you some food,” he spoke without looking at her.
“Can we talk?”
“No, just eat,” Dao spoke harsher than he really wanted to, but didn’t apologize for it. He walked around her and out the door to the balcony. He inhaled deeply and he could smell the river that ran not far from where they were staying. The air smelt different in China. It smelt better to him. A smile graced his lips, but almost as quickly as it came, the smile was gone.
Reaching into his pocket, he tried calling his mother, but the call wouldn’t go through. Frowning, he really wished that she would have moved when he had suggested it. He was worried about his father again. That bad feeling washed over him once more and he cringed while his fingers tightened against the rail. Again he tried to call. This time the phone rang, but when someone on the other end picked up, it died. Dao barely
held back a profanity as he tried again and again, but still no luck. He was tempted to send the phone flying off the balcony, but knew he needed it. Looking up at the sky, he silently questioned the stars. Why?
“Dao?”
He tensed. He remained standing in the position he was in, his head tilted back, staring at the sky with contempt.
“I’m sorry,” Kianna spoke.
“What are you sorry for, Kianna?”
“The uncertainty. Accusing you of being like other men. This is all new to me.”
“You don’t have to apologize, Kianna. It’s your body.” He turned to face her. “It is your decision on who you allow inside it. So don’t be sorry.”
“Then why are you angry?”
“I’m not angry. I’m frustrated, there’s a difference.”
“What’s the difference?”
Dao inhaled deeply and turned from her again. He did not feel like going through a lecture with anyone at that moment. “Did you eat?”
“Don’t change the subject, Dao.”
“Why the hell not?” He swung to face her. “You do. Why can’t I change my mind when I want to— look, Kianna. Every time you touch me and pull away, a part of me dies. I stay out of your reach,
out of your path because I can’t have you touch me.”
“Then fine, I won’t touch you!” she snapped and turned to enter the hotel room.
“That’s right. Do like you always do and put words in my mouth, Kianna, then run away,” Dao spat distastefully.
She stopped.
He thought she was going to stop and fight, but as usual, Kianna picked up and ran. Shaking his head, he turned back to the night before him. He was so damn sick and tired of her tantrums. At that last one, he didn’t care anymore. Saying a silent prayer of protection over his father, Dao walked into the sitting area of the living room. He removed his shirt and tossed it over the back of a chair and tried to settle his body in a comfortable position on the sofa. But he was too tall. Groaning, he placed the cushions on the ground and stretched out against them. Closing his eyes, he was out like alight.
It was the middle of the night and Kianna couldn’t sleep. She kept waiting for Dao to walk into the room and crawl into his bed. But that didn’t happen. At first she tried to tell herself she didn’t care. She tried to make herself feel better by saying
it was up to him if he wanted to be a jerk, let him be a jerk. But halfway through the night, she couldn’t do it anymore. She couldn’t just lay there thinking ill of him.
Pressing her eyes shut, she exited the room and began searching for him. She found him tossing and turning on the living-room floor. She felt horrible—mean. Sleeping the way he was, against the floor on cushions could not be good for his body. He would be in pain in the morning, she knew that. Kneeling beside him, she lifted a hand and hesitated.
Every time you touch me and pull away, a part of me dies.
His words tore through her and she sat back against her haunches. She allowed her gaze to trail over his body, to caress his face from between his eyes, over the slope of his nose. Her gaze trailed across
“Can we talk?”
“No, just eat,” Dao spoke harsher than he really wanted to, but didn’t apologize for it. He walked around her and out the door to the balcony. He inhaled deeply and he could smell the river that ran not far from where they were staying. The air smelt different in China. It smelt better to him. A smile graced his lips, but almost as quickly as it came, the smile was gone.
Reaching into his pocket, he tried calling his mother, but the call wouldn’t go through. Frowning, he really wished that she would have moved when he had suggested it. He was worried about his father again. That bad feeling washed over him once more and he cringed while his fingers tightened against the rail. Again he tried to call. This time the phone rang, but when someone on the other end picked up, it died. Dao barely
held back a profanity as he tried again and again, but still no luck. He was tempted to send the phone flying off the balcony, but knew he needed it. Looking up at the sky, he silently questioned the stars. Why?
“Dao?”
He tensed. He remained standing in the position he was in, his head tilted back, staring at the sky with contempt.
“I’m sorry,” Kianna spoke.
“What are you sorry for, Kianna?”
“The uncertainty. Accusing you of being like other men. This is all new to me.”
“You don’t have to apologize, Kianna. It’s your body.” He turned to face her. “It is your decision on who you allow inside it. So don’t be sorry.”
“Then why are you angry?”
“I’m not angry. I’m frustrated, there’s a difference.”
“What’s the difference?”
Dao inhaled deeply and turned from her again. He did not feel like going through a lecture with anyone at that moment. “Did you eat?”
“Don’t change the subject, Dao.”
“Why the hell not?” He swung to face her. “You do. Why can’t I change my mind when I want to— look, Kianna. Every time you touch me and pull away, a part of me dies. I stay out of your reach,
out of your path because I can’t have you touch me.”
“Then fine, I won’t touch you!” she snapped and turned to enter the hotel room.
“That’s right. Do like you always do and put words in my mouth, Kianna, then run away,” Dao spat distastefully.
She stopped.
He thought she was going to stop and fight, but as usual, Kianna picked up and ran. Shaking his head, he turned back to the night before him. He was so damn sick and tired of her tantrums. At that last one, he didn’t care anymore. Saying a silent prayer of protection over his father, Dao walked into the sitting area of the living room. He removed his shirt and tossed it over the back of a chair and tried to settle his body in a comfortable position on the sofa. But he was too tall. Groaning, he placed the cushions on the ground and stretched out against them. Closing his eyes, he was out like alight.
It was the middle of the night and Kianna couldn’t sleep. She kept waiting for Dao to walk into the room and crawl into his bed. But that didn’t happen. At first she tried to tell herself she didn’t care. She tried to make herself feel better by saying
it was up to him if he wanted to be a jerk, let him be a jerk. But halfway through the night, she couldn’t do it anymore. She couldn’t just lay there thinking ill of him.
Pressing her eyes shut, she exited the room and began searching for him. She found him tossing and turning on the living-room floor. She felt horrible—mean. Sleeping the way he was, against the floor on cushions could not be good for his body. He would be in pain in the morning, she knew that. Kneeling beside him, she lifted a hand and hesitated.
Every time you touch me and pull away, a part of me dies.
His words tore through her and she sat back against her haunches. She allowed her gaze to trail over his body, to caress his face from between his eyes, over the slope of his nose. Her gaze trailed across
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