I shake my head. “Fine.”
I get the supplies out to start making two omelets in the gourmet kitchen, while Kai starts making coffee. Each time we do anything we brush against each other, or stop and kiss each other, just needing to touch each other as much as possible.
I finish making the omelets and Kai finishes making a cup of coffee for me and grabs a bottle of water for herself. I top her plate off with a donut, and then we sit out in the rocking chairs on the back deck overlooking the incredible view as the sun begins to rise.
“This is incredible! I don’t even like omelets, but this is really good. Maybe you could get a job as a chef,” she says.
I grin. “Maybe.”
We eat in silence. Just enjoying the peacefulness of the fresh air and calm morning. Both of us imagining what our life would be like if we were any other couple. If we didn’t come with baggage, enemies, and monsters. If we both didn’t have fucked up fathers that messed us up worse than they messed up themselves.
This would be our life.
I’d wake up early every morning to make Kai breakfast. And be rewarded by seeing her walk around in my T-shirt.
We would go to normal jobs.
We would have friends that we wouldn’t have to worry about their safety just because they are our friends.
Our kids could play in the yard without worrying about if our enemies were going to kidnap them.
But this isn’t our life. This is just pretend. Because we have enemies. We have monsters ready to attack. This can never be our life.
Kai sets her plate down on the end table. I do the same. I pick up my coffee, and she grips her water bottle tightly.
“Truth or lie,” she starts.
I suck in a breath. Our little moment of heaven is ending. This lie is over.
I nod for her to continue. Because I know whatever truths we will tell are going to be hard to face. We may not need to play the game to tell them, but it’s more of a comfort thing than anything else. It lessens the blow somehow. Reminds us both that even though Kai has only now agreed to marry me, we have always been connected to each other.
“Truth or lie, my father is actually my uncle,” Kai says.
Holy shit. We aren’t starting on something easy. None of this is going to be easy. This is going to be fucking hard.
“Truth,” I say, completely broken for her.
She doesn’t look at me, seemingly lost in that realization. “My birth father died in the final game.”
Pain, so much fucking pain. I wa
nt to take it all away. But I can’t. We could live a thousand lifetimes filled with only happiness, and it still wouldn’t make up for the amount of pain we have both endured.
“My father was the devil. I’m so sorry, Kai.”
I take her hand; she squeezes back. “Your turn.”
“Truth or lie, I fought Langston thinking it was Felix.”
“Lie,” she says, giggling even though she knows it’s the truth.
I shake my head. “Truth.”
“How the hell did you mistake Langston for Felix?”
I shrug. “I was pissed off. I thought everyone was my enemy. And Langston wasn’t in the best place. He thought everyone was dead. He couldn’t deal with the pain.”
I nod for her to continue.