For The Hope Of It All

Kiyara

 "So are you going to let me set you up this time?"

I let out a scoff, leaning back against the cherry red diner chair behind the counter as I wait for Ilyes to get his things from upstairs. I'm not sure why I even agreed to let him drive me to the beach. I'd only met him once prior to this. For all I knew he could be just as much as a creep as his cousin Issa. But Sinclair had pretty much begged me to hang out with him as if his cousin wasn't a celebrity that needed the company of his cousin's friend.

"I'm not looking for a relationship" I remind him. Especially with a professional athlete. Sure they were stereotypes but it seemed like there were more unfaithful ones than not.

"Good because neither is he. He just got out of a serious relationship and his career is on the line with this injury. His mom says he's been depressed, his dad had to pack his things and force him to fly out here." Sinclair fiddles with the signet ring he has on his pinkie finger, the same one Ilyes has. "Come on, you know how to have a good time."

"I'm not a babysitter" I reiterate. A wide grin slashes across Sinclair's face.

"But you like the company of good looking men don't you?"

A laugh leaves my lips this time, just as Ilyes returns downstairs. I lift my gaze to him as he places his duffle bag between Sinclair and I on the table., my eyes sweeping over him. He looks a bit pale and gaunt compared to the last time I saw him but still effortlessly gorgeous. It was beyond living in England. Though I had to admire his decision to spend his summer here with family instead of touring the clubs in Europe with his entourage which I knew most athletes do on their break.

"Abbas let me use his Jeep until I get my motocycle." He says, mostly to Sinclair. My eyes trail down to his leg where a huge moon boot covers half of it.

"You could use Issa's car. He has an Escalade now"

"It'd put too much risk of him wanting to join and harass Kiyara all day. Not in the mood to beat the shit out of him today." Ilyes finally turns to look at me, eyes sweeping over every inch of my body as if he knew the way he said my name would elicit a reaction from me. I squeeze my legs together and straighten my back. "Do you have everything?"

"How are you going to drive with a moon boot on?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"You really can't drive then huh?" Ilyes says as if it has any relevance to the conversation but I entertain it anyways.

"What? You thought I was lying?"

He only shakes his head, "I only need my right foot to drive."

"Well how are you going to swim?" I counter for no real reason other than to get a feel of his personality before I spend the rest of the day with him. Maybe if he had none, I'd ignore him the entire time. Or maybe I'd annoy him until one emerged. If he didn't save me from his handsy cousin in May, I wouldn't have even considered the offer.

"I thought you were just going to sunbathe?"

"We're going to a beach, of course I'm going to swim"

Ilyes shrugs, "Then I'll take off my boot. Easy."

"You're just a man of solutions, aren't you?" I can't help but scoff.

Ilyes scoffs right back at me, lifting the duffle bag off the table along with the packed bag of food Sinclair had prepared.

"You'll come to like that"

#

Ilyes drives like an absolute mad-man. A completely unhinged, insane psycopath. I'm not sure if his injured ankle has compromised some sort of coordination or somehow restricted blood flow to his head but it's horrible - probably just as bad as Benny. Driving with no regard for my life. He doesn't even care when I reach up to grab the handle above my window, just keeps swerving and changing lanes like it's nothing. I felt sick even with my eyes on the road. Bile began to bubble up my throat. The cold air blasting through the vents wasn't enough to appease the nausea rising within me. But even that wasn't enough to dampen my mood. I loved coming to Coney Island. Every single thing about it. Sure, it was way too touristy which is why I didn't like coming often but it always reminded me of the day trips my parents would plan a few times a week in the summer, whenever my dad finished worked early and they were more in love with each other than they hated each other. Whenever I came here, I felt like that little girl again with a family.