think so, but…he told me he loved me.”
Now my mom’s eyebrows arch high over her eyes. “Oh, well,” she stammers. “What did you say?” She sets down the meatball and washes her hands, obviously realizing this conversation needs her undivided attention.
I shrug. “I was totally caught off guard and didn’t know what to say.” I pause. “But I told him I loved him, too. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.”
My mom’s eyes grow wide as she dries her hands on a towel. She walks over to me and drapes the towel over her shoulder, then puts her hand on my shoulder. “Honey, that’s okay if you’re not in love with him. But, you shouldn’t tell him you love him if you aren’t sure. That’s a big step and those are powerful words.”
“I know,” I nod and feel bad for what I said to Ky. “It just caught me off guard and I didn’t know what to say. It was almost like my brain just said it, like you say, ‘God, bless you’ automatically when someone sneezes.”
My mom smiles and drops her hand from my shoulder. Then, her expression grows serious as her eyes bore into mine. “You don’t think he said it because he wants to—”
I cut her off before she can say it. “No, gosh, no.” I stammer. “Maggie asked me the same thing. I mean, I don’t know if he does, but I’m not ready for that.”
I see the relief wash over my mom’s eyes as they soften, and her shoulders relax. “Good,” she smiles. “That’s very serious stuff.” I can tell she wants to avoid the topic almost as much as I do. “Just have fun and see where this goes. It’s hard to get too serious when you two don’t get to see each other regularly.”
“I know, I finally get a boyfriend and he lives on the other side of the state.”
“Just take it slow,” my mom says. “And if things get serious and you need to talk…”
Just then, the doorbell sounds, and Sammy, barks to alert us. My eyes grow wide as I smile at my mom, "Thanks, mom, I will, but like I said, I’m nowhere near ready for that.”
I rush to the door and as I see Ky through the glass, my heart races. I open the door and he gives me a bear hug, lifting my feet off the ground. "Hey!" I smile up at him as he gives me a quick kiss.
"Hey, Babe," he whispers in my ear and that term of endearment makes me stiffen. "It's so good to see you."
"You, too," I say as I shake off my brief irritation with the term, “babe,” and take him in. He’s wearing a red, plaid flannel over a white thermal shirt, jeans and work boots looking like a cuter version of Judd Nelson from the movie, The Breakfast Club . It’s easy to overlook some of the things that bother me when he looks like this and makes my pulse race. I look to his left and smile at Joey who’s sporting a dark green sweater and jeans with a pair of Converse one-star sneakers. "Hey, Joey, it's great to see you, too."
"Thanks," Joey smiles, then shifts to the side. "This is our friend Kris."
I feel my mouth fall open when I see Kris, because she's a girl, and I totally assumed she was Chris with a 'Ch'. "Hey, nice to meet you," I say with a smile. Kris is wearing tight jeans and an even tighter sweater showing all her curves. I take Ky's hand and lead them inside, showing them to my dad's office where they can stow their bags until we get back.
"I'm gonna hit the bathroom," Ky says as he dashes into the bathroom across the hall.
I lead Joey and Kris into the kitchen to meet my mom where we chat until Ky joins us a moment later.
"So, how do you all know each other?" My mom asks Joey and Kris as Ky comes to my side and gives me a squeeze.
"We grew up together," Kris says. She appears older than Ky and Joey, and she definitely wears clothes that show off her curves which is a tad intimidating. "I've seen these two at their best and worst," she jokes.
She definitely seems to be a more dominant personality than Joey who is quiet and soft-spoken. I look at Ky and say, "I don't know if I want to hear about you at your worst."
He smiles and starts to say something, but Kris cuts him off. "No, you probably don't," she says, and I swear there's a tone of seduction in her voice. I notice Ky looks embarrassed, and my mom looks like she's trying to pretend like she didn't hear that comment as she stirs pasta in a pot.
Ky squeezes me around the shoulders and kisses the top of my head, trying to reassure me, I guess. "I wasn't that bad."
"Ha!" Kris says and shares a knowing look with Ky.
"Well," I say to change the subject, "do y'all want to head into town and grab some pizza before the show?" I look at Ky. "I figure we can go to Little Five, and we'll be close to the club."
"Yeah, that sounds good." He looks at his friends for confirmation, and they nod.
"Let me just go freshen up," Kris says, and I point her toward the bathroom.
"I totally thought she was a guy when you said your friend ‘Chris’ was coming," I say quietly to Ky and Joey.
Joey laughs shyly. "Definitely not a guy," he jokes.
I try to quell the jealousy I'm feeling toward Kris, but I can't help but feel like she knows Ky a bit more intimately than as a friend.