kids get ready for the school and saw them all out.
Once they were gone, I made myself another cup of coffee and stepped out onto the back porch. I sipped my coffee and stared at the cherry tree.
Warmth wrapped around me as I remembered what had happened last night. After what had happened yesterday morning at the grocery store, and the board Devon had showed me at his house, I hadn’t been able to sleep.
He had been right. We were connected in some way, and Slater and his demons were getting closer. This peace was temporary. My perfect world would shatter sooner rather than later.
Then, I had heard him screaming and dashed to his house.
The rest … I sighed. My cheeks warmed at the thought of his mouth on mine, his body sliding against mine, his breath on my neck, on my ear, of him holding me tight while sleeping, hopefully dreamless.
I glanced at his house. There was no movement, no sound. He was probably still sleeping.
I went on about my day—I took a shower, cleaned my bedroom, put in a load of laundry, studied for the GED, all the while eyeing my phone. Several times, I started typing a text to Devon …
What are you doing?
I left because of the kids.
Sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up.
Want to come over?
But each time, I deleted it all. Everything I typed sounded lame, needy. I didn’t want to become clingy before anything had even started.
Why didn’t he text me either? Why hadn’t he come over and talked to me? Did he regret having slept with me?
I didn’t regret sleeping with him.
Shaking my head, I pushed thoughts of Devon from my mind and continued as if my life hadn’t just changed in some way—I just didn’t understand how yet.
I busied myself with other tasks to occupy my mind with something else until Carol returned from school. Sabrina and Kevin arrived soon after, and as usual, they all worked on their homework while eating snacks I prepared for them. I took that time to study too, even though I was sure Lia and I would have to move soon and I wouldn’t be able to take the GED.
Carol had just gone home when Lia came back from the library.
“Kenna, where are you?” she called from the front door.
“Here,” I shouted from the kitchen. I had been cutting onions and tomatoes with Sabrina for dinner later, while Kevin cleaned the counters. Lia entered the kitchen with a huge smile. “What’s with the freaky grin?”
She cleared her throat and gestured to the hallway. A young man stepped into the kitchen. “Do you remember Nigel? From the library’s fundraiser?”
I frowned, confused. “Yes, I do.” I waved my hand at him. “Hello Nigel.”
“Hello, Kenna,” he said with a small smile of his own. “Sorry to barge in like this.”
“Nonsense,” Lia said. “I bumped into Nigel at the library. He asked about you, and I suggested he come for dinner.” She quickly rounded the island and pushed me away from the counter. “You go keep him company while I cook dinner.”
I stared at her, but she avoided my gaze, knowing all too well I would give her hell for this stunt. Was she crazy? Wasn’t it enough to have Devon, Carol, Sabrina, and Kevin at our house all the time? Now she had to bring in another stray?
“Mom,” I said through gritted teeth.
“I can take care of everything.” She continued pushing me until I was right beside Nigel. She waved us off. “Don’t worry. Just … have fun.”
Nigel gestured to the living room and I awkwardly followed him there.
“Sorry about that.” He stopped in front of the couch. All around us, cans of paint and brushes and other tools covered the floor, a reminder of the continuous home improvement we had been working on for some time now.
“It’s okay.” I halted a good way from him, still unsure what to do with him until dinnertime.
“I have to confess, I didn’t bump into your mother by chance.” His eyes fixed on mine. “I went there because I wanted to see you. I can’t stop thinking about you. Not since the fundraiser.”
I tucked in a strand of my hair around my ear, glad it was back to brown and not the blond. The last thing I needed was anyone else seeing past my disguise.
“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted. All right, it was nice to have the attention of a handsome guy, but I had already fallen