Page 12 of Dangerous Curves

Seeing Kenndrix today was the first day of freshman year all over again. I had heard her voice first. I’d know that voice anywhere. Kynlee had to be on the other line of the phone. Once I’m brave enough to peek around the corner, I saw her standing against the building, head resting back while she stared at the sky, a small smile on her face. She was still the same-- yet different. I had never understood what people meant when they said that but I finally understood today. The basic instinct to erase the distance between us and pull her into my arms was consuming me. When she finally hung up the phone, I moved towards her.

Trying to put off talking to her, trying to avoid her on the set was ridiculous and it’d never work. Eventually, we’d be forced in front of one another. It was better to get the awkward over in private. Before I could say anything though her phone started ringing again however the frown that took over her face made me want to take her phone and hurl it across the lot. Kenndrix should never have to frown like that.

I hadn’t meant to comment on the frown, but it slipped out before I could think twice about it. Bringing up our past right off the bat was not my intention but it was also hard to deny. It was there, like an elephant in the room. We’d never be able to deny it. However, she looked like my Kenndrix, only more beautiful but when she spoke it wasn’t the girl I loved. She clearly saw the world differently now. Life had changed her or maybe I had changed her. The Kenndrix who had mastered the art of indifference had clearly reclaimed her throne in my absence.

If I didn’t know her so well, I would have thought she didn’t care that I was standing in front of her but I did know her. I recognized the way her cheeks tinted pink. Her eyes moved away from me to stare at our surroundings. The way she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and her hands fidgeted with her phone. Her breathing changed ever so slightly. Signs that she was just as affected by my presence as I am by hers. My little sliver of hope, but hope is a dangerous thing.

Eleven

Kenndrix

This week has been insane. Being on the set every day is exhausting, but after the first couple of days Walt started showing me more and more about the tricks to directing. My notebook is quickly filling up. The movie is moving along at a great speed and we’ve been lucky, no issues have come up yet. Aside from the fact that my concentration is crap. I’m hyper aware of Jaxx’s presence on the set. The heat of his stare is always there. Admittedly, I find my own eyes wandering towards him whenever I can get away with it.

Watching him now is so different. He’s changed so much in a lot of ways but in some he’s still the Jaxx I love. I mean loved. He still loves those little chocolate covered donuts, puts obscene amounts of ice in whatever he’s drinking, his laughter is still full of life and carries throughout the area. I’ve caught him reading some comic books on his tablet while waiting for his call time, more than once. All things I remember as if it were yesterday.

Thankfully, today the set is closed. It’s the one day that Walt requested to be closed. Apparently, Saturday’s are the days he spends with his family. I can respect that. It works out well for me this weekend because I have to be at Kynlee’s in less than an hour. Willow’s birthday is today. I can’t believe she’s already going to be three. Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday that Kynlee told me she was pregnant with her.

I stand in the mirror and smooth down the red mini dress I bought for today. It’s a simple sundress that hits mid-thigh with a hint of cleavage. I grab a pair of taupe colored wedges and place a few bobby pins on one side of my hair. There’s a nice breeze today and I don’t want to spend the whole day fighting with my hair. I grab my purse just as my cell phone starts to ring. Ronin’s name flashes on the screen along with his picture.

I haven’t spoken to Ronin at all this week. He’s tried to call, but every time he does I’ve been busy on the set. We’re drifting apart, I can feel it, but the problem is, I’m the reason for the drift. I’ve been avoiding his calls all week. I’m sure I could have stepped outside and answered at least one of his calls, but in all honesty, I just don’t want to deal with the one sided conversations.

I silence my phone and drop it back into my purse. Once I’m in my car, I make sure the Barbie Dream House I bought for Willow is in my backseat, not that you can miss the massive, pink and purple wrapped box. As I pull out of my neighborhood to head to Kynlee’s, I turn on my trusty playlist but today I’m in the mood for Sam Hunt.

I’m singing along as I pull up to Kynlee’s house. Ace and Kynlee share a beautiful, yet simple white, one story house with pale yellow shutters and the white picket fence. It always makes me laugh because if you see Ace and Kynlee you would assume they live in some gothic mansion, but their home is a far cry from that. A large tree sits in the front yard with a swing hanging from it. I grab a parking spot and Willow’s gift before climbing out of the car. As I make my way through the front yard to the front door, I hear the kids hollering in the backyard. I don’t bother knocking or ringing the doorbell, that’s a formality that Kynlee and I left behind a long time ago.

Once I’m inside, I head through the open concept house to the large French style doors that lead out to the backyard. “Oh, Jagger, can you grab that gift from Kenndrix?”

“Here, let me have that,” Jagger James, one of Ace’s older brothers, tells me as he takes the present from my hands. Jagger is tall, like 6’4” type of tall and all muscle. I’m always curious what his body fat percentage would be. He has the signature chocolate brown hair that all the James brothers have, short and neat. A trimmed beard covered his face. Tan skin with a few tattoos and deep hazel eyes that are kind. Jagger was one of the more level headed James brothers. He was married to Londynn, a used-to-be-rich girl who gave up everything to find life on her own terms, with two kids, Westin and Tabor.

“Thank you, Jagger.” He smiles at me.

“Auntie Kenndrix!” Willow calls out to me, as she comes running over. Her dark brown hair is black from the swimming pool she’s been playing in. Her Barbie bathing suit is so pink it almost hurts to look at it. Before I even think about it twice, I kneel down and catch Willow in my arms. I can feel my dress soaking from where she clings to me. “You’re here!”

“Of course, I am, sweetie. Where else would I be?” I ask her, as I press a kiss to her cheek.

“Willow, you're soaking Kenndrix and what did your mom just tell you about running after just getting out of the pool?” Ace says, as he steps up behind her and pulls her from my arms.

Willow hangs her head and pouts. “That I’m going to fall and not to do that.”

“Yes, she did. Now, don’t do it again okay?” he says.

Willow looks up at him with those bright gray eyes, similar to her mom's. “Okay, I won’t. I just got so excited about auntie Kenndrix being here.”

“I know, baby. Now, Kenndrix isn’t going anywhere except to get dried off you little water monkey so why don’t you go back to the pool,” he tells her. Willow takes off for the pool in a sprint but one whistle from Ace stops her feet from moving. She takes a deep breath and then slowly walks the rest of the way. I can’t help but laugh. Ace shakes her head. “She’s such a handful.”

“Well, her mother is Kynlee, what did you expect?” I ask him, in a teasing tone.

Ace shakes his head again. “I’m not sure what I got myself into, but I’m about to have another miniature Kynlee running around this house.”

My head falls back with laughter. “I’ll pray for you.”

Ace winks because we both know he wouldn’t trade this life for anything. “Thanks, I’m going to need it. Why don’t you go ahead and get dried off? I’m sorry about Willow.”

“Don’t you ever apologize for that little girl. She’s the best thing in my life,” I tell him, as I turn around and head back inside to go to the restroom. I slowly make my way through the kitchen, careful not to slip because my shoes are a little wet from where Willow dripped on them. As I come around the corner of the kitchen to the small hallway that leads to one of the bathrooms, I collide with something...or someone. The scent hits me immediately but I don’t have time to process it as my butt heads for the floor. Just in the knick of time a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist and pulls me into a warm, broad chest.

“Shit, are you okay?” Jaxx asks.

I look up into his blue eyes, so full of concern and a lump of emotion instantly forms in my throat. When was the last time someone looked at me with such concern for my wellbeing? I look past his shoulder towards the hallway. “Yeah, I’m okay, thanks to you. You’ve got some quick reflexes.”

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