Page 96 of Try Easy

Scars and Everything

Lou

Unlockingthe door to her apartment, Lou still couldn’t believe Keoni was in Seattle.

She remembered how shy Keoni had been when he’d welcomed her into his house, and now she understood how he must have felt. Lou’s apartment was such a personal place. She and Penny had chosen every piece of furniture carefully. The lamps and rug were garage sale finds, but they added a quirky touch to the shoebox-sized living room. And her art lined the walls.

Keoni came in behind her, and Lou held her breath as he walked into the living room. He went straight to a photograph of the sailboats on Lake Washington and stared for a half a minute, then he moved on to a wide-angle shot of Pike’s Market at the busiest time of day.

“Did you take all these?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“They are excellent,” he said.

Lou’s chest swelled with pride. It meant everything to hear that from Keoni.

“I’ll show you the ones I took in Hawaii,” she said.

“I’d like that,” he said.

“But first?”

“Yeah. I should tell you why I’m here, right?”

“No, I was thinking that first, you should kiss me.”

Keoni smiled and strode across the room, taking Lou in his arms so quickly that she leaned against him for balance. She tipped her head back to look at him, and he lowered his mouth to hers.

Keoni took his time on Lou’s lips, kissing one corner of her mouth and then the other. He slid his lips across hers, awakening the need that had been asleep since they’d been apart.

“I’ve missed you,” he said, cupping her jaw in his hand and kissing her mouth.

“I’ve missed you, too.” She kissed him back, arching to get closer.

“I don’t want to be without you,” Keoni said, sliding his hand down her back.

“I can’t be without you,” she said, winding her arms around his neck.

Keoni broke away suddenly and looked down at her. “Lou, I want to make you mine.”

“You already have.”

“I mean really mine. I want to show you everything, and I want to see the delight on your face when you see it.”

“I want to see it all. Scars and everything.”

Keoni lifted his head and pressed his forehead against hers. Their eyes were both open, and Lou could see all the way into Keoni’s soul. It was an electrifying feeling to look at someone so closely. Lou saw the golden flecks in Keoni’s eyes and the brown ring around his irises. She saw his willingness to share his flaws, and his eagerness to know hers.

“Scars and everything,” he said with a sigh, pulling back. “We need to talk.”

Keoni went back across the living room and sat down on the sofa. When he looked at her, Lou saw the familiar look in his eyes, the one that he got when he was hurting. But this time, she knew Keoni wasn’t thinking about Eddie. She was the reason for that look in his eyes. Lou had done that to Keoni.

She crossed the living room and sat down next to him on the sofa. She took his hand. Their eyes met, and both of them started to speak at once.

Lou drew in a deep breath, and said, “You go first.”

“No,” Keoni said. “You.”

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