Black Tide

Chapter Twenty-One: Reflections Under the Sun

The afternoon sun bathed Natchitoches in a golden glow, reflecting off the classic cars lined up along Front Street. Kaine adjusted the high-tech face mask that covered the lower half of his face, its sleek black design a perfect match for his casual but stylish outfit—a tailored leather jacket, fitted jeans, and polished sneakers that could double as combat gear if necessary. The mask, while a precaution to avoid recognition, gave him an air of mystery that turned a few heads as he waited near the bank of Cane River Lake.

Jalisa arrived shortly after, wearing a flowing sundress that swayed with her confident stride. Her warm smile lit up her face, but Kaine noticed the slight hesitation in her steps. She’d always had that air of effortless grace, but today, something in her eyes hinted at a deeper complexity.

“Hey, you,” she said, her voice soft and familiar like a favorite song.

“Hey yourself,” Kaine replied, his own smile hidden behind the mask. “Ready to see some overpriced toys?”

She laughed, the sound instantly easing the tension Kaine hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Only if you’re ready to buy me something shiny.”

“Anything you want,” he teased, gesturing toward the rows of restored muscle cars, sleek electric prototypes, and heavily modified street racers.

As they strolled through the car show, Jalisa marveled at the vehicles while Kaine played the attentive friend, buying her a limited-edition model car she’d admired and a strawberry lemonade from a nearby vendor. Jalisa’s laugh came easily, but behind it, her thoughts churned.

Walking beside Kaine, Jalisa couldn’t help but think back to their high school days. He’d always been the quiet one, shy but steady, his confidence shining brightest when he was on the basketball court or offering her his last fry during lunch. They’d been part of different friend groups, but they would always find each other. Sometimes, they wouldn't talk for a few weeks, and then they would see each other by their lockers, and it was like they spoke yesterday. It got easier as they got older, and even as she dated and, yes, loved other guys, there was always Kaine. Back then, it had felt like they were on the cusp of something more, something unspoken but understood.

And then the attack happened. Kaine had vanished into himself, and she hadn’t known how to reach him. Her friend Lacy, who’d been one of his nurses during his recovery, had warned her off. She had only tried to call once, but he had disconnected his number.

“He’s not ready, Jalisa,” Lacy had said. “He’s… broken in a way that only time can fix.”

But time hadn’t fixed anything, had it? Kaine had only grown colder, more distant, and while she’d understood his pain, it hadn’t made the rejection sting any less.

Her guilt resurfaced now as she glanced at him. The man walking beside her was a shadow of the boy she’d known, but that shadow still held pieces of the Kaine she’d loved—still loved if she was being honest with herself.

And then there was Jared. Sweet, dependable Jared, who’d been Kaine’s friend first. When she’d told Jared that Kaine had reached out again, his reaction had been sharp, almost hostile.

“You’re talking to him again?” Jared had asked, his jaw tight. “After everything? He can't answer the f*****g door for me, but he can cake on the phone with my girlfriend.”

“It’s not like that,” she’d said, though her voice hadn’t carried as much conviction as she’d hoped. Jared had dropped the subject, but his unspoken disapproval lingered. And his attitude got worse. He is coming to town in a few days and she isn't sure how that is going to go.

She felt selfish, caught between wanting to keep Kaine in her life and not wanting to hurt Jared. But as Kaine handed her the little model car she’d admired earlier, his masked smile evident in his voice, the guilt melted away for a moment. She couldn’t think about tomorrow. Not now.

“So,” Kaine said, pulling her from her thoughts, “which one of these beauties is your favorite?”

She pointed to a cherry-red ’67 Mustang fastback with custom gold rims. “That one. It’s classic, but it’s got some flair.”

Kaine nodded, pretending to appraise it. “Good choice. But you’d look better behind the wheel of something sleeker. Maybe a matte black Aston Martin.”

“Oh, so you’re buying me an Aston now?” she teased.

“Why not?” he shot back. “I owe an eighteenth birthday present. I am sorry I missed that.”

She laughed again, shaking her head. “You’re impossible. You tell me that once a day, and I will still say I forgive you, I’m sorry, no Kaine, you can't buy me an island.”

They laughed as they wandered deeper into the show, stopping to watch a stunt performance where drivers executed impossible turns and jumps. The crowd cheered as a custom-built street racer flew through a flaming hoop, and Jalisa turned to Kaine with wide eyes.

“Think you could pull that off?” she asked.

Kaine smirked behind the mask. “Oh, hell yeah. Light work. I have been meaning to replace the rest of my body too.”

As the day wore on, Jalisa found herself wishing it wouldn’t end. Being with Kaine felt effortless in a way she hadn’t experienced in years, a reminder of who she was before life became so complicated. But it wasn’t just nostalgia pulling at her heart. It was him—the way he carried himself now, his quiet strength mixed with the lingering vulnerability he tried so hard to hide.

She glanced at him again, her heart tightening. She’d always known, deep down, that she loved him. But now, standing beside him under the Louisiana sun, she realized it wasn’t the naive love of a teenage crush. It was real, and it was going to force her to make a choice sooner rather than later.

But not today. Today, she was just going to enjoy having her best friend back.