Between Hello and Goodbye(52)

“You’re going to make yourself puke,” I called, then muttered, “Again.”

“Hey, Asher,” Chloe said. She wore a light blue dress and a sunhat to keep the blazing June sun off her face. “I’m sorry for the change of plans.”

“Not your fault. Thanks for bringing him.”

“Of course.” She reached into the backseat of her car and came up with a glass tray covered in foil. “Poblano fried rice with shrimp and pineapple,” she said and put it in my hands. “I made it this morning. I figured you’d be too tired to cook.”

“Oh…you didn’t have to do that.”

She smiled up at me. “I know. But you never let me, so I just went ahead and took the initiative.”

Her gaze was soft but pointed, her meaning clear.

When are you going to take the initiative with us?

“Well…thanks,” I said. “It smells great.”

“You look dead on your feet and sound worse. Morgan tells me you put in some overtime on the Big Island?”

“Yeah, but it turned out to be precautionary.” I glanced over at Kal who was clinging to the rope and hanging back until he was almost upside down. “So, thanks, again, Chloe…”

She smiled, and before I knew what was happening, she pushed back the brim of her hat and shyly kissed me on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re back. Get some rest and maybe tell me all about it sometime.” Before I had time to answer, she turned and waved at Kal. “Bye, Kaleo! See you Monday in class.”

“Bye, Miss Barnes!” he called back, upside down.

She gave me a small, parting smile and drove out.

“Fucking hell,” I muttered. The dish in my hands smelled amazing and my stomach grumbled. “Hey buddy, you hungry?”

“Yes!” Kaleo climbed off the tire swing and walked with me to the back door of my house. “Did Miss Barnes kiss you?”

“You saw that, eh?”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Does that mean you like her now instead of Faith?”

I winced. “No. Chl—Miss Barnes just gave me a peck on the cheek. Doesn’t mean anything.”

“She likes you.”

“How do you know that?”

He scoffed. “I have eyes, Uncle Ash.”

“I see your point.”

“Plus, she asks about you sometimes. A lot of sometimes.”

“Yeah, well we don’t need to talk about it anymore.”

We entered my kitchen and Kal brought two plates from a cupboard so I could nuke two scoops of the rice dish. When it was ready, I served Kaleo who’d settled himself on a stool at the island. Standing across from him, I took one bite of mine and pushed the rest aside.

Kaleo glanced at my full plate. “No good? I think it’s yummy.”

“I’m just…not hungry,” I lied.

My problem in a nutshell. I had someone right here I could possibly make something with if I gave her half a chance, but I’d rather starve if I couldn’t have Faith. No one else was going to cut it.

But she’s there and you’re here. Same fucking roadblock every time.

I shot Kal a forced smile. “So your mom and dad’s business is picking up. That’s great.”

He nodded and spoke around a mouthful of pineapple. “Mama’s not worried about money anymore. She said Faith’s idea was really good.” He peered up at me. “Is she going to come back to visit?”

I glanced down at my uneaten food. “I don’t know.”

“Why not?’

“We’ve both been really busy with our jobs lately.” I cocked my head. “What’s with all the questions?”

He tilted a shoulder. “I like Miss Barnes a lot but she’s my teacher. It’d be weird if you two got married.”

I laughed gruffly. “Faith and Miss Barnes are my only options?”

“That’s who Mama and Dad talk about most. They’re worried about you because now you’re working even harder than before. Dad says he wants you to be happy.”

I expected to be pissed at my brother for constantly being in my business, but warmth flooded my chest.

“Yeah, well, I’m not getting married any time soon. If ever.”

“Because Faith doesn’t live here?”

Jesus, this kid.

“I’m not really with her, bud,” I said, and fuck me if that didn’t stab me in the chest. “We’re sort of in a holding pattern.”

“What does that mean?”

“Remember when we flew to Maui last Christmas? And how we couldn’t land for a while because the captain said there was an airplane traffic jam on the runway?”

“I remember. We had to fly around the island a bunch of times.”

“That’s a holding pattern. You’re off the ground but not really going anywhere.”

Kal’s face scrunched up in a frown. “How long does a holding pattern last?”

Question of the year. Over the last two months, Faith and I texted and called as much as our schedules would allow. We even FaceTimed once. Once and never again. Seeing her smile and hearing her laugh made me stupid with missing her, which had translated to me being super fucking awkward. She’d teased me that I’d spent too much time in the wilderness to use technology properly. The Seattle skyline had been her backdrop, and the whole fucking ordeal just served to remind me how far apart we were.