Chapter 24 Tabitha
Kai Freaking Nelson kissed me.
My first kiss.
Oh my gosh, what does this mean?
Are we together, together?
Are we on the road to that? A real relationship?
He said he wanted to tell his friends about me. How the heck do I tell my friends about Kai? Do I even want to tell them?
Oh boy, am I dizzy.
At least the arcade has a cloakroom where we can stash our backpacks. The last thing I need is to be weighed down when I should be floating.
A kiss
A real kiss.
“Tabby?” His voice is soft as he calls me back to consciousness. “You okay?”
I smile in a dreamlike state. “I love when you call me that.”
A breathy laugh patters out of him. “What? Your name?”
My smile grows bigger as I stare into the meld of green and brown in his eyes. “Yeah. I love hearing it come from you.”
Kai wears a cheesy grin as he gestures around the arcade. “So, come here often?”
The cheesiness works, causing tingles under my skin. “A few times. My little brother likes it. When it’s his turn to pick what we do for family night, he chooses this place if he doesn’t like a movie playing at the multiplex.”
“Family night sounds fun,” Kai comments in an upbeat tone. “How often does that happen?”
There’s a twinge of pain squirming between my shoulder blades.
“Less often as we all get older. Drew makes any excuse to skip out, and Freddy’s always got an invitation to something better.
The thought of it being only me, Mom, Dad, and Corbin is off-putting.
I told them, I won’t go unless it’s all six of us. ”
“Well, I get that. Mom used to put a lot more effort into our birthdays when we were little.” Kai stops by a car racing simulator and rests his forearms against it.
“The only thing that stays the same is our grandparents visiting. For the past few years, Milo and I do the obligatory cake and then go our separate ways.”
I lean against the other side of the two-person arcade game. “Do you miss doing more stuff together?”
He shrugs. “I dunno. Milo’s pretty judgy, so it’s better if we don’t spend too much time together.”
It surprises me. “What does he judge?”
“My actions, my choices,” Kai says with a defeated laugh. He slouches and then slides into one of the bucket seats. “He judges my friends, too. We just aren’t similar.”
I gingerly take the seat next to him. “It sounds like you’re being too hard on yourself.”
“You do know who Milo is, don’t you?”
“Yeah, he sounds as strong-willed as you do.”
“No, he’s a pacifist who sticks his nose in books.”
“And you’d prefer him to be more extroverted?”
“Umm, yeah,” he drawls. “We might have more in common if he lived a little.”
I gesture at the demo car race on the screen in front of us. “Does he get into any of this stuff?”
“He doesn’t do video games, and he’s also never taken a real life driving lesson.”
“But he’s turning sixteen soon. Doesn’t he want to drive around?”
Kai shakes his head, his gaze lifting to the racing simulator’s roof. “Nope, he’s not interested. Fraidy cat.”
“He’s legit, scared of driving?”
Kai nods, meeting my eyes again. “I think so.”
“Oh.”
Kai’s eyes widen, and he jolts in his seat. “Don’t say anything!”
I choke out of shock. “Huh?”
“Don’t blab about Milo. I don’t want people giving him crap about it.”
My hands rush over the space above my heart. “Kai, I wouldn’t.”
“It’s just…” He sighs. “He’s my brother, so it’s one thing if I say it, but I’m not giving permission for anyone else…”
I grab his bicep, halting his frantic words. “I’m serious, Kai. I won’t talk about your brother.” I release him and exhale, staring at my lap. “Geez, I’ve promised to keep my mouth shut about your best friend. I’m not replacing her attacks with new ones against Milo.”
“Tabby, I didn’t mean… I know you’re not willingly attacking people. It’s just, your friends are vicious, and I was afraid in the heat of the moment something might slip out.”
My hands rush to massage my temples. “Oh crap. Don’t put that in my head. That’s a real scenario.”
He gulps. “I know.”
My lip quivers as I stare into his eyes. “I won’t do it. I won’t betray you like that.”
His warm smile melts the triggers spiking inside me. He pulls my hands from the sides of my face and lays them in his. “Deep down, you’re a good person. That’s what’s real.”
“But you’re scared of what I could say.”
There’s a flex in his jaw. “True. But I wouldn’t be a good friend if I didn’t give you an opportunity to change.”
My shoulders loosen with the sentiment. “Wow.”
His grip on my hands tightens. “I really do like you, Tabby.” He sniggers. “Maybe I shouldn’t, but I do.”
A shiver runs up my back, along my arms, and into my hands.
Kai gives me an unsure look. “You good?”
A nervous giggle spills out of me. “So good.”
His hands run up my arm, briskly rubbing warmth into them.
“I…” My voice catches and I fight off the nerves to get the words out. “I really like you too.”
