Elias seemed to consider Kai for a moment, then said, “You apologize too much.”
It was an insult, but it wasn’t in the cadence of an insult. It was more like Elias truly thought he was being helpful by pointing this out.
“I’m Kai,” Kai said, extending a hand, which Elias didn’t take.
“Kai?Mood told me your name was Dakarai,” Elias said in an accusatory tone.
“It’s a nickname,” Kai replied. Using his once-outstretched hand to steady himself against the counter, he rose to his feet, causing Elias to take a subtle step backward as Kai’s presence grew. With a slow and deliberate lean over the counter, Kai rested his elbows on its edge so he and Elias could be the same height.
Elias puffed out his chest. “How do you get Kai from Dakarai?”
“Ask all the people in this town who couldn’t pronounce my name when I was a kid.”
“Call-center name,” Elias mused. “I get it.”
The two locked eyes for a fleeting instant. A current of familiar energy hummed between them before Elias looked away and moved behind the counter as well. Kai’s gaze remained fixed on Elias, captivated by the way he commanded the space. Elias reached for the forest-green apron Kai offered, and their hands brushed briefly. He felt a sudden weight on his back. Then a vibration pulsed through his body, and he saw a flash of bloodred. Without thinking, as if his hand suddenly belonged to someone else, he grabbed Elias’s arm and held it.
The candle came immediately to Kai’s mind.
Elias abruptly reclaimed his arm. “What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry,” Kai said, mortified. “I—uh…the aprons can be hardto tie on your own. I thought you might need help,” he said, fully aware that Moodie had tied his apron for him over a year ago and he’d been slipping it over his head ever since.
Elias gave Kai a sidelong glance. “Thanks…but I can manage on my own.”
Kai’s eyes followed each of Elias’s movements, the way he confidently reached behind his back and how his fingers deftly manipulated the fabric. Elias pulled the strings tight and looped them in a knot without even having to look. Kai tried his best to appear casual, but the heat rising to his cheeks was hard to ignore. He was certain who this was.
Kai’s pocket buzzed with a faint vibration, signaling an incoming call.
Bobby, you have such good timing,Kai thought.
He excused himself to the back room and took a seat on top of an unopened box of comics.
“Dude, I think something happened,” he said as soon as Bobby answered the call.
“Why are you whispering?” Bobby asked, confused.
“Do you remember the day we kissed?” Kai asked in a hushed tone. He looked around nervously to make sure no one was there.
“You mean the day our love story began?”
“No, I mean the day it ended.” Kai clutched the phone tighter. “Do you remember that boy I met earlier that day, the one from the park?”
“The one who sent you running into my arms? Of course.”
“Bobby Bae! Stop joking for a second. This is serious.” He held the receiver close to his mouth, and, using his hand as a shield, he hissed, “He’s Moodie’s nephew!”
The line was quiet for a moment before Bobby said, “I don’t get it. Why is that serious?”
Kai ran a hand over his hair. “Last night, I was a little down about you, Winter, and Emmy not being here this summer. I thought I would do a— You’re not going to understand what I’m trying to say. Let me try again,” Kai blurted, not even stopping to take a breath. To anyone else, this would have been an unintelligible stream of nonsense, but this was Bobby, someone with whom he could communicate using only a series of grunts and facial expressions. “What I’m trying to say,” Kai continued, “is that I put it out to the universe that I want to find love, and—”
“Don’t tell me he’s your twin flame.” Bobby was governed by science and math—hypotheses with demonstrable outcomes—and he had no patience for many of Kai’s views on life and love. It was part of the reason they got along so well; they constantly challenged each other. But sometimes Bobby’s skepticism came off as patronizing.
“It’s real this time!” Kai played with one of the short braids by his ear. “There’s something about him. His energy is so intense, and his aura is…it’s like…it’s such a dark shade of red. I’m purple, so my head is always in the clouds, but he is so grounded. Can you imagine if an etheric cord existed between two people like that?”
“Kai, do you know how many times you’ve told me you’ve met your soulmate? You said this about Emmy last year.”
“Then I found out her Venus is in Gemini. I could have ignored that, but our signs in the seventh house are incompatible.”
