Page 24 of Tiger's Quest
I put my hand on his cheek and kissed him softly on the lips. It was nice. Not the passionate kiss I’d been planning, but he still seemed happy about it. He briefly touched my face and smiled. Li’s touch was nice. Safe. But, it wasn’t anything at all like what I felt with Ren. Li’s kiss was a speck of dust in the universe, a drop of water next to a raging waterfall.
How do you live with something so mediocre when you’ve had something so exceptional? I guess you just do and learn to treasure your memories.
I twisted the key in the lock and cracked the door open.
Li hollered happily, “Night, Kelsey. See you Monday.”
I watched him drive off and then stepped inside the house to face the Indian prince waiting for me within.
6
Choices
Istepped through the entryway and closed the door behind me, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. I wondered if Ren was next door and debated whether or not to sort things out with him tonight.
I stepped into the living room and gasped softly when I spotted the familiar form of my blue-eyed white tiger sprawled out on the leather couch. Ren raised his head and looked straight into my soul.
Tears came to my eyes. I hadn’t realized that I’d missed this part of him, my friend, so much. I knelt down in front of the couch, threw my arms around his neck, and cried big alligator tears, letting them spill down my cheeks and into his soft white fur. I petted his head and stroked his back. Ren was here. He was finally with me. I wasn’t alone anymore. Suddenly, I understood that he must have felt this way too, being withoutmeall these months.
I choked back a sob. “Ren, I . . . Imissedyou so much. Iwantedto talk to you. You’re my best friend. It’s just that I didn’t want to take away your choices. Can you understand that?”
My arms were still wrapped tightly around his neck when I felt him change. His body morphed and soon his arms were around me and I was sitting on his lap. His white shirt was damp from my tears.
Hugging me close, he said, “I missed you too,iadala. More than you know. And I understand your reasons for leaving.”
I mumbled against his shirt, “You do?”
“Yes. But I want you to understand something too, Kells. You don’t take away my choices. Youaremy choice.”
I sniffed wetly. “But, Ren—”
He pulled my head back to his shoulder. “This man, Li. You kissed him?”
I nodded mutely against his chest. There was no point denying it. I knew he must have heard it through the door.
“Do you love him?”
“I feel friendship and respect for him, and I like him a lot, but I’m definitely not head over heels about him.
“Then why did you kiss him?”
“I kissed him to . . . compare, I guess. To explore how I really felt about him.”
Ren picked me up and set me on the couch next to him. He was warming to the topic, and I couldn’t figure out why. I expected him to be angry, but he wasn’t at all.
“Sodatingis how you learn if you like each other?”
“Yes,” I answered hesitantly.
“Did you have other dates or is this the first one?”
“You mean with Li?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Were there others?”
“Yes.” I frowned.
“How many?”
