Keeping Kama

Chapter 16

Leia’s phone vibrated in her pocket right as dinner was winding down. Bane leaned in close as her phone vibrated again, and Bane whispered, “Aren’t you going to check that?” His gaze went to her pocket.

Tilting her head toward him, Leia met his gaze. “I know who it’s from.” She tugged her phone out of her pocket.

“I’m intrigued.” Bane raised an eyebrow. His glance skidded across her face, studying her. “And who is this person you don’t want to answer?”

Shaking her head, Leia peered down at her phone, tapping on the message from Derek. Two messages to be exact. Her finger lingered over the response box. The cursor line blinking back at her. “It’s from—” She looked up at Bane. “A guy. We—” biting her bottom lip, she continued, “but he lives in Los Angeles.” The reality of their nonexistent relationship made Leia close her screen, shoving her phone back into her pocket.

Derek lived in Los Angeles. And not here. Now a hot, good-looking Bane was beside her. It was time for her to lean into what the universe was throwing her way.

Running a single finger in a circle on the top of his glass, Bane asked, “But if he didn’t, you’d be together?”

Shrugging, Leia reached for her glass, taking a sip. “Perhaps. Who knows?” She glanced out at the others at the table.

Teresa rose, “Dessert anyone?” she asked, ending their exchange.

“Here let me help you, Mom.” Leia sprung from her seat.

“Can you find the dessert plates and forks for me?” Teresa pointed to the top cupboard. “I made chocolate kahlua pie.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re joking.” Bane shifted in his seat, leaning forward, he rested his forearms on the table. “Did you remember it was my favorite?” asked Bane.

Grinning, Teresa opened the fridge. “I sure did.” Taking the pie out, Teresa popped her hip against the fridge door to close it. “I made it especially for you.”

“Thanks.” Bane waved a hand. “It was completely unnecessary but thank you.”

“You don’t say.” Leia rolled her eyes. “Since when did you remember Bane’s favorite dessert?” Walking to the table with a handful of forks and a stack of plates, Leia set them down on the table.

Moving back to the table with the pie in her hands, Teresa added, “Since, Mila told me when I texted her.” Teresa set the pie down and walked back to the kitchen counter, selecting a knife from the wood block.

Mila laughed. “True story. Teresa texted me this afternoon asking what Bane would like to eat.”

Slipping back into her chair, Leia didn’t realize the extent of Teresa’s scheming until now. While Bane and Leia dated, Teresa had been lukewarm toward him, but now Teresa was singing a different tune. What gives?

Derek.

“Maybe you really made it for Dad,” said Leia. Leia reached out, giving Noa’s shoulder a squeeze. Then she turned toward Bane. “No offense, but I think she’s lying. Chocolate kahlua pie happens to be my dad’s favorite too. I think it was a happy coincidence.”

Bane smirked. “Does it really matter?” He winked.

“It does to me,” muttered Leia under her breath.

Teresa slapped the first slice of pie onto a plate and held it out to Bane. “Here you go.” Teresa shot Leia a warning look. Squirming in her seat, Leia straightened her back. Putting the next slice of pie on a plate, Teresa held it out to Mila. “Bane why don’t you tell us about how you came to your senses and moved back to Oahu, permanently.”

With a shrug, Bane said, “What’s to say? I made a mistake. I moved to Idaho. While I was there, I met my ex-wife. She was from there …” Teresa cut a slice of pie for Leia, Noa, and herself. Once everyone was served, Leia passed everyone a fork and they started to eat. “It didn’t work out. I decided I hated the cold, and nothing was keeping me in Idaho, so I moved back.” He shrugged, cutting into his piece of pie, taking a bite.

Shaking a fork at Leia, Teresa said, “I bet you regret leaving this one.”

“ Mom ,” hissed Leia. Shaking her head, Leia cast her gaze at her dessert. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered under her breath.

Bane laughed. “I have a lot of regrets, unfortunately.” Under the table, Bane tapped his knee against hers. “Leaving Leia for Idaho is at the top of my list.”

Cheeks burning, Leia said, “You don’t have to say that.” Forcing herself to cut into her pie, Leia shoveled a bite into her mouth.

“I know,” replied Bane. Leia stole a glance in his direction. Locking eyes with her, Bane said, “I wanted to.” Without looking away, Bane took another bite of his pie.

Dang. Her nerve endings tingled. Was Bane always this smooth? This confident? But then Leia remembered he left her high and dry, and she cried for a month over his rejection.

Smugly, Teresa wiggled in her chair triumphantly.

They finished eating their pie in silence. Once done, Teresa insisted Bane and Leia go sit out on the lanai while Mila and she did the dishes to catch up.

