Always Have, Always Will

I Want To Try Being Friends Again

Keaton hesitated before shaking hands with Kai.  He glanced in my direction, sadness evident on his face.  I almost thought I thought it, but no.  Keaton looked like he was sad.  I couldn’t focus on that.  I could only focus on Kai.  He was actually here.  I haven’t seen him since he started school in Washington, which was just last fall.  We didn’t break up, but we weren’t exactly together.  We agreed that whatever happens, happens and we would be together again.

                I haven’t talked to him for at least a week.  He knew I was moving back to California and he knew about Keaton and everything about how he didn’t talk to me for two years.  Kai experienced firsthand what Keaton’s absence has caused me.  Kai and Ellie helped me more than anything.  I was actually friends with Kai before I was friends with Ellie.  He was volunteering at the library and we started talking about books, which led to coffee, which lead to him introducing me to Ellie, who was actually in many of my classes at school.

                I honestly didn’t think I would see him this soon.  I thought I would have to go back to New York sometime this summer.  But no, he’s actually here.  I don’t know how long, but he is.  Ellie and Kai were the ones to make New York bearable.  And now they’re here to make California bearable for the summer.

                We all walked inside and I lead Ellie up to the spare bedroom.  “So that’s Keaton?” She whispered, a smile surfacing.  I nodded, “That would be Keaton.”

                “He doesn’t look like he would hurt a fly, let alone you.”

I shrugged my shoulders.  “Well, he did.”

She frowned and wrapped her arms around me.  “I’m sorry.  I guess I should have gave you a heads up about Kai-”

                “No, it’s the perfect surprise.  I wasn’t expecting it.”  I pulled back.

She smiled again, “Good.  I was a tad worried at first.  But he really wanted to see you.  He came home early to catch me before I left so he could go.”

                “Am I interrupting?” Kai’s voice carried inside the bedroom while carrying another bag of Ellie’s.

Ellie looked at me and smiled.  “No, I was just going to shower.”

I can take a hint.

                I grabbed Kai’s hand and lead him into my room.  “I missed you so much.” I said, wrapping my arms around him again.  He ran his fingers through my hair like he used to and kissed the side of my head.  “I missed you more.”

I pulled back, resisting the urge to kiss him.  “I gotta talk to Keaton real quick.  Don’t move.” I teased.

He held his hands up defensively.  “I’m not going anywhere.”

Good.  I ran down the stairs and found Keaton back in the living room.  “Sorry about that-”

                “You have a boyfriend?” He interrupted.

I crossed my arms firmly across my chest.  “Is that a problem?”

                “No, of course not.  You didn’t tell me-”

                “It’s none of your business.”  Not anymore.

                “I just thought we tell each other everything.”

I shook my head, “Things have changed over the past two years.  I’m not going to act like I used to around you.”

I watched his jaw clench tight.  “I’m going to go.  I’ll talk to you later.  Go talk to your boyfriend.”  He pushed passed me and followed by the slamming on the front door.