“You ever heard Kai sing?”
“Briefly in the car.” I smile at the memory of the two of us relaxed and the sound of our voices melding in perfect harmony.
“You should come to our next show.” Jake winks at me and jumps up from the couch.
Needing something to do, I untwist the lid to my water and take a hard drink. Being choked, I cough loudly. Kai rushes over patting me on the back gently.
“You okay?”
“Just went down the wrong pipe,” I mutter.
After deciding I am fine, Kai and Jake excuse themselves, something about Jake needing help changing the battery in his truck. I think they are lying but whatever. I wander around the room checking out their instruments and various pictures of them performing. Kai looks so at home on stage. My fingers brush over a photo of him, Raven, Jake, and Kirk—Kai’s older brother. Raven’s eyes are locked with Kirk’s but she is hugged up to Kai. Interesting.
Becoming bored quickly, I go over to the microphone and pick up the notebook on the stool. I flip open the first page, this must be Kai’s or the band’s lyric book. I flip the book finding an unfinished thought or song.
The weight of your love is bearing down on me
I can’t breathe
Suffocate me
Your smile is my number one addiction
Making you laugh is my obsession
I pray that it will end quickly
Suffocate me
Fast as you can wrap your hands around my throat and squeeze real tight
Suffocate me
I’ll be your pain and you’ll be my biggest regret
I hurriedly close the notebook and shuffle back over to the couch as I hear Kai and Jake’s voices getting closer. Did Kai write that? I find the more time I spend with Kai Cooper the more questions I seem to have.
“You ready to go?” Kai looks at me from the doorway. I nod and smile.
When I reach him at the car, his eyes are red and glossed over. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he is high. I march over to the driver’s side and shove my finger in his chest. “Kai Cooper, you aren’t driving me stoned!” Jake cracks up laughing watching from the stairs to his apartment.
“Not funny asshole.” I spin around and point at him. He holds arms up and backs up the stairs slowly with a big shit-eating grin on his face.
Kai grins and reaches his keys over to me.
“Thank you.” I happily take the keys, his fingers brushing against mine.
Kai holds me captive with his eyes staring at me intently. His forehead comes to rest on mine. He is breathing heavy. “Don’t hurt my car,” he whispers backing away from me smiling.
He gets in on the passenger side and I get in the driver’s seat, adjusting the seat and mirrors for my height.
Once we are on the road I tell him, “You could have just told me what you were doing Kai. I wouldn’t have been angry or judged you…ya know you don’t have to lie to me about who you are.”
He seems to ponder on my words for a few minutes and then he asks, “Did you want to smoke with us? I didn’t think you were that kind of girl.”
“You keep telling me–I’m not that kind of girl…what does that even mean Kai?”
He bangs his head against the window and sighs. “Kat, I don’t mean it in an insulting way. It’s a compliment, all right.”