“Do you know why?”
She shook her head, but I had a feeling I knew why. Kevin’s parents were very conservative, and his father must’ve found out about his sexuality. His mother would’ve had a heart attack; it was probably for the best she didn’t know. I nodded.
“Alright, I’ll try to find him.”
“When you do, please tell him I love him. Tell him to call me! And don’t be a stranger, yourself.”
I nodded as Wes and I headed back to the car. I pulled out my phone as he got in the drivers’ seat.
“I can’t believe he didn’t tell me about his dad.”
Wes turned to me after starting the car. “So, now what?”
“I’ll tell you where he is.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“When you went to take that call at dinner last night, he went to the bathroom. I took his phone from his jacket pocket and turned on his GPS tracker. I didn’t have a chance to read his text messages before he came back, though.”
“Why on earth did you do that?”
“Because I want to know who he is talking to! I’m going to be in full spy mode when we get back home. He said he was staying with his parents the last time we were here; maybe is love interest is actually here.”
“Are you sure about this? I mean, if he was ready to come out, you’d be the first person he’d tell.”
I shrugged. “He’ll be pissed, but he’ll get over it. Besides, we need to pick him up for breakfast, right?”
My face twisted as a flashing red dot displayed his location. I showed the screen to Wes, confused.
“Uh,” Wes said, just as confused as me.
“I guess he’s not with his secret lover after all.”
“You want to go there, or just you and me head out to breakfast?”
“Let’s go get him.”
Wes let out a sigh and headed to Kevin’s location.
15
As soon as we walked inside, we heard it. I stopped in my tracks, Wes crashing into me as my face paled.
“What the fuck?”
Wes stormed past me and into my mother’s bedroom, more expletives shooting out of his mouth before he turned back to me.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“Is he in there? With her?”
Wes tried to pull me out of the house, but Kevin’s naked body came flying out of the bedroom.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, covering his hard dick with his hands.
“What the hell are
you
doing here? This is who you’ve been talking to all this time?” I asked back.
Ann emerged from the room with a robe on, groaning.
“Jesus, can't I have anything for myself? You ruin everything!”
“I ruin everything? You just had to fuck me over one last time before you died, huh? Kevin, how could you fall for her tricks?”
“I… uh…”
He reached for his pants that were in the hallway, pulling them back on.
Ann burst out in a fit of tears, collapsing on the floor.
“I can't have anything! You take everything from me! I sacrificed my body to have you, my money to take care of you, and now Kevin.”
“Kevin isn’t yours,” I said.
“Well, not anymore.”
“Shut up,” he said to her.
She threw her hands in the air. “What? So, it isn’t true? I knew what this was, Kevin, what it always was.”
My eyes widened as I approached the subject cautiously. “Kevin… how long has this been going on?”
“Does it matter now?” Ann said. “Now that you know, he’s not going to come back to me. I love him, but all he cares about is you. It’s always been you!”
“Shut the fuck up, Ann!” he warned again.
“I knew the only reason he started sleeping with me is because I looked so much like you. I was the closest thing he could get to you. But I couldn’t help developing feelings for him. You were all I had, Kevin.”
He pointed a finger in her face, but she smacked it away. “Oh, give it up. It’s out there now. After everything you’ve done, she still doesn’t want you! Accept it. Your plan separated them for three years, but they still found their way back together. It’s over, Kevin!”
I shrieked when Kevin punched her in the face. Wes rushed over and put him in a chokehold. I rushed to my mother.
“Are you okay?” I asked, helping her up on her feet.
She nodded. A week before, I would’ve loved to see her get clocked in the face. But I’d forgiven her and that spitefulness was gone.
“I’ll fucking kill you, bitch!” Kevin screamed through the choke.
I looked over at him with wide eyes; I’d never heard him so irate. The person I knew wasn’t behind his enraged eyes, and my heart dropped. Despite everything we’d been through, I didn’t know my best friend as well as I thought.
“Kevin, what is she talking about?” When he didn’t answer me, I turned to Ann.
I folded my arms. “Tell me, or I’ll have Wes release him so he can kick your ass.”
She wiped her bloody nose on her robe.
“He said he would stay with me if I helped him; that we could still have our secret meet-ups. It was his idea to have you walk in on us together. It was his idea to drug him.”
“What?” My eyes shot up to Wes, and he looked away.
I took a step back, my heart racing. “Kev, you-you… drugged Wes, so Ann could…”
I covered my hand with my mouth, but I knew that wasn’t going to stop the rising bile.
“He thought that with Wes gone, he’d have a chance. That you’d see how good he is for you. Even moved away with you. But he didn’t expect Wes to come back. And no matter what he’s tried, you two keep going back to each other.”
