delicate

65

I heard the front door open, then close. Kai had gone out with his friend Denny to help him pick out an engagement ring for his girlfriend. I kept reading the book as he walked into the room. I glanced up at him before looking back down at the page.

"How was it," I asked.

He walked over. He groaned as he moved onto the bed. He climbed between my legs, laying his head on my stomach and wrapping his arms around my body. "Horrible."

I moved a hand to the back of his head and pulled my book toward the bed. I looked down at him as I threaded my fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry, baby."

He hummed in response. I slid my hand to his shoulder. He felt tense. I looked at my book, reading the next page as I massaged his shoulder gently. He moaned softly. I closed the book after finishing the page and sat it down. I moved my other hand to his other shoulder and looked down at him. He pressed his face into my stomach as he moaned.

"You seem stressed."

He lifted his head and looked up at me. He opened his mouth to speak, then smiled. I moved my hands to his biceps. "Yeah."

I slid my hands to his face, "Why?"

"I don't know." The soft look in his eyes was masking the heaviness in his mind, shielding it from me.

I looked over at my phone when it started ringing. Caroline's name was lit up on the screen. I sighed as I reached for it. I pulled my phone to my face after answering the call. "Hey."

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"That's such a coincidence because Elena, Bonnie, and I aren't doing anything either! And since none of us are busy... we just might consider going out together. Just a thought-"

"Tonight?"

"Yes."

I let the thought run through my mind for a moment. "I don't know, Care."

"Come on, Ev. Live a little."

Kai moved and sat up in front of me. "Yeah, the last time you told me to live a little, I ended up drugged and assaulted, so I don't really think I'll be taking that advice anymore."

She sighed. "Okay, well... just hang up and think about it. Call me back after."

"Okay, Caroline."

She ended the call. I pulled my phone down from my face and sat it on the nightstand again. I looked at Kai. He was staring in my direction, but his attention was far from this room.

"Kai." After he didn't respond, I leaned forward and grabbed his hand. "Hey."

His eyes found mine as he exhaled slowly. "Hey."

I pulled his hand to my lap. "What's on your mind, babe?"

He shook his head. Words started to form on his lips, but he breathed them away. He looked down at our hands. "Did I ruin your life?"

I wondered how he could blame himself for how my life panned out. "Why would you think that?"

His eyes didn't meet mine, and his focus remained on our hands. "You went to law school at 16. You were supposed to have an easy life that didn't involve my life."

I moved my hand to the side of his face, lifting his head to make him look into my eyes. The sad look in his eyes made my chest feel tight. "No one's life is ever easy. And I never thought I was supposed to have anything. I don't blame you for anything that's happened."

He moved his hand to the one at the side of my face. "So much has happened to you because of what I-"

"No." I tilted my head. "What other people have done to me is what they chose to do. Even if they did it because of something you did, I don't blame you." The guilty look that coated his features lit a match in my mind. He blames himself for what happened.