Page 78 of Adrift Without You
He hops out of bed, erection tenting his boxers, and heads into the walk-in wardrobe. I’m about to follow when I spot something on his bedside table that I didn’t notice in my lust-fuelled state last night. It’s a shell.
No, it can’t be. Can it? I stare at it for a few seconds, sifting through my memories of that night on the beach. The first timewe kissed and I had to accept I’d fallen head over heels in love with him.
Picking up the shell, I turn it over in my hand. It’s periwinkle, without a single crack or imperfection. It has a distinct brown and cream pattern and is larger than the ones you normally find on Mornington Peninsula beaches. I run my fingers over its smooth surface, my eyes closing as I remember Ky spotting it and scooping it up off the sand. I’d teased him for slipping it into his pocket and taking it home. It brings a smile to my face, my heart swelling as my feelings from that night spread warmly throughout my body. When I open my eyes, Ky is sitting beside me, watching me with a soft smile of his own.
“It isn’t, is it?” I ask, still not convinced it’s the same shell.
“It is.”
“You kept itallthis time?”
Ky takes my hand. “Everything changed that night. I finally knew for sure that you had feelings for me. That it wasn’t just hooking up.” Ky strokes his thumb over my cheekbone. “I wanted something to remember that night, so I hung onto it. I kept it hidden until Lu and I moved here. Sometimes, I would go and visit that beach—our beach—when I missed you most.”
My eyes fill with tears; this shell, Ky’s confession, bring a wave of empathy for his experience. For his loss and grief. “Fuck, Ky. Just…just kiss me.”
He kisses me tenderly then pulls me close to his chest. We remain like that for a long time, just holding each other, the weight of our past and present settling between us like the ocean tide—profound and immeasurable. The truth is, we were both adrift without each other, lost to the sea. But in the end, it didn’t matter how much distance, how many years passed—we could never be undone. We belong to each other. We always have.
“Hurry up you two! Breakfast is waiting.”
Lucinda yelling from the kitchen has us both chuckling, and we slowly pull apart.
“Coming,” replies Ky.
“Are you okay? Are you happy?” I ask.
“Happier than I ever thought possible. What about you?”
“I’ve probably got a lot of guilt about Chris to get through, but yeah, I know this is right. I know I’m where I’m supposed to be.”
“Good. You hungry? We should go eat.”
“I’m starvin’. I could eat a horse.”
We quickly throw on some clothes and head out to the kitchen. I’m nervous as hell about how Lucinda will react to our news. Especially since how this weekend plays out will determine if I move in or not. Not only do I want to be accepted by Lucinda, but I also want her to like me and for us to develop a good relationship. I know how important she is to Ky and her happiness must always take top priority.
The table is already set for three, with plates of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and toast in the middle, like a buffet. It looks and smells incredible and I’m very grateful to Lucinda for cooking for us. It’s another reminder of what a great dad Ky must be, to have raised such a kind and caring teenager. Not that I’m surprised.
When we take our seats, Lucinda has that same smirk on her face that Ky gets and I figure it’ll be pretty damn easy to love this kid. “Lucinda, this looks amazin’. Thanks for cookin’.” I pile a bit of everything onto my plate.
“Brendan, you can call me Lu, everyone does.”
“Okay, and you can call me Bren if you want.”
Smiling at Ky, I receive a quick thigh squeeze under the table. I bite into the pancakes first. “Lu, you’re a fuckin’ good cook.” It’s out of my mouth before I realise. “Sorry, I’ve gotta remember not to swear so much.”
Lu giggles. “Don’t worry about it, Dad is just as bad. Seems like you can take the man out of The Pines, but you can’t take The Pines out of the man.”
I scoff. “Your dad’s a soft bitch these days. You should’ve seen him back in the day.”
“Heeeey!” Ky objects. “I’m notthatsoft.”
“Whatever you wanna tell yourself, Davies.”
Lu smiles brightly at her dad, then shifts her attention to me. “I’d love to hear your stories about Dad. Didn’t you two meet when you were about my age?”
I turn to Ky, sentimentality rushing over me as I think of him at sixteen. “We knew of each other before then, but I was kept down in year eleven and that’s how we ended up in the same class. We becamefriendspretty soon after that. And yeah, I can tell you a few stories ‘bout your dad one day.”
Lu moves on, asking us both the big questions, like am I separated and are we dating or in a relationship now? She’s not afraid to be direct so I tell her that I’ve left my marriage and I want to be in a long term, committed relationship with her dad.