His hands pause on my upper arms as he lights up with a new wave of happiness.
We both settle into our bucket seats, basking in our tiny space amongst the flashing lights and game noises of the arcade.
I tilt my head, taking in the angles of his face.
Kai really is handsome. He has high cheekbones, a straight nose, and a strong jaw.
With every expression, and especially every smirk, there’s a hefty dose of character.
Unable to help myself, I gently touch his face. My fingertips glide up the side of his face, and I swipe the raised scar below his left eye.
“How did this happen?” I whisper.
He flinches, causing a distance between his skin and my fingertip.
My heart squeezes. “Forget it,” I rush. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s okay,” he replies, sitting taller. “It’s just… I don’t talk about it.”
My stomach knots as I grit my teeth. Good one, Tabby. “Sorry, Kai.”
He fidgets in his seat and his jaw rocks like he’s contemplating telling me. Crap. Whatever happened to him must’ve been bad.
I gently plant my hand on his thigh. “Please, forget I asked. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
He shifts in his seat again. “No, you didn’t, it’s just...”
“Kai,” I cut in, lifting my hand from his thigh. “I obviously have. You keep fidgeting. Please forget it. I don’t want to make you talk about something so uncomfortable.”
He blows out a breath and rubs a hand over his face. Geez, is he gonna start sweating?
Suddenly, with a jolt of energy, Kai springs out of his seat. “Come on,” he says, buzzing around to my side of the car simulator and then clasping my hand. “Let’s check out something more fun.”
I slide out of the seat, letting him tug me along. Thankful for the opportunity to leave the awkwardness behind.
“This has to be right up your alley,” Kai says, leading me toward a Revolution Dance machine.
“Umm, why?” I ask hesitantly.
He gives me a questioning stare. “You took dance lessons.”
“I also told you I wasn’t good at them.”
“You also said your friend made you quit.” He tugs on my hand. “Well, this friend is here to cheer you on.”
A nervous giggle chokes out of me. “I’m not getting up there.”
“You’re not chicken, are you?” he teases.
“This place is crowded and I don’t want to be a spectacle.”
Kai leaps up on the platform. “You want me to do it with you?”
“You’re gonna dance?” My chest constricts by the second. “In the middle of the arcade?”
He tugs at his school tie. “I’ll make up for you running in your school uniform. I’ll dance in mine.”
“Oh, yeah, because that went so well last time. What if one of us rolls an ankle?”
He winces. “Well, it can’t be me, or I really won’t get my car.”
“See. You’re on thin ice with your parents.” I beckon him off the platform. “Get down from there.”
“Stop being a baby. Dancing isn’t dangerous.” He shimmies on the platform. “I wanna see your moves.”
I narrow my gaze at him. “You want to check me out?”
“I’m human, aren’t I?”
Somehow, I let him pull me up onto the platform. “I dunno, Malakai. Are you?”
He blinks at me, and his lips hesitantly curl. “What did you call me?”
I tilt my head. “What?”
“You full-named me.”
I laugh. “Is that a problem?”
“Only my mother does that.”
I grab onto his tie and tug. “Does she do it when you’re being annoying?”
He smirks. “Yes, but it doesn’t sound as velvety as when you do it.”
My heart rate double times as I watch the brown and green in his eyes interact with the neon of the Revolution Dance game. The game plays a demo and the music increases in volume, coaxing us to play.
Kai gestures at the screens in front of us. “Shall we?”
“Don’t get hurt,” I say, stepping between the arrows on my side. “I don’t want to be blamed for your car being taken away.”
“If you get hurt, do a better job of hiding it from your dad. I don’t want another lecture.”
“You were carrying me. It’s your fault he suspected anything.”
His eyebrows wiggle at the memory. “If you think I’m gonna apologise for carrying you, you’re dead wrong.”
I laugh. “Just shut up and play.”
Gosh, this boy is nimble on his feet. Okay, it’s been a while since I danced more than just swaying my hips to a song on my playlist. I’m a little rusty with my timing and planting my feet where I’m prompted. But Kai’s a quick learner.
“How are you so good at this?” I ask over the music.
He shrugs, stepping behind him and then in front, and then spins around. He pants a breath and replies, “You just gotta look ahead. It gives you the next three moves.”
“It’s hard enough getting the first move right. How the heck can I think three moves ahead?”
He laughs, nailing the position of his feet again. “You wouldn’t last on my soccer team.”
“Oh, I’m aware.”
When the game ends, and Kai asks if I want to go another round, I’m quick to jump off the platform. “I’ve had enough of making a fool of myself.”
He lands beside me. “What are you talking about? You were great. Admit it, you had fun.”
“I had fun watching you.”
“But you were dancing. Don’t you think dancing is fun?”
“Why are you so obsessed with this?”