I Always Wished

Chapter 8

***Just saying, if y'all don't listen to this song during Jay's POV, you're missing out on life 😂 Don't skip this one!***

***(Kai's POV)***

Cole pushes aside his bowl of cereal, adding it to the stack of bowls left by a troop of hungry girls who've long left their dishes for Saturday activities.

I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of itching to wash them and put them away. Back when Nya was younger, I never let her leave the table until she'd cleaned up after herself.

"All right," Cole starts. "So as we discussed last night, Nya and Jay are going to do surveillance for the day."

My sister nods, casting a sidelong glance at me before rising from her chair. "What about...um, Kai?"

Cole runs a hand through his dark locks. "Skylor said he's leaving today, so I guess we'll have to relocate him to some safe location."

Skye bites her lip. "The less of us in one location at once, the better. I don't want to attract any unwanted attention to the girls, and we have no idea where that android came from."

Right. Make as many excuses as you want.

"That's what Jay and I are going to figure out," Nya says determinedly. She dares a look at me. "Um...just in case I don't see you later..." She awkwardly pats my shoulder. "You can call Jay and me sometime if you want."

I look away at the table, feeling guilty yet unwilling to spend any time around my sister. "I don't think I have your number."

She bites her lip. "Let me write it down for you." She tears the corner off a paper towel and grabs the nearest pen, then scribbles digits across the paper.

I tentatively take it from her. I know I can't call that number any time soon for my own emotional wellbeing.

I have so many conflicted feelings toward her right now.

"Thanks," I mutter, the word barely a sound through my clogged throat. "Uh...take care of yourself." My gaze darts to Jay. "And you, too." Awkward.

It's so much easier to despise people when they don't risk their lives to save you. Now I'm getting all...emotional and stuff.

My brother-in-law gives me a cautious smile. "Yeah. You too." And with that, he loops an arm around my sister's shoulders and walks her out of the kitchen.

I think that maybe those two have made a surprisingly good couple. I never saw the chemistry back in the day, but hey, they've survived longer than Skye and I did.

Not that I approve of Nya getting married without my permission. Or Jay asking her to marry him without my permission. I mean, sure, I was mentally insane during their short engagement and elopement, but it would've been nice to have some kind of a say in their relationship. I still have rights to dislike their marriage.

But oddly, when it comes down to it, I think they've grown together. Nya isn't the girl I remember, that's for sure. And Jay's always needed someone to push him in the right direction. I guess my sister has done an okay-ish job of that.

Seliel walks up behind Cole and places her hands on his shoulders, rubbing gently. "Where do you want me to drop Kai off?"

My former teammate stares at the table. "I don't know. The only good option besides Skylor's is Nya and Jay's. We want him to stay with other elementals for defense purposes."

I raise an eyebrow. "You don't have to talk about me like I'm not part of this conversation, you know. And I'm not going to stay at my sister's house while she and Jay make balloon animals and watch romcoms and whatever else they do."