Page 92 of Torn
I want to know your answers
I look up and do a quick scan of the yard to find him sitting by himself next to a tiki torch, his eyes on me. My heartbeats skip under his gaze.
You’re my pick for everything.
Tor
You would be mine, too.
I think Chloe has a thing for you :/
Tor
Who’s Chloe?
I smile at my phone and then sneak a peek back at him. He flashes me a devious smile and waves.
Shaking my head, I take my plate over to the gazebo, where my dad is singing and Sailor is playing guitar. My dad’s younger brother, Mikah, is playing percussion on small conga drums behind them, which I love the sound of. I sit in a nearby lawn chair and eat my salad as I listen to their unplugged version of an old love song.
“I used to be a musician, too. If that’s what you’re into,” he suddenly whispers in my ear, dragging the nearest empty chair over next to mine.
“Once a musician, always a musician,” I retort. “It’s in your blood. And I’m notintomusicians. I’m into someone who can make me feel.”
He plucks a cucumber slice out of my salad and chews it slowly. “Feel what, exactly?”
I shrug. “Everything. I want to experience everything and feel everything.”
“Everything is a dangerous path, Angel.”
“Not if it’s with the right person.”
He holds my eyes for a few moments before breaking contact. “You actually look older to me now. I’m not sure if it’s because I haven’t seen you in two months or if you changed while you were gone. But you look older.”
“Maybe it’s because you allowed yourself to think about what you woulddo to me, as you put it.”
“Jesus, Kenzi,” he whispers. “Don’t bring that up here. We’re surrounded by your family.”
“No one can hear us over the music. There’s not even anyone near us.”
“I don’t care. Just don’t talk about it here.”
Sighing, I turn my full attention to the band, my father’s voice like smooth velvet even sitting here in his backyard with no mic. I let my eyes shift over to Sailor, who smiles at me when he catches my eye.
Tor sees it, too.
He leans closer to me, almost knocking his lawn chair over onto me. “What’s up with you and him?”
“Nothing, why?”
“He just smiled his little pretty-boy smile at you.”
I laugh. “Really, Tor? You’re all growly over a smile? I just had to witness Chloe practically getting on her knees in front of you. How do you think that felt for me?”
“As you saw, I didn’t encourage her.”
“Thank you. That would have gutted me.”
“Where would Sailor fall in your marry/screw/kiss list?”