Page 12 of Bittersweet Redemption

I freak out and swat whatever is flying by my head. Then I hear it by my other ear, so I swat at it again. A bee flies in front of my face, and another flies behind it. My arms flail about, trying to get the bees away from me. I’ve never been one of those people who can stay still while a bee or a wasp is near. I freak out. I can’t help it. It’s instinct. I see or hear a bee, and I turn into one of those inflatable men you see outside car dealerships, arms moving in every direction to try to get away.

I scream when I feel one going up my baggy shirt. Shit, shit, shit. I’ve never been stung by a bee, and I just know he’s going to sting me. I shake my shirt to get the bee out.

But then I feel it.

A stinging pinch right on my stomach. I let out a painful screech as the lawn mower turns off.

I’m sweating, my hands are shaking, and I’m not sure what to do.

“What the fuck is going on?” I hear a deep voice ask.

I look up to see Kai marching toward me with a scowl. I wipe the tears off my cheek, hoping he can’t see that I’m crying.

“I think I got stung by a bee,” I say, my voice trembling.

“A bee,” he repeats slowly like it’s the stupidest thing he’s ever heard. “Are you allergic to bees?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never been stung by one.” I’m unable to stop the tears.

“Jesus Christ,” he mumbles. “Come with me.”

He turns and walks to his house like he expects me to follow. I’m not sure why he wants me to follow him, but that doesn’t stop me from walking after him.

He walks inside through his back door, leaving it open for me, but I pause outside, unsure what to do. He didn’t technically invite me in. Does he want me in there, or should I wait outside?

“Come on, Willa,” he calls, sounding annoyed. I step inside and am immediately hit with a clean scent, almost like fresh linen, which is not what I expected. I follow the sound of his footsteps down the hallway to a bathroom. His house is set up similarly to mine, so I know where to go.

He washes his hands and then turns to me. “Let me see it.”

I lift the hem of my shirt just enough for him to see where the sting is. He looks down at my stomach, and I’ve never felt more on display than I do right now, even though I’m fully clothed. Maybe because I know the man looking at me hates me or because he looks disgusted by my very presence.

“Looks like two of them got you.” His eyes stay trained on my red skin.

I look down at my stomach and see two tiny stingers sticking out. “Oh my god, oh my god.” I feel the tears start to well in my eyes again.

“Calm down. You’re going to be fine.”

“You don’t know that,” I counter.

He rolls his eyes and kneels in front of me, causing me to suck in a breath. Seeing this man on his knees in front of me makes me feel things I shouldn’t. Things I definitely don’t want to be feeling about him. “I’m just going to get the stingers out, ok?”

I nod, unable to find my voice.

His rough fingertips gently scrape against the skin of my stomach, causing me to hiss. He must have gotten both stingers out because he blows lightly on the punctures while his hands hold my hips. I watch in fascination as he checks my stomach, his mouth inches away from my body. My core clenches as I picture him leaning forward just an inch more and his lips touching my skin.

He looks up at me. The moment our eyes meet, he abruptly stands and avoids my gaze. Did he feel the same thing I did? “Let’s get some ice.”

I clear my throat and mumble, “Ok,” as he walks past me out of the bathroom.

I follow him to the kitchen and watch him grab a sandwich bag from a drawer and fill it with ice cubes. He hands it to me. “Keep this on there for a little while, and you should be good to go.”

“How did you know what to do for bee stings?” I ask out of curiosity. If Roman got stung by a bee, I would have absolutely no idea what to do. It’s not something I’ve had to consider before; I probably would have wasted time frantically searching the internet, but Kai wasn’t fazed. He knew exactly what to do.

“My brother and I got stung by bees when we were younger. This is what my mom would do for us. I have no idea if it’s what you’re actually supposed to do for bee stings, but both of us are still alive.” I nod. “Now go home and take some ibuprofen.”

“Ok.” But I don’t move. I stand in his spotless kitchen, staring at him as I hold a bag of ice on my stomach.

“Like, now. Go home.”