Page 46 of Bittersweet Redemption
This could be our last week in Kai’s house.
I’m not sure who is going to be more upset about it. Me or Roman.
Chapter 23
Kai
Two more days.
Thats’s all I have left with Willa and Roman in my house. She just told me they could move back to their house the day after next. She was hesitant to tell me, like she didn’t want to say she would be moving back.
I should be happy about them leaving. I mean, all I’ve ever wanted is my privacy, my own space.
But I feel hollow thinking about what it will be like without them here. They’ve become a comfortable normal for me. I like finding the random cars that Roman leaves around the house. I like the leftovers that Willa leaves me in the fridge for when I get home from work. I like that the house smells like coconut shampoo after she takes a shower.
My house finally feels lived in. And surprisingly, I like that feeling. Most of all, I like the people who are making it that way. I realize they’ll be next door, but it’s not the same as having them under my roof.
As much as I hate to admit it, I’m going to miss them. I’m also going to worry about them. We haven’t received any more pictures and notes since the last one, and the security system on both houses is up and working. But that doesn’t mean that whoever was or is watching us is finished. It just means they had to take a step back to not get caught. It worries me that they’re going to do something even bigger the next time to lash out and show us they’re still here.
I spent a lot of time around criminals. Some of them would go into great detail about their crimes and how they committed them. Seemed stupid to talk about it so openly, but I guess if you’re a professional criminal and you get caught, you want to talk about all the successes you had before everything went down the toilet.
When Kellan texted me earlier asking if I wanted to have dinner with him and Riley tonight, I said sure before Willa dropped the bomb that their house was almost done. Now, I want to spend every moment I can with them.
Willa is walking out of the kitchen with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn for Roman’s after-school snack when I grab her arm and pull her down the hall. I know she hasn’t told Roman anything about us yet; I don’t even know if she will. But I’ve been dying to kiss her, so if I have to sneak around to do it, I will.
I press her against the hallway wall and stick my knee between her legs, pinning her there.
“Kai?”
I answer her by taking her bottom lip between my teeth. “Hmm?”
“What are you doing?” she whispers, already breathy.
“I need to kiss you.”
She smiles around my teeth holding her lip. “So, do it.”
My lips crash into hers, and I catch the small moan that escapes her mouth.
I pull back quickly before things get out of hand. As much as I’d love to scoop her up and take her to my bed right now, I’m very aware that Roman is sitting a few feet away from us, watching one of those shows that has an exorbitant amount of annoying rhyming songs.
“Come to dinner with me and Kellan and Riley tonight.”
“You know I can’t. I have Roman.”
I shrug. “Bring him.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, why not? I like the kid.”
Her eyes well up, and for a minute, I’m worried she might start crying, but right before a tear escapes, she says, “Thank you, Kai. We’d love to go.”
“Good.” I give her one more kiss on her perfectly kissable lips before pushing away and releasing her from my hold. I head to my room while she goes to the living room to deliver the popcorn to Roman.
When it’s time to leave for dinner, Willa has slipped into the small black skirt I told her not to wear on her date a few weeks ago. It’s like she’s trying to torture me by having to stare at her legs all night at dinner with my family and her son. I can think of a few ways I can punish her for that later.
Roman walks in front of us to Willa’s car, so I use the opportunity to squeeze Willa’s ass. She startles when my hand makes contact, but she relaxes instantly as I pull her into me. I lean down and whisper, “Are you trying to kill me with this outfit?”
