Page 21 of Rekindled

Eight

"I'm sorry, what?!" Journee straightened her back in her seat on the heated deck, unfolding her legs from beneath her. "Y'all did... what?"

The both of us relaxed outside of the cabin, a couple of feet above the backyard in front of the contained fire pit I loved so much.

I sighed while shaking my head. "He... kissed me."

"But weren't y'all just—"

"Arguing? Yes." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "It's not unusual for us to go from war to the opposite, Journee, you know that."

"Oh, don't I know it well." She pursed her lips to hide her amusement. "But you and Kai have been going at it since you two arrived. I just thought things were... different."

"Apparently not."

The moment I left the guest bedroom, leaving Kai behind, I went searching for Journee. I released a sigh of relief when I saw she was alone. She explained Zyair went to gather wood for the fireplace.

"You two would always get physical in the most public spaces and at the oddest of times."

I rolled my eyes while biting back my smile.

"When y’all were together, hearing you two hook up became so common it no longer grossed me out after a while. It became as normal as overhearing the birds chirp at daybreak."

I threw one of the lounge chair pillows at her and she laughed as she blocked it from hitting her.

"That is the distant past," I told her, leaning back in my chair.

"Not distant enough."

I gave her a blank stare.

"You know the only reason you two have been at each other's throats is because you aren't resolving your problems the way you and Kai are used to resolving them, right?" She wiggled her brows.

"Journee..."

"I'm just saying." She winked. "I still can't wrap my head around why things didn't work out. You and Kai seemed so perfect for each other."

"Well, I was losing myself in that perfection."

Journee sat quietly.

"After you and Zyair got engaged, even though I was so happy for you two, I wondered when Kai would be ready to take that leap too."

Journee reached her hand over to me and I took it.

"Not to say just because you got engaged meant I had to, too. I just was curious if Kai and I were moving in the same direction or if I was wasting my time."

"Well, did you ever talk to him about it?"

"Several times." I blew air through my mouth. "It had gotten to where I thought I needed to do more, show more. Prove to him, I was wifey material. I started doing shit that made me look at myself sideways. And when jealousy stepped into the equation, me wondering who he was hanging out with at those clubs and if the women he was taking photos with in the clubs were more than club patrons to him, I knew I'd pushed myself too far."

Journee nodded.

"I ended things because I didn't like who I was becoming. I went from being infatuated with him, to being in love, then finally insecure, and the shit wasn't cute so I told him I couldn't be his girlfriend anymore. Not acting like that. I broke up with him for me more than I did because I was angry with him."

"So what's your beef with him now?"

I shook my head while looking out into the distance. The sun had set an hour ago, but the sky was still a stunning faded powdered blue as evening set in. "I don't even know. It just frustrates me that life has just gone on with him. I don't even think he's thought of me since we broke up."

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