All the Cuts and Scars We Hide by Garry Michael
Eleven: Wyatt
San Juan, Portland, San Francisco
Ididn’t know where his mind was, but wherever it was, I disliked it already. The pain on Kai’s face and the tears welling in his eyes set off something deep inside me. The need to shield him from anything that could cause him pain and harm was so foreign I didn’t have adequate words to describe it. What I knew for certain was I wanted to do everything to make him smile.
He hadn’t noticed me approaching and it took me getting closer to him before he heard me say his name for the second time, finally acknowledging my presence. Even then he’d choked on his words when he realized I was there.
“Are you sure I won’t be a bother if I tag along?” Kai answered my invitation to join me with a question of his own.
He wouldn’t be. Even if he were, I would have powered through it just to see that excited sparkle in his eye when he mentioned surfing. “Not at all.” I took another sip of coffee and almost spit it out. I should tell him I hated black coffee, but I was a sucker trying to please him, so I pretended to enjoy it.
His eyes narrowed because he didn’t miss my reaction to the bitter drink. “Okay, as long as you’re sure. It’ll be nice to see that part of the state.”
“Have you been anywhere since you arrived?” I asked as I watched his Adam's Apple bob after taking a sip of his drink.
“Just here. I mean, I’ve been to Seattle. I spent four weeks over there last year when I did my internship.”
Places I wanted to take him, started flooding my brain even before he finished answering.
“How do you like it here?” I asked when we started walking to Kai’s place. He wanted to show me where he lived so I could pick him up tomorrow morning for our trip to the coast.
“I’m enjoying it here. I love the setting and the people are very welcoming. I’m glad I came here first.”
Curious about his last statement, I asked, “What do you mean, you’re glad you came here first?”
“I couldn’t decide where to live so I planned on staying in each city for a month before I settled on one, but I’m starting to love this town,” he said as he waved to a couple of locals we passed.
“Where were the other places you considered?”
“San Francisco, Portland, and some others along the west coast. I can’t live anywhere where it snows three months out of the year. I hate the cold,” he chuckled.
“So, you only have a place to stay for a month?” I asked, surprised by my disappointment at hearing that.
“Yeah, but my landlord, Sam Matthews, told me I could sign a long-term lease if I decide to stay. Do you know her?”
I nodded. I was even more determined to make Kai love this place enough to stay.
It became my mission to convince him to stay.
“This is me,” he said when we stopped by one of the single-story homes a few blocks from the center of town. He wasn’t too far from me and I could easily walk to his place. “I’d invite you in, but all I have right now is a couch and a bed.”
I wanted to come in and spend more time with him, but it had been a while since I’d been with anyone and the mention of bed made my hands sweaty and my mouth dry. “So…” I cleared my throat, forgetting how to speak all of a sudden, “Pick you up at six?”
“Sounds good. Do you want me to pick up the coffee?”
“No,” that sounded louder than I intended, but I didn’t want him to get me another black coffee. “I mean, let’s do it on our way out,” I suggested.
“Okay, see you tomorrow,” he said with a dimpled laugh.
Neither of us moved. There was a weird silence between us as I wasn’t quite sure how to say goodbye. “Well… okay, I’ll see you then.” I waved, which felt real awkward given how close we were standing. I stumbled a bit as I turned back towards Main Street. Way to go, Wyatt, I chided. Real fucking cool.