a big pickup truck pulled up beside me, and the window rolled down. I smelled him before I saw him, the powerful scent of Marlboro Reds assaulting my olfactory senses. Most of the people I knew used vape pens with fruity flavors, but Kai Lewis was old school.
“Violet would kill me if I let you walk home by yourself,” he said from behind the steering wheel. His distinct voice was low and full of gravel, most likely a side effect of the cigarettes. “And it’s not safe. Lots of drunk idiots wandering these woods.”
“Is that your way of offering me a ride?” I asked, shifting my body to face him.
He gave me a tight nod. I weighed my options and then hopped in the passenger seat. We were in a safe area, but it probably wasn’t my smartest idea to go traipsing through the backwoods by myself in the middle of the night.
The moment I got inside Kai’s car, he didn’t wait for me to settle or buckle in. His lead foot pressed on the accelerator, pushing me into the cloth seats. “That was a fucking mess. I hate bullshit parties,” Kai complained while hugging the curve of the winding road. “Did Violet get out?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied. “She went to find Chase.”
“Of course she did. This was stupid. I hate it when Violet is destructive and throws keggers. I’m surprised you even go to them.”
I shrugged, the adrenaline from before still coursing through my veins. He wasn’t wrong; this wasn’t my scene, and what just happened further reinforced my choice to avoid them. “It’s her birthday, can’t fault her for wanting to celebrate. You know as well as I do, that whatever Violet wants, she gets.”
“I’m not so sure about that anymore,” Kai replied cryptically. “You can only push people so fucking far.”
The glow of his radio reflected off his clenched fists, which were gripping the steering wheel so tight I was sure his knuckles had turned white. “Are we talking about the party or something else?”
“I’m talking about something that is none of your fucking business.”
I rolled my eyes. I’d gotten used to his irritable behavior over the last few months, but his macho display of alpha-male posturing didn’t fool me. “Everything about Violet is my fucking business,” I snapped back.
“Is that why you have a constant lady boner when you’re around Chase?” Kai asked.
My cheeks flushed, and I quietly thanked God we were in the dark cabin of his truck so he couldn’t see the evidence of embarrassment dancing across my cheeks. “Fuck you, Kai.”
“You could do better than fucking Chase, Breeze.”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t like him,” I lied.
“Right. You just stare longingly at him for shits and giggles, huh?”
“Why do you care? You don’t know me.” I didn’t like how assuming Kai was. Was this how he was with Violet? Did he always push her buttons?
“I know you better than you think. I’ve seen how you are when we’re all together. Why are you friends with Violet? I mean, really. You’re complete opposites.” His question caught me off guard. “She’s like the star of the show, and you hide behind the curtain. It’s weird. Don’t you ever tire of it?”
I mulled over his question for a moment. Nights like this made the differences between Violet and me seem more daunting, but I still loved her. “You know how it is. Violet is like this force of nature. You can’t help but want to be around her. She just draws you in.”
Kai frowned. “Yeah, well, I’m not so sure anymore. Hurricanes are also forces of nature, and look at how destructive they can be.” Kai turned onto my street, and I felt a surge of protectiveness for Violet. I didn’t like what he was insinuating.
“Careful. That’s my best friend you’re talking about,” I gritted. Kai pulled his truck to a stop, and I quickly got out, turning to look at him before going inside. I took a deep breath. I needed to at least be cordial to my best friend’s boyfriend. He gave me a ride home, after all. “Thank you for the ride. If you talk to Vi, can you tell her to call me? Let her know I’ll take her shift at the surf shop tomorrow.”
Kai stared at me for a lingering moment, his eyes revealing nothing about his thoughts. He was like lake water. Calm. Still. You couldn’t tell what murky secrets were hidden beneath the surface.
“Sure. And, uh, sorry for what