razors. Do you want them? It’s killing me to see them every day.”
My breath caught when he said that word. Killing. Violet was killed. It was still so fresh that sometimes I had to remind myself that she wasn’t just dead. She was fucking murdered. Hearing someone else say it made it even more real. And I experienced the pain all over again.
“Yes,” I finally responded. “I want all of it.”
“Come by my place tomorrow after school. I’m assuming you remember where it is,” Kai said and left the coffee shop, not waiting for my response.
Dear Diary,
He told me to stop tempting him today.
XOXO,
Violet
I pulled the Jeep onto the sand, right next to Kai’s converted bus. Dad had been letting me use the car since I got injured. I couldn’t ride my bike with my side split open, and even though everything was close, walking would be too much to handle. I was already itching to have these stitches taken out. I wanted to hurry and get back to running around the island and surfing, but if Violet’s death had taught me anything, it’s that you shouldn’t rush the healing process.
I got out and went to the small set of stairs that led up to the bus. There was a coffee can by the bottom step, full of cigarette butts. At least he didn’t smoke inside. I knocked on the front door. Unlike the last time I was here, Kai opened the door immediately. It almost made me think he had been waiting for me.
“Hey,” Kai said while scratching the back of his neck. He was wearing board shorts and a button-down shirt that was open. His defined abs flexed beneath my stare, and I snapped my eyes to his.
“Hey.” Stepping into the tiny house was like stepping into Kai’s world. Violet had told me he had done all the work himself, and it was beautiful. His pride in his craft shone through, and it was apparent that this home was built with passion.
It had a rustic feel with rich hickory flooring. Along one side of the bus, where the benches used to be, was a kitchen. There was a full-sized refrigerator, farmhouse style sink, and a surprising amount of cabinet space. At the end of the cabinets, there was a small built in booth and a table that sat two.
He had left the driver’s seat and steering wheel where they were and just upgraded them. He had also left the windows. They were reframed and had dark plantation shutters that were half open, letting the sun in. Kai had walled the back half of the bus off, and I assumed that’s where his bedroom and bathroom were.
We stood awkwardly for a moment, neither of us sure what to do. What was the protocol for picking up my dead best friend’s belongings from her boyfriend’s house? “How are you feeling?” Kai asked.
“My side is getting better. Doesn’t hurt as much, but I still can’t ride my bike. I can’t surf until it’s fully healed, and I’m going stir crazy.”
Kai shuffled on his feet. “I hear that. I get twitchy if I go more than a day out of the water.”
That was one thing Kai and I definitely had in common. We loved to surf and would often go out while Violet sunbathed on the shore. We didn’t talk; we didn’t do much of anything. We’d just enjoy waves while Vi smiled at us from her spot on the shore. “Uh, have a seat. I’ll grab the stuff.”
I made my way over to the leather couch I knew Violet helped him pick out. It was plush and comfortable, but not too large for his tiny house. Violet always had an eye for design, and I couldn’t help but wonder which parts of Kai’s home were his doing and which were hers. When I sat down, Kai made his way to the sectioned off portion of the bus. I stared at his back as he disappeared into the bedroom.
I played with the frayed edges of my cutoff shorts while waiting for him, my heart a tangled mess of nerves. This felt so personal. I knew Kai, but we never hung out without Violet there. I didn’t know about his family. His hobbies. I did know how skilled he was in the bedroom, thanks to my oversharing best friend. I also knew that he was a hard worker. He often took double shifts at the restaurant and wasn’t afraid to get his hands