I waited for him to exit the bathroom, but once five minutes had passed since the door had closed, I tentatively knocked. No reply. I knocked again, a bit louder this time, and called out his name too. Still nothing. Furrowing my brow, my hand went to the doorknob but stopped.
Geez, Valerie, give the guy some privacy. Maybe he's taking a shit.
I don't know how anyone could be comfortable doing that at someone else's home, though. I certainly never could be.
So I shrugged and turned, and made my way downstairs. I walked back into the dining room only to stop and stare at the seat kai had been sitting in. The seat Kai was sitting in. My father looked at me and raised a brow.
"Are you okay, Val?"
"Huh?" I dragged my eyes from Kai to my dad, confusion settling over me. "I'm...fine. When did you come down?"
Kai looked at me. "Just now."
"Are you okay?" My dad pressed.
"What do you mean?" I was ignoring my dad now. "I didn't see you leave the bathroom."
"I walked right past you."
"No, you didn't."
"I did."
"I was right there, I think I would have seen you—"
"Honey?" My mom walked in, carrying a steaming bowl of rice. "Why are you standing? Sit, sit."
I sat, still confused as hell.
As Celine helped mom bring the finished food into the dining room, I sat staring at Kai with narrowed eyes. I'd been standing right there waiting for him. How could he have possibly opened the door and walked past me all without my noticing him? He couldn't have.
But he had. Because he was here.
"Are you guys religious? We can say prayer if you'd like." Mother smiled at Celine as they settled into their seats.
"Yes, that'd be nice."
My mom instructed us to take hands. All around the table, we found hands and bowed our heads. I wasn't religious—never really knew what to believe in, but I bowed my head out of respect. Part way through the short prayer Celine was giving, I'd opened an eye and looked around, only to catch Kai's.
They were dark, inviting. Intense. His head wasn't bowed, and he didn't appear to be listening to Celine. But he was looking at me. Staring. I felt my skin flush, felt myself growing nervous and hot under his gaze. His lips twitched as if he knew. Celine finished and we all broke hands, scattered 'amens' coming from around the table. I murmured the word—not loud enough for anyone to really hear. But by the way he tilted his head to the side, I knew he had.
"Let's dig in," my mom smiled.
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