“Nah, fuck that. There’s no excuse. What’s great about what we have is that Icanbe real with you.” His stare sliced through me, melting my heart. “It’s not normal, Jasmine, but it’s real. And I don’t want to fuck it up. No more secrets. I promise.”
His sincerity felt like a gut punch and I thought for a second that the subs might come back up. I went stiff.
“Shit,” Kai winced. “Too much?”
What was too much was the pressure in my chest that kept me from responding. I shook my head, mute from the guilt and shame.
“I just meant that I love that I can be real with you,” he stammered.
“I know,” I said shakily. “And I love that, a lot.”
He watched my face, curious and concerned.
He’d bared his soul.No more secrets. I promise.
The truth I’d kept inside me was like a vacuum, sucking up all the air. Keeping it would ruin us in the long run. But telling it might ruin us today. I finally managed a breath.
“Kai,” I said, voice trembling. “There’s something I have to tell you…”
CHAPTER 24
KAI
There’s something I have to tell you.
The words hung between us like a line gone taut, humming with all the weight she wasn’t saying yet. Now, sitting cross-legged across from me in the bow, Jasmine finally let it out.
“When I met you in the Whistle,” she said, twisting her fingers in her lap, “I was sure I recognized you. Three years ago I was here for summer break, before my senior year of college. I had a drunken hookup at Hog Heaven that I hadn’t really thought about since. But when you walked in, I was pretty sure it was you.”
My brows shot up. “Uh, I’m pretty sure I’d remember hooking up with you at Hog Heaven three years ago.”
She gave a nervous laugh. “Yeah, well, it didn’t seem too crazy a thought since I was pretty wasted. Everyone was. It was like four in the morning. Anyway, obviously I didn’t want to bring it up, because it was kinda weird, you know?”
“You could have said ‘didn’t we meet a few years ago?’” I leaned back against the console, trying to keep it light. “That’s what I would have said if I thought we’d fucked and you didn’t remember it.”
“You would?” Her eyes narrowed, searching me like she wasn’t sure if I was serious.
“Yes.” I gave a quick nod, forcing a crooked smile. “And I’m also sure I wouldn’t have thought you were weird if you asked me that. But either way, it doesn’t matter.”
She sighed, looking down at her hands. “Well, it was not my first reaction, obviously. I guess I was waiting to see if you’d recognize me. But when you didn’t, we were already hitting it off, so I didn’t think it mattered.”
“See? It all worked out.” I tried for a chuckle, but something in her expression told me we weren’t at the end of this.
“Yeah,” she said softly. “That’s what I thought.” Her voice wavered, like she was trying to lift a weight that didn’t want to budge.
I pushed a smile, hoping to nudge her back into ease. “Then we got held hostage. Worst first date ever?”
Her lips curved, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Actually it turned out pretty amazing, considering.” She paused, long enough to make my chest tighten. “Until I met your brother the next morning…”
My heart stalled. “Reef? Why? Did he say something that upset you?” They’d been alone in the kitchen when I came in from outside with the pups that morning. Anger at my brother boiled up inside me, hot and fast.
Her gaze rose to mine, steady but heavy. “No, Kai. I recognized him.”
The air seemed to thin. My stomach plunged like the boat had just dropped off a wave. My palms went slick, my head ringing with disbelief. For a split second I thought I’d misheard her. But the steady weight in her eyes told me I hadn’t.
I barely managed to croak out, “Oh,” quickly followed by, “Fuck.”
“Yep,” she said, looking defeated.
