No Dogs Allowed

The Cruxes and Crimes of Passion

He shrugged. "Have to."

"Why?"

"Because." He wrapped his other arm around me. The weight of it was warm and solid. "I just do."

I curled my hands around the back of his neck. I leaned down. "Think about something else."

The kiss was slow and sweet like maple, the moonlight cool on his skin, all the heat reserved for the weight of his hands on my spine. I wondered, idly, what was the longest someone had ever kissed another person. I wondered after if I could break that record.

Kane swiped his thumb over my lips, opened my mouth to kiss me with a slow vigor. He said, "All right."

If Kane was the one I was kissing, I'd do it with ease.

Kane made me breakfast and said, "Echo."

I had a perfectly rolled gyeran mari right up at my mouth when he said it. But he said it in the way that entailed he was about to say something that would make me spit it right back out, so I set it down on its little bed of steaming rice and said, "What now?"

Kane and Edwards had a meeting with Avaldi's athletics board in an hour or so and was dressed for the occasion with a summer-made blazer and blue shirt, his brown jeans the same color as the coffee in his cup. His hair had grown out beyond repair, the wisps of it gray around his ears and over his eyes. A new sliver of silver had broken across his pupil like a shooting star. Beyond that, he was Kane all the same. Albeit, at the moment, more stressed than anything.

Kane said, "You're free for the day so come with me to the Americana, I have to get something I promised I'd pick up for Diego."

I scoffed and plopped the gyeran mari into my mouth. "How's that my problem? I didn't promise Diego anything."

"Everyone else is gone," he said and took a swig of his coffee. "We'll go after."

"How come you're assuming I'm not busy?"

Kane cocked a brow. "Are you busy?"

I took a scoop of rice. "I could be."

Kane chugged down the last of his coffee and grabbed his keys. "I'll meet you here at noon."

I shook my head. "Being ordered around everywhere, what am I, the errand boy? Is this part of your screwy initiation, because if it is, I'd like to think I've taught myself enough lessons on my own stupid volition over—"

A hand tilted my head back by my chin so far I would  have fallen over had there not been a body there against me to keep me upright. Kane held me still, and planted a tentative kiss on my lips.

"See you at noon," he said.

I sat gaping like that. I wondered if it was possible for me to lose my whole damn mind right out of my open mouth.

As Kane went, he called, "Stop doing that, you'll hurt your neck!"

The door shut behind him. I straightened myself.

I took a mouthful of rice and said to no one in particular, "I need a goddamn MRI."

It took the next hour for the heat to leave my face.

Some things were immovable about Kane. That I came to know firsthand.

Diego's promised jacket was draped in my hand, Kane's umbrella shielding us from the unhappy sun causing havoc on LA. Despite that, the Glendale mall was bustling and hustling with people of all ages and all budgets, some boasting more bags than I figured there were stores, others content to carry their purchase of the day proudly swinging from their arms in time with slack flip flops or golden sandals. I'd foolishly asked him if there was anything he wanted.