Salient Secret

Chapter 23

Kai's pov

"I'm so sorry Jackie, things took longer than expected," I apologize to my middle aged neighbour who kindly agreed to watch Sammy for a few hours after he got back from school, I told her I'd come get him at 5 pm, it's 6:10 pm now. 

"It's okay, he fell asleep anyways." She gestures for me to come in. I see Sammy lying on the couch fast asleep. I pick him up carefully, sling his school bag over my shoulder and walk out the door.

"Thanks again Jackie."

"No problem kid."

After a bit of a struggle, I manage to open the door to my room, then I get Sammy to bed. I start making dinner for when he wakes up, nothing too complicated, just chicken spaghetti, which he loves. 

I should probably call Avery. I kind of stole her number from Maya's phone the day we all had dinner at Maya's house. I told myself I wouldn't get attached but how can I not when she feels like home. No one has ever made me feel the way she does.

Without even knowing it, I'm pulling out my phone to call her.

"Hello, who is this?" That hurts until I remember that she doesn't have my number.

"It's Kai."

"Wow this is a new level of stalker."

"It is my life goal to be good at everything I do, if I didn't have your number by now, I'd just be an average stalker." There's that beautiful little sound she makes when she finds something funny, I don't think it classifies as a laugh though, she blows air out of her nose and then smiles, it's really weird. 

"That is a dangerous goal Mr Grayson, one day you're not going to be able to do something well and it just might kill this motivated side of you."

"Then I'm just going to have to make sure I don't do anything I can't do well."

"Now you're just limiting yourself."

"And I'll be good damn good at it." I can hear her rolling her eyes through the phone. 

"So Stalker, why did you call?"

"I was going to apologize for leaving like that... again, but I'm not in the mood anymore."

"Well then you're just wasting my precious time."

"Yes because you're so busy waiting for death in the hospital." She doesn't say anything for a few seconds, so I say, "It was just a joke princess."

"Oh I know, I just ummm dropped something so I had to ummm pick it up." She really sucks at lying. "The nurse just came in with dinner, I should ummm go now."

"Oh how the tables have turned." She gives me a little chuckle.

"I'll be sure to save your number, goodnight Kai."

"You bet your ass you'll my number, goodnight Avery."

That did not go well, I'll make it up to her tomorrow.

"Kai is dinner ready?" Sammy walks into the kitchen rubbing his eyes.

"Yes of course dinners ready, guess what we're having..." I say like a game show host while turning around and getting his bowl, "Chicken Spaghetti!"

"Yayyyyyy," he runs to the table and sits down waiting anxiously for me to bring his food, he is officially wide awake. We sit and eat dinner and then watch Teen Titans, his favourite show. My phone starts to ring, and it's a number I'm not familiar with.

"Hello?"

"Kai?"

"Yes."

"This is your mother. Can we meet?"