"Yeah," Kizza agreed. "I'm not going with her though."
"She's traveling alone?"
"Yes," Kizza answered, her lips tightening slightly. "I couldn't take a break off of work, and neither could my husband." She blew out a somewhat annoyed sigh. "If she hadn't been so obstinate and insisted on going during school session."
The statement wasn't really finished, but Kiersey figured she got the gist. She glanced at the girl and quirked a corner of her lips. "And she's okay with . . . flying alone?"
Kizza shrugged. "She's old enough to be fine. And she sure didn't sound like she minded when I kept hammering that fact into her ears."
Kiersey chuckled.
"I don't suppose you could help me keep an eye on her?" Kizza asked with skepticism.
"Oh," Kiersey said. "Why not. Sure thing. I'll be happy to."
Kizza beamed widely and reached to
He raised a thick, curved eyebrow, his eyes twinkling in amusement. If he dropped the magazine lower, Kiersey was sure she would spot the twitch of those dusky rose lips in the hint of a smile.She tightened her grip on Zanéh and contained the puerile urge to step back like one scolded. His gaze, admittedly, did make her feel reproved."Yes," he said simply and put down the magazine on the glass extension tray spanning the side of his seat.His rosy lips, which looked pinker than the last time she had seen them, were slightly pinched, contrary to the amusement she had glimpsed in his eyes.Slowly, he rose to his feet, swinging his earnest gaze from her to the hostess. In the little time it had taken him to switch gazes, his stare turned from warm and amused to cold and daring.The hostess moved back a step, clearly intimidated. Kiersey could understand how she felt. She herself had felt a transient surge of alarm run through her at the weigh
"Hmmm," she hummed, casually closing her eyes to let the burst of flavours sluice over her being. Her taste buds were alive and spry with the flavours and ecstasy exploding on her tongue.The drink washed down her throat in a minty, spumescent trail and infused a chilly warmth in her chest that spread to her stomach.She opened her eyes when the drink stopped pouring and discovered she had drank it dry. What remained was the blue bubbles clinging to the inner walls of the glass and the attractive sweat that coated the outer.Then she almost dropped the flute in surprise when she saw Aithan standing very close to her, his body bent and his face studying hers intently.Kiersey swallowed as a tinge of blood suffused her face. Her pulse spiked, going into a mad orbit. She struggled to keep his stifling gaze, wondering what she had done to warranty the scrutiny. His intent stare was doing stra
"Uh," she started. "Um, I'm good."The artificial smile that followed the statement made her almost cringe. The guy wasn't blind."I'm doing just fine. I guess, " she added, when the skepticism still wouldn't leave his face.He put up his hands in surrender. "I get it, I get it. You don't wanna talk about it. "She started to correct his impression but then stopped. Fuck it, maybe she didn't want to discuss her private life with a stranger, no matter how sincere he looked.But she really was doing fine on her own. Despite all she had been through, she was still standing tall and strong and, so God help her, she was going to be better.Feeling satisfied, she dropped her fork after the next bite and reclined back in her chair."Do you have family? " she asked. The question had been lurking somewhere in her mind
Minutes later, she and Zanéh lifted their bags off the carousel and proceeded out of the luggage clearance area into the broiling sun outside the airport.It was now well past one and the Californian sun had ascended high to the heart of the sky, suffussing and soaking everything visible in plain sight with it's rays. It seemed more fierce than any sun she had ever witnessed.Kiersey winced and raised a hand to shield her face from the wicked glare that radiated to her irises. This sun so wasn't her friend, it seemed to be striving hard to be a mortal enemy of hers these days.She was, however, relieved when they left the sun for the arrival lounge, even though she knew it was only temporary."So, what now?" She turned towards Zanéh.Zanéh had unwrapped a new stick of pink gum and she stuffed it in her mouth. Then she stuck her hands in her jacket
Kiersey silently berated herself for the nth time and she rushed down her room hall to the elevator. She gave a small smile in greeting to a guy also waiting for the elevator.Her mind went back to the matter at hand, her heart still beating ever so fast. Impatient, she tapped her fingers against her side - although the action was probably mainly to hide her fidgeting.Finally, the elevator arrived and she and the guy stepped in with a small girl of about four who waved at them. The guy she had entered with waved back then brought out his phone.As for Kiersey, she was too preoccupied to remember not to be rude. Her mind kept going back and forth and she had her mind's fingers crossed in hope that her dumb mistake wouldn't jeopardise her whole purpose here.What would be the point of all these if she didn't even get to see the guy she had travelled across the states for?Her flight back was due tomorrow afternoon. Her plan had been to lod
If there was a word for that strong feeling that sluices over you and strikes your heart heavier, sinking it down to your boot like a dropped anchor, well, Kiersey was it.She had gone up to the house and rung the lip-shaped (and surprisingly loud) doorbell five times, and it was obvious no one was coming to the door.The next thought in her now scrambled mind was to sink to the bubinga-wood porch floors like a dead weight. Then maybe she could do some bawling like a four year old wanting her mommy.But what she did was lean against a porch railing and press her face into her trembling palms. Maybe she was trying to stabilize herself - give herself a few head moments, or she was trying to tamp down the swell of tears she felt in her throat.Anyway, it was no use. Two streams of tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes, smearing her palm. Wasn't she just done for? Ryan Vice was nowhere to be found and there only was a day more before she had to
A few minutes later, Kiersey was settled on a cocoa brown sofa nearest to the front door of Ryan Vice's house. She cradled a warm cup of tea in her palms, more for its warmth than its content.Ryan came into view again. He had taken off his heavy overcoat and shed his outerwear, Kiersey could now see he was younger than her and the eyes she had thought to be yellow were actually grey, with light yellow flecks. And he could easily be Latino."Are you okay now?" he asked, coming to stand before her.She nodded and raised the mug for a drink. As the tea warmed up her insides, she ruminated on how to open the conversation with him. About finding the sperm donor. He was her last chance and she might break if she discovered he knew nothing at all.She had been so excited about finding out he was the guy she had come all the way here for that she threw herself at him as he opened the car door for her. Kiersey didn't know why she had done that, since she normally wasn't like that. Thankfully,
At first, Kiersey Parrish thought she was drowning. Her limbs had grown heavy and were tired from flailing futilely in the grey, choppy waters. Her head could barely hold up above the current anymore and she was finally giving in to the liquid entity.It was at that moment, with her limbs raw from struggling and her throat burning from holding her breath, that she realised she was meant to drown. She didn't know why or how, but she just understood she was meant to. She dipped her head below the water and swam down as much as she could.There was a dull golden glow at the bottom of the sea and she waded towards it. Maybe it was Davy Jones's locker.As she got closer, she was able to make out the shape the light came from. It was a golden treasure box. With chains, seaweed, lock and key and everything.And it was shaped like a sleeping baby.Kiersey paused. Was this what she had been meant to find?Her lungs started to burn from the breath she hadn't known she had been holding. Somethin