Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
Kyle
Last week was the first time that I got my hair cut for the first time in a very long time.
“Your hair is so thick,” the girl cutting it commented. “Chicks would kill for hair like yours.”
I’m pretty sure she was flirting with me, but with my brain solely focused on getting Zara back, not much registered beyond the surface.
“I didn’t know they had girls at the barber shop now,” I told her. And that’s as far as our dialogue exchange went.
Today, I am staring at myself in the mirror, amazed at how great of a job she did with my hair. It’s much shorter than before, and it doesn’t stick out uncontrollably when I wake up in the mornings.
My schedule is consisting of mainly days now.
That’s what worked before when I was with Zara.
Since I am trying to think positive and manifest us getting back together, I am also making an effort in changing my work schedule.
She works days, so I will work days as well.
We’ll have evenings and weekends together.
“Fuck, I’m nervous,” I mumble to myself as I take in my outfit for the day.
I have a light teal polo shirt one that’s paired with a very respectable pair of shorts and a pair of boat shoes on my feet.
With my glasses on, I look very preppy. The first time her brother and his buddies met me, I was looking like a bum.
I can only hope that he will find this more respectable.
Grabbing my key fob, wallet and cell phone, I leave the house and get in my truck.
All my friends are gathered for the weekend at Evie and Cal’s parents out in the Hamptons.
It’s a tradition for all of us, and I am bummed that I’m missing it this year.
But Zara is more important, and God willing, there’s always next year.
The ride to the address that Owen gave me takes forty minutes, door to door in current traffic. According to my GPS, I will be there with fifteen minutes to spare.
Just as I am about to pull out of my driveway, I see a message from Alex popping up.
Good luck, man.
He knows what’s at stake today. I tried to be mad at him, but in the end, I did answer his calls every time he called, and each one invariably ended with him apologizing to me for fucking up my relationship with Zara.
I don’t reply to his message because I am too nervous about what’s to come.
All the way to this party, all I can think about is Zara and how she might react when she sees me there.
Owen told me that’s he wouldn’t be staying long because she hates parties, so my window of when I can talk to her is not very big.
My stomach is in knots as I go over the speech I came up with. It’s all stored in my head, and I sure hope to hell that I won’t forget it. I’m doing really well with it during rehearsals, but I have a feeling that the pressure of the moment will fuck it all up for me.
“Your address is on the left side and zero-point-two miles,” the GPS lady calls out.
I widen my eyes in surprise when I realize that I’m here.
“How the fuck did I get here so quickly?”
When I look at the time, I realize that it hasn’t been as quickly as I thought. I have arrived at the time I thought I would, which is fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.
I don’t remember the drive over at all, and I hope to fuck that I didn’t run any red lights, or, God forbid, I didn’t run somebody over.
Popping the door open, I get out and stand next to the truck.
There are other cars parked all around the house and out in the street.
There are definite sounds of a party coming from the backyard.
It sounds just like my kind of party with people jump in the pool and drinking their weight in alcohol while hoping not to go into a coma for the day.
“Fuck, this is it.”
I take a deep breath in, then let it all out. I walk to the front door, realizing that Owen didn’t tell me if I should ring the doorbell or just walk around to the backyard.
Out of habit, I run my hands through my hair, almost knocking my glasses off my face. My eyes felt dry and itchy this morning. When that happens, wearing the glasses helps a bit.
I lift my hand a press a finger over the doorbell, snorting to myself when I hear the sound of it. It’s a cowbell, and when it seems to be slowing down, there’s a recording yelling, more cowbell . I am about to press on it again, when the door is yanked open.
“Well, well, well.” Owen smiles at me, showing all of his teeth. “If it isn’t pretty boy Pete.”
I frown at that. “Who’s Pete?”
“I don’t fuckin’ know,” Owen shrugs. “But I like the sound of Pete a hell of a lot better than Kyle .” He says my name like it’s insulting his sensibilities.
“I’ll make sure to let my parents know that people find my name offensive.”
His paw of a hand lands on my shoulder, and he pulls me in, or rather yanks me forward before slamming the door behind me. The windows literally rattle from the impact.
“You found the place okay?”
I nod, my mouth dry and unable to form words. “Yes, thanks for having me.”
