just let the love of your life slip through your fingers. You fought. You fought tooth and nail, goddamn it , and that’s what I was going to do.
I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
“I can’t let her get away, Malcolm.”
He clapped me hard on the shoulder and grinned.
“Then go get her, brother. Go get her.”
I crumpled the note in my hand and grinned back.
No matter what it took, I would tell Aolani that I loved her. I owed her, and myself, that much.
That night was a sleepless one as I sat at my hotel room desk, hurriedly making my arrangements.
***
Aolani
“I haven’t seen you smile since we got back,” Kali said. “Do you want to talk about it?”
We were walking along the beach, the oranges and pinks of the sunset reflecting off the shells of the tiny crabs digging holes in the sand. My sarong flapped around my legs, my bare feet feeling deliciously cool with each step. This was my favorite time of day on the island. It felt like home.
“I’m not sure what there is to talk about.”
Kali sighed in obvious frustration. “Come on , ‘Lani. It’s obvious something happened between you and that guy.” She made a fist. “Want me to kick his ass for you?”
I stared at her for a moment, so serious beside me, her hands clenching at the idea of punching Gavin in his handsome face, and suddenly, I was laughing, the feeling so foreign after these last couple of days that I felt the surprise like a splash of cold water in the face.
Kali grinned back at me. “So you do want me to kick his ass. No problem, 'Cuz. I’m on the job.”
At that moment, we heard our grandmother’s shout and turned toward the house.
“Aolani! You’d better come on up, babe!”
We both looked at one another, and I raised an eyebrow. We’d already had dinner together—what could cause Grandma to holler for me at this time of night?
I jogged up the beach with Kali close behind me, my stomach dropping at the thought of some terrible news. Was there an illness in the family? A hurricane warning? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
I pushed open the screen door, and my breath caught in my throat. Kali ran into me with a soft “ oomph.” Sitting at my grandmother’s kitchen table was Gavin Fletcher, a glass of iced tea in front of him, and a bouquet of roses the colors of the sunset outside in a vase in front of him. He rose as soon as he saw me. I noticed that he’d dressed up, despite the heat, wearing a linen suit with a light blue dress shirt unbuttoned at the top just enough to want to see more.
He ran a hand through his chestnut waves, shining in the natural light filtering through the open window. He looked as anxious as I was confused.
“Aolani. Can we talk?”
In that moment, my emotions seemed to blend, my thoughts spinning together into a cacophony in my mind. I wanted to hold him. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to cry in his arms. I wanted to throw him out and tell him to go straight to hell.
I wanted to make love to him and forget we were ever apart.
I opened my mouth to speak, but it was suddenly dry, the lump growing in my throat making it difficult to say anything.
“Go on now,” Grandma said, giving me a be-polite-to-your-guest-or-else look.
I turned to look at Kali and saw the skepticism in her eyes. I nodded at her that it was okay, then turned back to the man who’d traveled so far to find me.
“Alright.”
I turned and walked back onto the beach, swiping at my eyes to make sure they were dry. I didn’t want him to see my cry. Not ever again.
I heard the screen door close softly behind me, and his footsteps as he caught up.
“Aolani…”
I turned to look at him, now striding beside me, his long legs matching pace as I steered him toward the packed sand. The light was beginning to fade, the violent streaks of orange and fuscia blending into the oncoming blues and purples of the darkening sky.
I stopped when we were out of earshot, a cluster of
I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
“I can’t let her get away, Malcolm.”
He clapped me hard on the shoulder and grinned.
“Then go get her, brother. Go get her.”
I crumpled the note in my hand and grinned back.
No matter what it took, I would tell Aolani that I loved her. I owed her, and myself, that much.
That night was a sleepless one as I sat at my hotel room desk, hurriedly making my arrangements.
***
Aolani
“I haven’t seen you smile since we got back,” Kali said. “Do you want to talk about it?”
We were walking along the beach, the oranges and pinks of the sunset reflecting off the shells of the tiny crabs digging holes in the sand. My sarong flapped around my legs, my bare feet feeling deliciously cool with each step. This was my favorite time of day on the island. It felt like home.
“I’m not sure what there is to talk about.”
Kali sighed in obvious frustration. “Come on , ‘Lani. It’s obvious something happened between you and that guy.” She made a fist. “Want me to kick his ass for you?”
I stared at her for a moment, so serious beside me, her hands clenching at the idea of punching Gavin in his handsome face, and suddenly, I was laughing, the feeling so foreign after these last couple of days that I felt the surprise like a splash of cold water in the face.
Kali grinned back at me. “So you do want me to kick his ass. No problem, 'Cuz. I’m on the job.”
At that moment, we heard our grandmother’s shout and turned toward the house.
“Aolani! You’d better come on up, babe!”
We both looked at one another, and I raised an eyebrow. We’d already had dinner together—what could cause Grandma to holler for me at this time of night?
I jogged up the beach with Kali close behind me, my stomach dropping at the thought of some terrible news. Was there an illness in the family? A hurricane warning? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
I pushed open the screen door, and my breath caught in my throat. Kali ran into me with a soft “ oomph.” Sitting at my grandmother’s kitchen table was Gavin Fletcher, a glass of iced tea in front of him, and a bouquet of roses the colors of the sunset outside in a vase in front of him. He rose as soon as he saw me. I noticed that he’d dressed up, despite the heat, wearing a linen suit with a light blue dress shirt unbuttoned at the top just enough to want to see more.
He ran a hand through his chestnut waves, shining in the natural light filtering through the open window. He looked as anxious as I was confused.
“Aolani. Can we talk?”
In that moment, my emotions seemed to blend, my thoughts spinning together into a cacophony in my mind. I wanted to hold him. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to cry in his arms. I wanted to throw him out and tell him to go straight to hell.
I wanted to make love to him and forget we were ever apart.
I opened my mouth to speak, but it was suddenly dry, the lump growing in my throat making it difficult to say anything.
“Go on now,” Grandma said, giving me a be-polite-to-your-guest-or-else look.
I turned to look at Kali and saw the skepticism in her eyes. I nodded at her that it was okay, then turned back to the man who’d traveled so far to find me.
“Alright.”
I turned and walked back onto the beach, swiping at my eyes to make sure they were dry. I didn’t want him to see my cry. Not ever again.
I heard the screen door close softly behind me, and his footsteps as he caught up.
“Aolani…”
I turned to look at him, now striding beside me, his long legs matching pace as I steered him toward the packed sand. The light was beginning to fade, the violent streaks of orange and fuscia blending into the oncoming blues and purples of the darkening sky.
I stopped when we were out of earshot, a cluster of
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