Back To You | complete

Chapter 26| Hanging By A Thread

"Yeah," I murmured. "And you don't be a stranger."

He laughed. "I'm literally moving like a few blocks down."

"Still," I mumbled.

"Okay." He kissed the top of my head.

"Now go!" I pulled away, blinking rapidly. "Shoooo."

He laughed again. "Bye, Olive."

"Bye," I muttered, hugging George. "Take care of him, got it?"

"Yes ma'am." He chuckled. "And you take care of yourself, Liv."

"I'll try," I sniffed.

A few minutes later, Griffin was gone. I looked again, and his room was still bare. It would get some getting used to. It was just Kai and me. We made ourselves some mac and cheese and ate in companionable silence while I digested that I would be living alone from that point on. I called Sam afterward and then Kai and turned in early.

The weekend was nice in a way that it was peaceful even in the eye of the storm. Kai had to leave on Saturday to see his PT because his coach was very mad that he had 'missed' two sessions physically. Kai apologized profusely before he left. He came back that afternoon, freshly showered with Taco Bell takeouts and a change of clothes.

"Livvy?" He called when he arrived.

"I'm in my room," I called back before I realized he shouldn't have been able to get in. I scrambled out of bed and quickly walked into the living room. He was coming that way, too. "How'd you get in?" I asked him.

"Oh, right, that." He scratched the back of his neck. The action drew my attention to his hair which was damp. It was distracting how hot it looked on him. Feeling the warmth on my face, I refocused. "Griffin gave me a key."

"He did?" I frowned. I didn't have a problem with that. I was going to give him the key myself, but still. It would've been nice had I known that myself.

"Yeah. He said that since he was moving out, I should have it."

"Okay." I shook my head. "Whatever."

"Speaking of, I got you the key to my place," he said, fishing a key out from his pocket. It had an antique circular holder with 'Livvy' carved in cursive along its body. "I would've gotten it sooner but it took time to get this made."

Well, damn.

Not the time, butterflies.

"Uh, thanks." I swallowed as I accepted it. 

"What is it?" He asked softly.

I looked up at him. "Isn't it too soon to do this, Kai?"

"I don't think so," he said carefully. "Do you?"

"Yes? Maybe? I don't know!" I groaned. "We met again a week and a half ago after six years of having no interaction."

"Not no interaction," he said quickly. An image flashed before my eyes: Kai drunk and crying on my couch in my apartment a few months ago. Another one: us crossing paths at UCLA. Him showing up at my apartment again, and then again, drunk out of his wits every time.

I shook myself, hating the sheer vulnerability and emotional storm that accompanied those memories. If I thought I was in a bad place now, I had been much worse. I needed to remember that. I reoriented my thoughts back to our conversation.

"You know what I mean," I said. He chuckled.

"So?" He questioned. "We know each other and we're in love. We accept each other for who we are. That's all that matters."