Stories Unknown

A Hopeful Wish (Pt. 2)

"Hey," a voice greeted from behind Cinder. She turned to look at the familiar face, but in the next instance he was sliding into the booth beside her, scooting close enough that their knees touched. Cinder moved her legs away.

"How are you guys doing? I feel like it's been an eternity since we've all hung out together," Kai said, glancing first at Cress and then turning his attention to Cinder who was doing her very best not to blush.

"We were all together New Year's Eve at Scar's party," Cress said, picking up a handful of peanuts from the table's center bowl and throwing them back into her mouth. "Except you kept trying to conduct interviews the whole night, you filthy workaholic."

Kai laughed at this, lightly tapping Cress' arm with his menu. "Hey, it's not my fault that people were staying sober! If everyone had been drunk I wouldn't have dared to interview a soul."

"Look at you, being all ethical," Cinder teased, knocking her arm into his lightly. Cress caught the motion and gave Cinder a secretive little smirk.

"I think I need to use the restroom," Cress said, scooting out of the booth. "I'll be right back."

"Don't you need me to come with?" Cinder asked, giving Cress a pointed I-know-what-you're-doing look.

"Oh no, I'll be fine," Cress waved her hand. "Kesley's never has any creeps."

Cinder watched her friend walk away, making sure no strange man hit on her before she made it to the bathroom. Of course it was true that Kesley's, though a bar, had very few creeps. Perhaps it was because the owner, a guy they liked to call Wolf because of his massive canines and bark-like laughter would beat the living hell out of any harassers. But still, Cinder worried.

She pulled at the sleeve of her black blouse, trying to look anywhere that wasn't Kai. But somehow her wandering eyes made it back to Kai, watching him and the way his face fell into seriousness when he was trying to concentrate. He was perusing his menu despite the fact that the three of them had been coming to Kesley's on the regular since Cress turned twenty-one.

A waiter came by the table and dropped off three glasses of water, saying he would be back for their orders in a minute. Cinder glared at the clear liquid within her glass, feeling her mouth go dry with nerves. Without hesitating, she downed the contents of her glass without stopping for breath, the liquid doing nothing to quench her nerves.

"Thirsty?" Kai asked, watching Cinder chug the glass, his face resting on his hand as he stared at her. Cinder nearly choked on her last swallow, setting the glass back down on the table with a clatter. Kai chuckled, patting her on the back.

"Thanks," Cinder coughed, turning her face away so he couldn't see her eyes watering.

"Please don't die," Kai chuckled, giving her one final pat on the back. "It would be a great shame if you died," Kai said dramatically, and Cinder couldn't help but peak back at him. He was smiling at her— stars, was he always smiling at her?—though his eyes looked slightly concerned.

"Why?" Cinder sputtered, letting out a final, feeble cough.

Kai smirked, and for a minute Cinder thought he was going to confess his undying love for her, despite the fact that she still believed her affections to be unrequited. "Because then who would fix my phone and save me from Torin's wrath?"

Cinder deflated slightly, but let out a small, very fake laugh all the same. She leaned her back against the wall, her body turned toward Kai despite the aching feeling in her chest that concerned him and only him.

"No no, but in all seriousness, I would miss you dearly should you ever disappear from my life in any capacity," Kai said, taking a sip of his water.

"You would?"

Kai looked at her as if that were the most outrageous question in the world. "Are you kidding, Cinder? I think I would be destroyed if something were to happen to you."

Cinder perked up a little at this, but tried to staunch her imagination from running wild with his words. Of course he would miss her— they had been friends since they were kids. It didn't mean that he had any feelings toward her.

They stared at one another for a moment, and Cinder thought she could see a hint of fear in his eyes as he looked at her. He opened his mouth to say something more, but just then, Cress slid back into the booth, nibbling on her lip as she glanced between the two of them. She looked almost regretful.

"What are you guys doing?" Cress asked, hesitant.

Kai turned to her, all seriousness gone as his usual smile returned to his face. "Oh, you know, just talking about death."

***

Cress wrapped her arms around Cinder's middle, giggling as she nearly brought the both of them to the ground. None of them had had much to drink that night, but Cress had the alcohol tolerance of a kitten.

"Woah," Cress sighed, looking up at Cinder with crossed eyes. "Is your hair brown? I a-always wished I h-had brown hair," Cress hiccupped.

"Yours will probably turn brown someday," Cinder said, patting Cress' head.

"Like R-Rapunzel?" Cress asked, sounding almost childlike. "D-do I need to cut m-my hair?"

"Nah," Kai said, opening the door to the back seat of his car. Cinder and Cress had walked to the bar, since it was only a few blocks from their apartment and Cress was very much into energy conservation and all that, but there was no way Cinder could get Cress home after her pair of beers. "It will turn naturally as you age. Just look at your dad."

"M-my dad's hair is w-white," Cress whined, as Cinder gently laid her down in the back seat. "I want my h-hair to be brown."

"Well, your dad's hair was brown before he got old," Kai explained, though his words were almost teasing. Cinder grabbed his arm, trying her very best not to laugh at him.

"There's no use reasoning with her when she's like this," Cinder whispered into Kai's ear. She teetered slightly with the motion of lifting up on her toes, and Kai slid his arm around her to stop from falling. Maybe she was a bit tipsy after all.

Cinder swallowed, looking up into Kai's eyes. He was staring at her in a way that he had never stared at her before, or perhaps a way she had never noticed him looking at her, for his gaze was almost familiar. She felt her breath hitch as his eyes dropped from hers down to her lips.

"We should probably get her home before she yaks in your car," Cinder whispered, her own eyes flickering between Kai's brilliant copper eyes and his thin, pale lips. She could feel her heart racing, but also Kai's— for in her near fall her hand had landed on his chest, just over his heart. It beat rather quickly, though perhaps that was normal for him. Cinder wouldn't know; she'd never felt Kai's heartbeat before.

"Yeah," Kai breathed, though he did not let go of Cinder.

It was almost as if a spell had been cast over them, for it seemed impossible for either party to move away from the other. Neither pair of arms could let go, and both sets of eyes couldn't seem to stop looking. And for a moment, Cinder knew that her feelings weren't one-sided— that Kai wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

But then an awful retching sound came from Kai's car, and the spell was broken. That moment was gone, lost as the two released one another and rushed to Cress' aid.