30 Days Together

Chapter 18

There was a smile on Kyle’s face as he walked to his room. Akina had forgiven him and she even hugged him back, that was a win in his books even though he now had only 24 days left to be with her. That thought wiped the smile from his face. 24 days, that’s all he had to spend with her and he didn’t know whether she would still want to have anything to do with him once their time was up.

Sighing, Kyle flopped face first on his bed. His room was pitch black as he hadn’t even bothered to switch on the lights.

His phone buzzed and he searched for it in his pocket. It was a text from Keira asking how things had gone with Akina and if he wanted to come over. A smile appeared on Kyle’s face, he liked Keira, if it wasn’t for her then he didn’t know if he would have had the courage to tell Akina everything he had.

Kyle sent her a quick reply and then turned his phone off. He was going to make the remaining 24 days with Akina special but he had no idea where he was even going to start.

“Kyle are you up?” Mike yelled and then Kyle’s bedroom door swung open as light flooded in.

Groaning, Kyle sat up and glared at his brother. “What do you want?”

“Relax dude,” Mike said and made himself comfortable on Kyle’s bed. “I just wanted to know something is all.”

“Make it quick, I’m tired,” Kyle snapped.

Mike offered him a sheepish smile. “Does Akina have a boyfriend?”

Kyle did a double-take; it would have been a spit take if he had been drinking a liquid. Why the hell would his 15-year-old brother be asking him such a ridiculous question? What the hell was he up? Kyle felt like strangling Mike for even asking such a question.

Closing his eyes to calm his temper, Kyle opened them and stared at Mike. “Why do you want to know whether she has a boyfriend or not?” he arched his eyebrow in question. “Even if she didn’t have one, she’s too old for you anyway.”

“I just want to know. Gee dude, chill out,” Mike replied as he rolled his eyes and a smile.

“Uh-huh, of course.” Kyle had a scowl on his face. “Get whatever dirty thought you have about her out of your head.”

The smile on Mike’s face was wiped off as Kyle smacked him upside the head. “What was that for? I just wanted to know if she has a boyfriend or not. You could have just told me you like her, Jee-zus man,” he pouted as he rubbed the back of his head.

“I don’t like her i***t,” Kyle said but even he seemed to not believe himself.

“Whatever man, you can have her.” Mike stood up and left.

Kyle sat there staring at his wall. His thoughts were everywhere. There was Akina and then there was Keira. He liked both of them differently; Keira was adventurous and made him feel really good, plus she was really good in bed and then there was Akina. Akina was a work in progress. She was a like present with many layers that he planned to wrap no matter how long it took to do it.

He had a lot of thinking and planning to do to get where he wanted.

                                                                           ***************

“Morning,” Kyle greeted just as he saw Akina walk out of her house.

He had been sat on his porch waiting for her. Akina looked over at him with a surprised expression before a smile appeared on her face.

“You’re early,” she said and walked over to him.

Kyle stood up and dusted imaginary dirt from his jeans and met her halfway. “What can I say? Mornings are becoming one of my favourite times of the day.” There was a smile on his as he said that.

Akina shot him a disbelieving look. “Really? Since when?”

“Fine, I still hate waking up early,” Kyle spoke with his hands exasperatedly. “But there’s this girl that I need to drop off at school every morning.”

“Interesting,” Akina said as she hoisted her back on her left shoulder.

“Yep, she’s awesome and amazing,” Kyle continued, his smile never faltering. “You should meet her, I’m sure you’ll both get along well. She almost reminds me of you now that I think about it.”

“Hardy har-har,” Akina rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course I would love that very much,” Kyle replied and then threw his hand over her shoulder. “But for now, let’s just get you to school before you’re late.”

Akina shrugged out of his hold and walked over to his car. She stood there waiting for him with an impatient look but Kyle could see a small smile tugging at her lips. “Well let’s get going. We don’t have all day.”

Kyle shook his head with an amused smile as he walked to his car and unlocked it. They both got in and he drove out of his driveway. “You’re something else, Akina Matthews,” he said under his breathe.

“What did you say?” Akina asked as she strapped on her seat-belt.

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

Akina gave him a look before she smiled and took out her phone. “Okay.”

They didn’t say anything as Kyle drove. The only sound was from the radio that played a famous tune. Kyle kept throwing glances Akina’s way as she seemed busy on her phone. He parked by the same curb he had before.

“Here we are,” Kyle said.

“Thanks,” Akina replied as she got her back and got out of the car. She closed the door and then seemed to hesitate. “You should be thankful that Mr. Briggs didn’t see you hanging around school yesterday,” she finally said as she leaned over the window. “Why would you risk another suspension like that?”

“I wanted to talk to you,” Kyle said seriously.