Owen, who by the way is only wearing a pair of board shorts. He has no shoes on but still manages to tower over me. He crosses his arms over his chest, his eyes boring into mine.
“Thanks for setting this up, Owen.”
He hums but doesn’t respond. I don’t know why this is so hard. I’ve never had issues with communication.
“Is… Ugh… Zara…” I cough a couple of times. “Is Zara here yet?”
Owen, instead of telling me what I need to know, once again slaps a heavy hand on my shoulder and propels me toward the large French doors that go out to an even larger patio that leads to a pool. It has slides and floats, not to mention all the happy people all around.
“This is very nice.” It’s not anything I haven’t seen before, but I don’t add that.
Owen’s laughter booms all around us, and I jump in place when he starts.
“I didn’t bring you here to show you a backyard dull of people, asshole.”
He places a hand on top of my head and turns it until I am supposedly facing whatever he wants me to look at. It takes me a minute, but then, I finally understand.
“Zara.”
I breathe her name out. Everyone else around her fades away. I can only see her.
“Is she okay?” I ask in the corner of my mouth, like I’m worried she could hear despite all the people separating us.
“She’s nervous,” he says. “She is not one for social gatherings. But you already know that.”
I nod as I listen to him tell me about his sister. The woman who I can’t get out of my mind for nothing. And I don’t even want to.
Now, as I watch, she looks like she is trying everything in her power to make herself as small as possible. She is not interested in drinking or giggling for no reason. I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight.
“She is also worried about seeing you again.”
I turn my head so fast, I get whiplash. “She knows I’d be here?”
“I told her,” Owen shrugs like it’s no big deal. “I was with her when you called, and I put you on speaker.”
I swallow around the knot in the back of my throat. “She heard everything I said to you?”
“Everything,” he confirms.
I nod while looking down at my feet. Nerves are getting the best out of me more than I imagine that they would on my way down here.
“Why did I have to come all the way here if she knows everything? I could’ve met with her last week. We wasted all this time…”
“I thought it would be more fun this way,” Owen snickers. “My plan was to humiliate you in front of all my friends in the same way that your friend humiliated my sister in front of all your posh friends.”
I clench my teeth at the reminder of what Alex did. Zara and her brother will always hate me for that, maybe even more than they’re hating my friend.
“What do you want me to do? Walk out there and let you two go through whatever routine you have planned to humiliate me?”
“Nah.” Owen waves me off. “Zara said that would be petty, and that it would help anyone.” He pauses for the longest time. “She is a good girl, with a good heart. I will beat the shit out of you if you hurt her again. For whatever reason,” he adds.
“If I ever hurt her again, I will personally ask you to beat the shit out of me.”
He looks happy with that. Taking me by surprise, he puts his hand out and we shake.
“Dully noted.”
Zara
I’ve been waiting in this same spot for the last fifteen minutes, and if Kyle doesn’t show up in the next ten, I am leaving.
Owen didn’t give me an exact time of when Kyle would get here.
I would go find him right now to ask, but that would imply me having to run into people as I make my way across the patio. I don’t want any part of this.
My knee starts bouncing at about the same time a bunch of guys jump in the pool. I recognize them from the fire station where Owen works, but I have nothing to talk about with them.
“Hey!”
I look up in surprise, recognizing Kyle’s voice but worried that I might be hallucinating. He is here though, in the flesh. I jump up from my chair, taking him all in.
“You look different,” I murmur. I can’t pinpoint what’s different about him, or how he could’ve even changed this much in the last two weeks that we haven’t seen each other.
“Well…” He opens his arms wide. “I got clean clothes on. Your brother threatened me with bodily harm if I didn’t dress for the occasion.”
I chuckle. “So I heard.”
My eyes run hungrily over him, desperate to touch him, assure myself that he’s real. Suddenly, I see what’s different about him.
“Oh my God!” I slap both hands over my mouth. “You cut your hair! And you you’re wearing your glasses!”
He looks so different, I can’t take my eyes off him. Reaching up, I reach up to run my fingers through his much shorter hair.
Kyle covers my hands with his, not letting me pull back when I try to move.
“Your brother ordered me to.”
“I like it,” I whisper to him. Not sure if he can even hear me with all the noise around us. “But I liked your longer hair so much better.”
“I’ll grow it back,” he promises.