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Suddenly, Kali breaks the kiss and jumps back as if something bit her. I can promise you it wasn’t me, despite wanting to.
“What was that?” she blurts out.
I furrow my brows, confused. “What was what?”
“Something flew by me and squeaked. It was inches away from our heads. I felt it. You didn’t?”
I shake my head, scanning the empty boat. Her lips and her soft sighs were consuming my attention. “It was probably a bird.”
“Oh my god!” she shrieks, pointing to the edge of the boat. “That is not a bird.”
I walk over and staring up at me are two little beady eyes, a little snout, and tiny ears twitching. “Hey, buddy. You take a wrong turn?” I say to the unexpected visitor.
Kali stands right next to me, straining her neck forward. “Is that a bat? He’s kind of cute.” It wasn’t so cute when he interrupted us.
“It is. Every night, thousands take flight from under the Congress Avenue Bridge searching for food. It’s like a monumental event every night for people around here.”
“Thousands?” Her eyes widen in amazement as she stares at the creature. “I think I found our next date.”
A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. She’s already thinking about date two. Well, damn, now I’m thankful for the interruption.
Not a couple minutes later, our new friend is back in flight, and the next song is already playing. “I hope you like the eighties.” I chuckle hearing “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner.
“I love it,” she says, walking back into my arms.
As we dance, she tells me about the classes she signed up for. I’ve never heard someone talk about college with that much excitement. While it was some of the best times of my life, it wasn’t because of the classes. Partying and women. That is what I aced in college.
“So, what do you want to do when you grow up?”
“A flight attendant. I’ve dreamed of traveling the world.” Her confidence about what she wants and her determination to make it happen are sexy. After what she’s been through, most women would be afraid to live. Not Kali.
But after everything we’ve talked about, there’s one thing she’s yet to tell me—her rags-to-riches story. She’s changed from before.
Before being buried.
How does a woman go from being a small-town waitress with tattered shoes to buying a brand-new car, an entire new wardrobe, and enrolling in college?
It seems we both have secrets.
CHAPTER 21
Kali
In my room, where the sun seems to live twenty-four hours a day, I’m shocked I haven’t gotten bored with the canary yellow walls. But it’s grown on me. It makes me happy when I’m in here.
Amy sits on my bed, watching me get ready for my date. We’ve become close. She’s even asked about my mom. Nobody ever asks about her. Which is why I think I bottled up their memories, too afraid to speak their name.
The other day, we made a recipe that my mom used to always bake—peanut butter cookies. Amy didn’t care that it was the simplest cookie recipe ever, using only three ingredients. It was the story I shared with her while we cooked it that made it special.
If only I had them as foster parents.
And even though she knows what happened to my mom and dad, and of course the nightmare I went through, she and Ted never look at me with pity or judgment. I’m not ready to let her go yet. I hope she knows that I’ll never forget her.
“You like him,” she states matter-of-factly.
Very much.
“I enjoy being around him,” I respond without lifting my gaze as I swipe my left lashes with mascara. Having a man call you daily, telling you that you’re beautiful, is so heart-poundingly addictive, I don’t know if I could stay away even if I wanted to. And I don’t.
