Page 89 of Kane's Awakening
I’d never asked if he had, afraid of the answer, and I was relieved to know the truth. Being cheated on was a fear of mine, but I trusted Kane.
I just wished he’d be able to trust me someday.
“I want to keep trying, Rye,” he said as we pulled apart from the kiss. Determination sparked in his eyes, replacing the former doubt, and the pressure of his hand increased on mine. “Because this… what we have… I’ve never felt it before either, and I don’t want to lose it. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” I promised.
“Good,” he responded and smiled. “Can we order a pizza now? Now, that I got all that shit off my chest, I’m starving.”
His tone was light, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He was still a little on edge like he’d been earlier, but like he said, it would take time. I’d be with him, no matter how long it took.
If he did the yo-yo thing and tried to push me away, I’d only hold on tighter.
***
Almost three weeks passed and it was the middle of April before I knew it. Things with me and Kane improved. They still weren’t perfect, but no relationship was perfect.
After he’d told me about Devon, communication between us had drastically changed. He actually told me things and spoke freely about his time growing up on the farm. Farm talk turned into his life in high school and how he’d been somewhat of a dork, which was hard to believe.
It was like seeing a new side of him—a more liberating side I’d often wondered about but didn’t know if I’d ever get to see.
When we weren’t staying the night at my house, we were at his. Even on days where I had to work late and didn’t get home until nine or ten, Kane waited for me, and we managed to make time for each other.
The investigation on him was taking longer to be cleared because there were so many cases to get through first, which in turn postponed his. He was sick of desk duty and said his boss had him going through all the files the past few days and organizing them; putting all the closed ones in one area and the open ones in another. When he wasn’t organizing files, he was watching security footage or typing up police reports. He hated it, but I told him at least he was working and that it wouldn’t always be like that.
That Friday morning, we’d woken up and had a heavy make out session before eating breakfast together and getting ready for work.
It was strange how quickly things could change. Even though we’d created a routine and behaved like a normal couple, I wasn’t foolish enough to think Kane was one-hundred percent okay.
There were still the instances when I’d see the hesitance in his eyes and feel the uncertainty of his touch.
My phone buzzed, and since I was in the line at the coffee place and not on the road, I checked it.
Kane:Just got to work. More files. Yay. I could die of happiness.
Me:You’ll live, Sir Fuckington. Don’t let the kingdom—aka the department—down. They need their horny knight in tinfoil armor.
I cracked a smile at my own joke. We’d both deleted that hookup app, but it was fun to use his old screen name at times.
Kane:Tinfoil armor? Dafuq, Rye? At least let me wear chainmail, so I can look hot.
The car in front of me moved, and I pulled up.
“Welcome to Sweet Bay, can I take your order?” Max said as he opened the drive through window. Then his stare landed on me and his voice went from happy to kind of bitchy. “Oh, hey. Your usual?”
“Yes, plea—”
Before I finished, he closed the window. I watched him through the glass as he grabbed a cup and filled it with the house blend and put a sleeve on the cup. The window slid open again, and he told me the price. I handed him the money, and he took it without another word.
When he appeared again to hand me my change, I blurted out, “I’m sorry you’re pissed, Max. I thought we left things on good terms.”
He sighed and handed me the money. “No, I’m sorry. I’m just in a shitty mood this morning, and when I saw you wereyou, I dropped the fake attitude I have to use for other customers.” He stuck his head out the window, I guess to see if there were cars behind me, and I saw what looked to be a hickey on his neck. “So, I’m not mad at you. Not really.”
Well if he was screwing around with another guy, he couldn’t betooupset with me.
“I’m the only one in line,” I said after checking the rearview mirror. “What’s up?”
He leaned against the frame and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Just a guy I started seeing about two weeks ago. He’s likedeepdeep in the closet and I’m already getting sick of it.”
