you’re beautiful,” he groaned before climbing out of the comfortable bed.
I sat in the bed a few extra minutes after Kai left the room. I breathed in the scent of the rain, and I could still smell the faint aroma of sex in the room. I smiled to myself, remembering exactly what we did between these sheets for our scent to still be lingering.
I could hear the clanking of pans as Kai cooked breakfast. The smells from the kitchen lured me out of bed, and I quickly threw on my clothes. I made a quick stop in the bathroom to pull my hair back and wash my face when I noticed something that wasn’t there before. A brand new pink toothbrush sat in the cup that also held Kai’s.
I picked it up and marched into the kitchen, holding it out like I had never seen a toothbrush before. “What’s this?”
“A toothbrush,” Kai said after turning to see what I was talking about.
“For me?”
“Well, I figured you might appreciate not having to go all day with morning breath,” he teased with a devilish smile.
I stuck my tongue out at him and went back to the bathroom to brush my teeth. With my pretty new pink toothbrush. That belonged here, in Kai’s bathroom. Who would have ever thought that I would be so giddy over a toothbrush? When mom wasn’t working the night shift, I stayed home, but for the most part, I was floating between Kai’s bed, Chase’s guest room, and my house. My parents weren’t exactly thrilled, but Dad would have to be around more to stop it. I’d heard them fighting about it last week, and he stormed off muttering something about the surf shop under his breath.
I came back into the kitchen to find that Kai had made omelets and set the tiny table, complete with a white flower in the middle. I slid my arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, letting my mouth tell him how much I loved my gift.
“Mmm, minty fresh,” Kai teased as I pulled away.
I giggled as we sat down to eat. Everything smelled amazing and tasted even better. I dived into the delicious egg and vegetable combination and ate with gusto — I had worked up an appetite last night.
“So, what do you want to do for your birthday?” Kai asked, casually.
“My birthday?” I echoed and almost spit out my food. I had completely forgotten that my birthday was tomorrow. I had been so busy with Kai and the investigation and Chase and my parents and…
I pressed my fingers to my lips and squeezed my eyes shut. This was the first morning I didn’t immediately think of Violet. I didn’t wake up and wonder what life would have been like if she were here. I didn’t plot how I’d get information from Lex. I didn’t wonder how I’d get through another school day without her. I woke up happy. What did this mean? Was I moving on?
“Hey? You okay?” Kai asked while reaching out to brush his fingers over my shoulder. I dragged my gaze to his.
“I didn’t think about her this morning,” I admitted.
Kai’s expression softened. “It’s okay not to think about her all the time. It doesn’t mean you love her any less.”
“I think it would feel weird to celebrate my birthday this year without her.” I’d come to terms with my relationship with Kai. I accepted the guilt and the gossip. But I wasn’t sure I was ready to celebrate my birthday with him on a day where Violet’s absence would feel even more prominent.
“You can still celebrate your life, Breeze,” Kai pushed.
“I just don’t want to,” I countered. Kai pressed his lips into a thin line. I could tell he wanted to say something. “Say it,” I huffed in exasperation.
“Say what?” he asked.
“Say whatever you’re thinking.”
Kai grabbed my plate and took it over to the sink. Once he’d rinsed it off, he turned back around to face me with his arms crossed over his chest. “You don’t have to punish yourself.”
“I’m not punishing myself,” I countered. “I just would feel weird doing anything for my birthday this year.” Violet and I used to have a birthday tradition. She would spend the night and wake me up with pancakes and ice cream. She’d dress me up like a doll and do my hair and makeup, then take me to her favorite restaurant for dinner—a five-star monstrosity that made me feel out of place but was still fun.
“Really?