Page 118 of From the Start

“But we’ll discuss this later?”

“No, Kai. We won’t. Whatever this is.” I motion between the two of us. “Is over. I have no time for little boys who can’t fulfill their promises.”

“I am not a little boy.”

“I don’t have time to argue with you. I need to get Dad dressed to take with me to the bar since I don’t have anyone to watch him.”

“Can I drink beer and eat peanuts?” Dad asks.

“As if I could stop you.” Even if I could, my employees would ply him full of liquor and bar food he shouldn’t be eating.

Kai makes his way to the door but stops with his hand on the handle. “This isn’t over.”

“Yes, it is.”

He flinches but I ignore his pain. He caused this. There’s no reason for me to feel guilty. This is his fault. I never should have given in to him. Never got snared by those ocean blue eyes. Never fell for those sweet lines of his.

Lesson learned.

“Bye, Henry,” Kai says and Dad waves to him as he leaves.

Once the door is closed behind him, I fly into action. I get Dad changed in record time and am wheeling him out of the house within fifteen minutes.

I screech to a halt at the top of the steps. Because there are no steps. Where the steps were, there is now a ramp with a sturdy handrail.

“Where the hell did this come from?” Dad asks.

Screw the smuggler. Since it’s highly unlikely mermaids came ashore last night and performed a miracle, there’s only one place the ramp could come from. Kai’s been bugging me about getting a ramp since the first time he carried Dad up the stairs.

But how did he get this built and placed without me noticing? There wasn’t a ramp here when I arrived home last night at three in the morning.

“I think Kai built it,” I admit as I wheel Dad down the ramp to my car.

“You should have let him explain himself.”

“I was too mad to hear him out.”

“Told you your temper would get the best of you some day.”

I don’t bother to deny it. Dad’s right.

In part. My temper wasn’t the only reason I lost it on Kai. My fears about relationships and being left behind reared their ugly head and I pushed Kai away before he could leave me.

I thought I was over this. I thought I’d dealt with my fears.

I thought wrong.

And now I’ve lost everything.

Chapter 34

“Plot Twist: Taylor Swift has entered the chat.” ~ Kai

Kai

“Idon’t want to go out tonight,” I whine.

Jaxon grunts. “If I have to go, you do too.”