We followed him back around the corner, and off to the side, there was a small patch of grass with a lone tree. Kai opened the urn and sprinkled the ashes onto the grass near the tree. “Wherever you are, Lex, thank you for the lightning strikes.”
Kai’s demeanor had visibly lightened. He no longer looked like someone tortured by the weight of the ashes of the man who tried to kill his girlfriend—or whatever we were. On the walk back to the car, he leaned in and whispered, “Thank you for that, and thank you for understanding.”
I healed slowly at first. My body felt foreign, filled to the brim with pain and trauma I couldn’t quite get a hold on. The bruises and broken bones mended first. I started to look human again. I stopped needing bandages. I started wading in the ocean. The raised scars from Lex’s brutality were the only thing physically left over from my near-death experience.
It took my mind longer to recover. Although I would have liked to jump back in with Kai, I knew it wouldn’t be healthy for either of us. Before, I never took time to heal. I never settled with the information thrust upon me. I used this time to process it all. It was an unspoken agreement we both readily accepted.
We spent every waking moment together. Sometimes we held hands. Sometimes I fell asleep with my head on his shoulder. But Kai and I were in a beautiful limbo, licking our wounds as we tried to figure out what the future held. I needed this time. I wasn’t sure if it was what Kai wanted, but he was desperate to support me in whatever way necessary. He didn’t want to push me, and I loved him for it.
Mom and I moved back home. Kai, Chase, and I cleared out all of Dad’s belongings and burned them on the beach. We forged a new normal.
Weeks passed. I graduated from high school. We spent the Fourth of July shooting off fireworks on the beach. I watched while holding Chase’s hand. Violet loved to watch fireworks, so we cried as the lights lit the sky, with her on our mind. The summer months sparked a new sense of purpose. I researched online colleges. I hung out with Chase and Kai, and slowly I started breathing again.
Slowly, Kai started to romance me again.
Ten days ago, he brought me a block of wax in my favorite scent. I hadn’t surfed in a couple of months, but I liked the thoughtfulness of his gift.
Nine days ago, he brought me a bracelet made of sea glass.
Eight days ago, he brought me a bright pink swimsuit. My cheeks blushed when I looked at it. It was the same shade as the one he’d torn from my body just a few short months ago.
Seven days ago, he brought me a framed photograph. I didn’t even know the picture existed, but I traced it with tears in my eyes. Violet, Kai and I were standing in the sand, with his arms wrapped around both our shoulders. Kai had looked at me the moment the cameraman snapped the photo. There was such love and adoration in his gaze. There was no denying the love there. A few months ago, the sight of the three of us would have made me feel guilty, but there was only love now. I knew this was Kai’s quiet way of telling me that he’d come to terms with how our relationship started.
Six days ago, Kai brought me my favorite meal from the restaurant—a grilled cheese and french fries. We watched the sun set on the sand while happily munching on dinner. He asked me about my plans for college. I asked him about work. At graduation, I didn’t want to cross the stage and see my peers. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed online learning. So much so that I didn’t plan on going away to college after all.
Five days ago, Kai brought me a new surfboard. It was teal, and he had it personalized with the name Little Whisper painted across it. I cried when he handed it to me. I knew that the brand was really expensive, I knew how hard he must have worked to be able to give it to me. I carefully set it down and wrapped Kai up in a hug, brushing my lips against his neck. He held me tightly, and a flutter of butterflies