After they settled into side-by-side wingback chairs, Leia and Bane stared out at the serenely perfect view of the ocean.

Itching to end the million questions whirling around in her mind, Leia leaned on her armrest, cradling her chin. “Bane, tell me what really happened with your ex-wife.”

Shifting a bit, Bane brought his leg up, resting his ankle on his opposite knee. “I could always count on you to not beat around the bush.” Turning his face from the view to Leia, Bane met her gaze.

“I know. You always told me how much you liked that about me.” Leia gathered her hair and swept it over one shoulder. “But enough with the compliments, I must know, what happened.”

“You mean after I skipped town and didn’t even dignify you with a conversation before I left?” Bane raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry about that. It was such a chicken way to leave. I completely regret it.”

Waving him off, Leia said, “We agree, you were an idiot.”

Bane burst out laughing. “Finally, we can agree on something.”

“You’re avoiding the question.” Leia tapped the top of her armrest with her fingertips. “Why did you and your wife get a divorce?”

“Because I never got over you.” Bane threw up both his hands. “Obviously.”

Leia tsked, “Again, avoiding the question.”

“I know,” said Bane. He ran his finger around in a circle on top of his armrest. Exhaling, he continued, “She decided she didn’t want kids even though when we married, she told me she did. I thought I could live with it, but it ended up tearing us apart. I tried for a lot of years to come to terms with what I wanted and she wanted would never line up. Finally, after years of fighting, we decided it was best to part ways with one another. We divorced. She stayed in Idaho, and I moved back here.”

With no eloquent words to say, Leia simply said, “Wow. Okay then.” Nodding, Leia turned back to peering out at the view. “I can’t believe you ever left this place.”

“I know,” Bane exhaled, “again, being an idiot comes into play here.”

The sun sank lower, hovering on the edge of the water. Taking a deep breath, Leia drank in the tangy saltwater air as memories of those years in college with Bane came roaring back. He had broken her heart when he left her for Idaho with zero explanation. Today with the softening lens of time, Leia no longer felt the same way. Everything happened for a reason, and the life experiences Bane had in Idaho were part of his story.

“It sure does.” Pointing out to the ocean, Leia raised an eyebrow. “How could you ever leave a view like this?”

Bane shifted toward her, making his shoulder touch hers. “I won’t ever leave it again.” He made a cross motion over his heart. “Promise.”

Honestly, it didn’t matter to Leia either way. Their relationship ended for a reason.

“Okay, so you say you’re staying in Hawaii,” Leia scooted an inch away from him. “I think our relationship ran its course. You ditched me for Idaho .” She raised an eyebrow and shot him a pointed look. “Idaho.”

“I’m different now,” replied Bane. “I’m not the rash decision maker I once was. And I wouldn’t hurt you again.”

“Ahh.” Leia tsked. “People don’t change … not that much.”

“I disagree. You’ve changed. Teresa told me you run marathons now. You always refused to go running with me when we dated,” said Bane.

Blue turned to black, the sky painted a canopy of stars. Leia stared up at them. “That’s completely different. Becoming interested in a certain type of exercise is vastly different than changing one’s entire decision-making process,” said Leia.

Crossing his arms, Bane replied, “Idaho taught me a lot of things. My failed marriage even more. I’m different now. Promise.”

Leia pulled her gaze from the twinkling diamond stars to Bane. “I know you’re looking for something Bane, but it’s not me. You don’t know how much I wish it was, but it’s not.”

Forming his hands into fists, Bane lightly tapped both his armrests with his fisted hands. “Because you’ve got your guy in Los Angeles?” asked Bane.

A big exhale made Leia slouch. “Unfortunately, he might be part of it, but even if he wasn’t part of the equation,” she wagged a finger between them, “we will never be.”

“Teresa says he isn’t coming back. The California guy,” countered Bane.

Leia wanted to argue with him, but she had no snappy response. “I hope there is a way for us to be together.” Speaking the words out loud, to another person, made them even more real. Tilting her head toward him, Leia said, “I’m holding out for it. Idiotic, probably, but I’ve got to at least try. Especially, now that I’m over being mad at him.”

“Why were you mad at him? Was it because he left you?” asked Bane.

Waving him off, Leia replied, “That’s part of it, but there was more to it than that.”

Leia wasn’t about to reveal the entire reason Derek came to Hawaii in the first place.

“Then I hope you figure it out. I hope you can have a happy life,” said Bane.

“I do have a happy life,” replied Leia.

Tipping his head closer, Bane replied, “I know, but one where you can share it with someone, because I hope to find that too.”

Then they both shifted away from each other, staring out at the glistening moon reflecting a big circle on the ocean waves. Leia wished Derek was there sharing this moment with her, and not Bane.