35. April 9th

APRIL 9TH

Kai

Her eyes feltgritty and her mouth like ash.

What the…

Then it all came flooding back.

The email.

The envelope.

Zahra.

Telling Waters she loved him.

Him not saying it back.

Truth be told, his reaction was confusing. He had seemed happy, yet not. Her stomach was rolling. She had a bad feeling inside about what was going on.

She lay on her side, staring out the window into the moonlit yard.

What a colossal fuckup I am.

"Why's that, babe?" a voice asked from behind her.

She turned her head to look over her shoulder to see Waters propping himself up on his elbow and looking over at her.

"I didn't say anything."

"Yes, you did. You said, ‘What a colossal fuckup I am.' Why are you a colossal fuckup?"

"I really have to learn to filter my mouth."

"I like your lack of filter. Told you that the second time we met. It's probably my favorite feature of yours."

"That's your favorite?" she questioned unbelievingly.

"Well, maybe one of my favorites."

He lay back down behind her, gathering her back tight to his front. "Go back to sleep, baby. You've had a rough day. You need your rest for tomorrow. You've got a busy day. Big rescue scene to film."

His word choice didn't escape her.

"You" have. Not "we" have.

"You're leaving."

He didn't answer.

"I guess I should have figured you'd all be taking off to go look for Ka-Bar and Zahra."

He squeezed her as a form of response, then groaned. "I want nothing more than to make love to you right now, and I can't. You're still under the influence of that sedative Demon gave you, and I won't take you while you're foggy." He left unsaid what he knew would be even more difficult. He hugged her again. "Sleep, baby."

"Will I see you again?"

Silence.

"Stupid question. Forget I asked. Go. Find Ka-Bar. Find Zahra. I need my brother back. That's what matters."

Kai continued to stare out the window. Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

He warned you.

Wary of saying too much, of begging him not to leave, of screaming at the unfairness of it all, Kai closed her eyes and attempted the greatest acting job of her life. Pretending to sleep. She concentrated on slowing and evening out her breathing. It must have worked because after a while, she heard the quietest of apologies, followed by a lingering, tender kiss to her shoulder. Then the bed shifted as Waters slid from it. A moment later, she heard the snick of the door closing.

He was gone.

And then the tears came.