Akina gave him a weird look. “Uh-huh, you looked like you wanted to talk to me when I saw you.”

“Hey, those guys just found me and wanted a piece of me. I can’t say no to my adoring fans, now can I?” Kyle replied with a half shrug half-smile.

“Of course,” Akina said with a disbelieving look. “Because Kyle Thornton always aims to please.”

Kyle had an amused smile. He liked this part of her, the part that could tease him back just as much as he teased her. She was getting more and more comfortable around him.

“What are you smiling at?”

That snapped him from his thoughts. “You, actually,” Kyle replied honestly which made Akina blush and look away from him. “You should be going before you get late because you can’t get enough of me.”

“Because everything is all about you, isn’t that right.”

“Duh.”

Akina rolled her eyes as she turned around and walked the short distance to their school.

Kyle sat there for a while before he got his phone out and dialled Keira who picked up on the second ring.

“I feel so loved.” There was humour in her voice as she said that and Kyle chuckled.

“I know right.”

Keira laughed. Her laugh was soft and mellow. “So what do I owe this call?”

Kyle was silent as he thought his answer over. “I don’t know honestly,” he said with a sigh. “Why do you sound off?”

“What do you mean,” Keira asked. “How do I sound off?”

“I don’t know. You don’t sound like yourself. You sound like you have a cold or about to come down with something.”

There was a silence on the other side before Keira finally replied. “I’m just tired. I don’t even remember the last time that I had a cold.”

“You should have said that.”

“You didn’t ask.”

“I don’t like details.”

“Uh-huh, and you just expected me to straight-up tell you I was tired, right?”

“Pretty much.”

Keira laughed, “you are a selfish brat.”

“Hey!” Kyle protested with a smile on his face. “I’m not a brat, I’m just being honest. Would you rather I lied about who I was?”

“You didn’t mind lying to Akina.”

“Don’t go there Keira.”

“Too soon?”

“Too soon.”

Kyle swept his hair to one side of his head. He didn’t want to go there just yet and a part of him almost regretted telling her all about Akina.

“So why did you call?” Keira asked sounding a bit out of breath.

“Do you want to hang out at the mall?” Kyle asked. He enjoyed her company more than he would like to admit considering they were just in it for the s*x and nothing else.

“Sure, I’ll meet you there in 30,” Keira replied and then hang up.

Kyle smiled, he started the car and drove to the very same mall that they met at. When he got there, he parked and waited there as he scrolled through his camera roll. His smile only grew larger as he saw pictures of Akina, the ones he had taken of her when she wasn’t looking. His favourite was the one where she was dressed in his shirt the day after the party. Yeah, that wasn’t something he wanted to be thinking about or ever think about again.

A tapping on his window pulled Kyle from his phone. He looked up and saw Keira smiling at him. She mouthed something and Kyle rolled down his window.

“What did you say?” he asked.

Keira rolled her eyes. “Are you coming or do you want to spend the whole day in your car staring at your phone like an addict.”

Kyle shut his phone off and got out of the car. “I thought you said 30,” He said as he locked the car and turned to fully face her. “You took longer than that.”

“I’ve been here for the last five minutes trying to get your attention,” Keira as said and then began towards the mall. Kyle fell in step in with her. “But whatever it was that you were looking at sure had you preoccupied.” There was a smirk on her face as she that.

Kyle bumped his shoulder with hers which only made her laugh.

“Aw I’m just saying what I saw,” Keira replied still laughing.

“I wasn’t looking at anything,” Kyle said defensively but not he believed what he just said.

“Whatever you say,” Keira replied in a sing-song voice and stuck out her tongue.

“Real mature.”

“Who said anything about me being mature?” Keira retaliated with an amused smile as they entered the food court and sat at the only remaining booth in the corner.

Kyle looked at her, she had a huge smile that made a twinkle appear in her eyes.

“What are you looking at?” Keira asked. “I know I’m hot but there’s no need to look at me like I’m a piece of meat that you want to eat. We are in public Kyle, have some self-restraint.” She said and then burst into laughter at the look that he was giving her.

“You are fun,” she said. “Are you going to order something or are we just sit here. Because frankly, you woke me up and I happen to be very hungry.”

“What do you want?” Kyle asked with a shake of the head. Keira’s openness amused him a lot.

She seemed to think it over as she looked at the menu and then looked at him. “I think,” she began then looked at the menu again before she tossed it on the table. “I’ll have whatever you’ll have.”

An incredulous laugh fell from Kyle’s lips. “It took you that long to stare at the menu just so you could say that?” he asked as he stood up. “You’re so weird, it’s ridiculous.”

“I know, it’s what makes me so special and likable.”

