Page 6 of Do You Right

“You don’t keep good company, and birds of a feather tend to flock together. I already told you I won’t press charges on you or try to extort you for money later. Just please leave me alone.” The tremor in her voice pulled at my heartstrings. The only thing I knew for certain from that point on was that I, without a doubt, couldn’t leave her alone.

Once she got that off her chest, she prepared to walk around me, but I couldn’t just leave things there. “I want to replace your violin.” My words made her stop walking on the side of me. Since I had her attention, I kept going. “I know Tycelyn did something, but I don’t know exactly what. No matter what it costs, I’ll pay whatever to fix it.”

“Why?” she whispered so softly I almost didn’t hear her.

“Because despite what you might think about me, I’m not a heartless person, and it would be a crime if the world never got to hear you play again. Let me fix it.” Since she wasn’t quick to shoot me down, I pivoted toward her and asked, “Could we start over? I legit spent all afternoon looking for you. My name is Kaizi Carter, but you can call me KC. And you are?”

I extended a hand for her, and after staring at it for a few seconds, she placed her small and soft hand in mine. “Chai Rose.”

I smiled because we were finally getting somewhere. “Nice to officially meet you, Chai Rose.” I scratched my eyebrow and rocked back on my heels. Now with all her attention focused on me, I was feeling nervous because I couldn’t hear her thoughts. I cleared my throat, then asked, “Have you been sore or anything?”

I watched her gulp and softly shake her head. “Not really.” She silently turned toward the railing along the boardwalk. I wordlessly did the same except I allowed my body to lean against it with my arms propped up for support. After another minute of silence, she whispered a question. “You said you’ll replace my violin?” I nodded quickly. “Is that why you were looking for me?”

“Yeah. My mama had mentioned it being quiet during brunch on Sunday, and that’s when I found out Ty did something. I feel a little guilty and just want to fix it if you’ll let me.”

“It’s not like you ruined it.”

“I know, but I only gave you some pocket change after hitting you with my car. I’m not going to be at ease until I really compensate you.”

Chai licked her lips, and I knew it wasn’t meant to be sexy, but it was, and it made my body heat up. I quickly turned away to watch the ripples in the Morgan River instead. “Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll let you replace my violin. I already spent that pocket change you gave me on the steak and wine.”

I sighed in relief because it was the result I’d set out for in the first place. I tapped my finger on the back of my hand before asking the question on the tip of my tongue. “If you don’t mind, can I ask why you were crying?”

She sighed heavily, and I could see the bricks piled on her shoulders, making them droop in defeat. “Just a lot of bad luck recently,” she admitted with a strained voice.

“Anything I can do to help?” I asked without thinking about why I even cared enough to solve her problems.

Slowly, her doe eyes found me, and I froze because they immediately sucked me into their troubled depths. I could tell Chai was a woman with a story that I desperately wanted to hear. “Honestly, just replacing my violin is enough. That’s how I feed myself, so if you can do that, at least I won’t starve to death.”

Her words crashed into me like a Mac truck knocking the wind out of me. Her vulnerability moved me, and I knew if I could do more than just replace her violin, I would. Chai didn’t know it, but her streak of bad luck was over. I was ready to push my weight around to make sure she would never worry about where her next meal would come from again.

For the life of me, I could not get those brown doe eyes out of my mind. While we shopped for Chai a new violin, her contentment revealed itself in her soft smile and somehow found its way into my bloodstream, enlarging my heart with potent dosages of joy. Despite her circumstances, she was magnetic, and I found myself trying to fight the urge to get close to her the entire time.

My feelings were new to me and completely from left field. I wasn’t looking for anyone new, but Chai had an aura I was drawn to like a moth searching for a warm light to comfort it. But I knew she was vulnerable right now, so I had no intentions of acting on the attraction that had kept me up for the last few nights.

“Mommy, Mommy, KC wants me to lie for him.” Kava’s little voice interrupted my train of thought while I followed her to the kitchen. They came over after starting their day, and per usual my mama found her something to do. I had a couple hours left before I had to head to batting practice. I stepped into the kitchen to find her reorganizing everything in my fridge and cleaning up any spills since her last deep clean.

She stopped her work to turn and face us. “Oh really?” Her right perfectly arched eyebrow lifted as she waited for me to explain.

“It’s for a good cause,” I told her, taking a seat at the island. My finger tapping on the counter was proof of my nervousness. I knew she was going to think I was crazy when I told her what I was up to.

“When has lying ever been for a good cause?”

“You know the girl who plays the violin on the street?” Her head slowly nodded, but I could still see her confusion on what Chai had to do with Kava needing to lie. “Okay, well I want to help her out, and the only thing I can think to do is offer her a job.” I pointed to Kava with my thumb. “That’s where this little tattletale comes in.”

My mother closed the doors of the fridge and then went to grab paper towels from the stand. She came to stand on the other side of the island while drying her hands. “Okay, continue.”

“I want to hire her as Kava’s violin tutor to help get her off the streets.” I leaned closer, trying to probe my mother’s thoughts with my eyes alone, but her expression gave nothing away.

“Well, this sounds like a well thought-out plan, but I have to ask why you care about getting her off the streets, and are you sure you want to move a stranger into your home? She could be a psychopath for all you know. You might wake up one night to find her standing over you.”

Smirking to myself, I couldn’t imagine me being afraid to find her pretty ass standing over me. I’d allow it, but I couldn’t tell my mama that. She might really think it was something wrong with me then.

I propped my fist under my chin with a sigh. My mother had never been the type I needed to lie to, so I kept it real. “Honestly, Ma, I feel guilty about the way Tycelyn treated her, and I don’t know. When I was around her the other day, I had this urge to help her in any way I could. I didn’t get any bad vibes from her. The fact that she didn’t try to sue me, knowing she could greatly benefit from it, is proof of the kind of person she is. With the season in full swing, I am gone a lot more than I am here, so why not give her a safe place to sleep? Plus, . . . she’s gorgeous.” I mumbled the last part mainly to myself, but of course, my mother heard me.

Even though I told the truth, there were some parts of it that I kept to myself, like the fact I was looking for companionship. I felt like I could benefit from having some good energy around me. Nothing had to come from meeting Chai but friendship, and I would be satisfied.

“Now that sounds like the son I raised. You’ve always had a big heart.” She studied me intently, and I could tell the moment she knew there was nothing she could say to change my mind. “Well, if your heart is set on helping her, then who am I to tell you not to. Just stay vigilant. The last thing you need is another Tycelyn in your life.” Her attention shifted to my sister before she asked her a question. “Are you willing to lie for your brother and learn to play the violin?”