“Of course it is,” Kyle said under his breath as he walked over to the counter to place their order.

He got two whoppers, French fries with onion rings, and two strawberry milkshakes. He paid and then headed back to their table where Keira was glued to her phone with a huge smile on her.

“Well look who is glued to their phone now,” he said as he placed the trays down.

Keira gave him a cheeky smile as she looked up from her phone. “A girl gotta check her social every once in a while,” she said and then turned it off. “Strawberry, my favourite.” She took a sip from her milkshake and sighed in pleasure which made Kyle chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” she asked and then took another sip before she placed it down.

“Nothing.”

Keira shrugged and then pulled one tray to her as she took an onion ring and ate it, then grabbed the burger.

Kyle sat there watching with an amused smile as she devoured her food. He hadn’t seen any girl devour food like that but still look good.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Keira asked.

That got his attention and he took a sip from his milkshake and then bit into his burger. Cheese dripped from it and Keira laughed as she used her finger to wipe it from the corner of his mouth and then licked her finger in a seductive way which made Kyle swallow hard.

He could feel his jeans getting tighter and he had to control himself. They were in public. “You’re such a tease.”

“I know,” Keira replied with a wink and then went back to eating her food as those she hadn’t just given a boner.

They finished eating and just sat there feeling content.

“Can I ask you something?” Kyle said as he wiped his hands and tossed his napkin.

“Shoot.”

“Do you live alone?” he asked curiously. He didn’t see anyone there and he wondered if she lived alone or with someone.

“I live with my roommate but she’s never around,” Keira replied with a half shrug.

That only had Kyle have more questions. “Aren’t you in school?”

“I am.”

Keira’s short answers weren’t giving him more to go on with. What did she mean? Had she run away from her parents or something?

“Are you like a runaway or something?” Kyle asked.

That made Keira, genuinely laughed at his question while he sat there feeling confused at what she found so funny.

“What’s so funny about my question?”

Keira wiped a tear that had rolled down her cheek from laughing so hard. “You thinking I ran away from home,” she replied and then laughed even harder. “God no, I didn’t run away from home.”

“Then how come you live with your roommate?”

“That’s because I’m old enough to get my own place and it’s nearer to my college,” she replied as she finally calmed down.

So he was hooking up with a college girl, that made him swell with pride but how old was she. He didn’t want anyone to think like she using him as her s*x toy. “So how old are you then?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Keira replied with a smirk.

“I just want to know that’s all,” Kyle replied with a nonchalant shrug as though he didn’t really care when in truth, he wanted to know, otherwise it would slowly kill from the inside out.

“All you need to know is that I’m older than you by a couple of years.”

“That’s not good enough. C’mon tell me, it’s not like it matters.”

“Then it shouldn’t matter whether I tell you my age or not,” Keira replied with a smug smile.

Kyle cursed under his breath. She was good and he had to give it to her.

“All right fine, you don’t have to tell me but at least tell me what you’re majoring in.”

A thoughtful look appeared on Keira’s face. “Psychology.”

“Really?” Kyle asked surprised, he figured she would study something like fashion or something utterly outrageous that matched her personality.

“You sound surprised. Do I not look the part?” Keira asked as she folded her hands over her chest which only made her breasts look bigger.

Kyle lost his words as he stared at her chest.

“Eyes up here buddy,” Keira snapped her fingers in front of him and Kyle finally stopped staring at her and looked at her eyes instead.

“What did you say?” he asked as his eyes slowly trailed down to her once more.

Keira rolled her. “Typical guy, you can’t just talk to a girl without looking at her chest. Utterly Ridiculous.”

Kyle smiled sheepishly, he felt bad for not paying attention to what she was saying. “I’m sorry. What did you say?” he apologised as he looked at her. “I just thought you would be studying something like fashion is all.”

“For your information, I love psychology and not fashion,” Keira answered. “I love dressing up and all but dressing up other people and spending countless hours stitching just didn’t seem appealing to me.”

“I keep learning more and more about you each day,” Kyle said with a smile.

“Tell me something then,” Keira said. “Since I told you something about me, it’s only fair that you return the favour.”

Kyle thought it over, what could he tell? His daddy issues or his temper problems? He didn’t know and truthfully he didn’t want to tell her anything about himself.

“There’s nothing to tell,” he replied with a careless shrug.

“Seriously? You’re going to ask me questions but you don’t want to answer mine. What a typical jerk move.” Keira stood up and glared at him. “Don’t ever talk to me or come anywhere near me,” she sneered.

Kyle was stunned. “I pity Akina for having to deal with you little daddy issues.” She spat and then turned to leave, “and one more thing, stop trying to hide who you are because that will only break you.” And then she was gone.