“But I don’t understand. If you wanted to be with me, why didn’t you just say it?”
“I did!” he roared, still struggling under Wes’s grip. “You kept turning it into a joke and calling me gay. The one time I tried to kiss you in college, you laughed in my face.”
“But, I thought you were trying to help me find someone. Weren’t you helping Steven?”
“Steven is an idiot. He did anything I told him to do: seduce you at your job, show up at the diner, call you incessantly. I needed him to distract you from Wes until he moved back to Texas.”
“So that’s why you were helping Steven? To try to keep me away from Wes. And my phone? Was that you, too?”
He didn’t answer, so I turned back to Ann. “I told him about this breakup app that would prevent calls to your ex from going through. The night he threw the brick in the window, he installed it and blocked Wes from calling your phone.”
Spots appeared in my vision; I felt like I was about to black out. I was ready to leave. I didn’t want to know anymore. My shoulders slumped, and I took a few steps back.
“You threw the brick?” Wes asked him.
“To save you, since he blocked you and Wes from calling each other,” Ann said. “And it worked. Until you hunted him down.”
I glared at my mother, shaking my head. “Luckily for you Ann, I don’t want him. So you can enjoy.”
I turned and walked out of the house without another word, bending over to puke in the grass as soon as I stepped outside.
Wes waited for me, trailing behind me to the car in silence. The ride back to his house was quiet. As soon as we entered, the tears came.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t know how to. I was just so ashamed.”
He sat on the couch next to me and I rested my head on his lap. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.”
“I woke up in her bed the next morning, and I didn’t remember how I got there. We were both naked, so I knew it happened. When I went into the bathroom, I stepped on your engagement ring, and bursts of memories started returning over the next few days. I pieced enough together to figure out what happened. I’m so sorry, Key.”
“Why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“She called me and said the toilet was overflowing. Said she didn’t have money for a plumber and water was leaking everywhere. She begged me to come help. The last thing I remember-”
“Shh, shh. You don’t have to talk about it.”
So much time wasted. Wes and I could’ve been married by now. I could have been a mother. The past three years of my life was pointless. So much anger, so much heartbreak, so many decisions made off a lie.
Nothing in my life made sense anymore.
“How could a mother do that to her own child? What did I do to make her hate me so much?”
He stroked my head as my tears soaked his pant leg. “Your mother is sick; you can't spend the rest of your life trying to figure out the motives behind her actions.”
I wiped my nose. “You’re right. At the end of the day, it’s over. Her influence on my life is in the past.”
If Wes could forgive her, so could I. We headed upstairs to his bedroom, spending the rest of the morning curled up in bed. I had to constantly blink back tears, my mind not fully comprehending that I was betrayed by my best friend, my brother.
“Kevin’s dad must’ve found out about him and Ann. I can't believe he didn’t tell anyone.”
“They’re not our problem now.”
“What am I going to do about my living situation? Do you think he’s coming back?”
“You can stay with me until we figure that out. I’ll arrange for someone to pack up your things.”
I blew out a breath. “I can't wait to get out of here. I never want to come back to this god-forsaken state.”
He tensed under me, but didn’t say anything. But I knew we were thinking the same thing. This was still his home. And his house was beautiful. Could our new memories in Texas replace the bad ones?
I never wanted to lose him again. I’d go wherever he went, but if he wanted me to come back to Texas, he might have to pull me along the way.
Vivian was awake when we entered her hospital room, a small smile on her lips as we stepped inside. Wes rushed to her, and she tensed at his hug.
“Sorry, did I hurt you?” he asked, inspecting her I.V.
She shook her head.
“How are you feeling?” I asked her.
She peered at me, her smile dropping.
“I’m sorry,” she said in a low voice.
Wes shook his head, wiping her hair away from his face. “Don’t be sorry. I’m just glad you’re alive. Why’d you do this, Viv?”
She sighed. “I started hanging out with bad people again. This guy talked me into it.”
“You took a lot of heroin. You know not to take that much just to get high.”
She looked away from us, staring at the closed blinds in her room. “No, I was trying… to kill myself. I’m sorry.”
“Why?” I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Her lip quivered. “Because the guy told me that Wes was going to leave me, and that I was in the way of his relationship with you. I love Wes, and I want him to be happy. I didn’t want to get in the way, but I had nowhere to go…”
“What guy?” Wes said.
I held up my hand. “I think I have an idea.”
I pulled out my phone and showed her a picture of Kevin.
“That’s him,” she said. “He gave me the drugs. I met him at the wedding.”
“Why would he do this?” Wes asked.
“Because he knew that you would run to her side and I would get jealous. Only his plan didn’t work. Vivian, I never want you to think that it’s either me or you. We both love Wes and we both want him to be happy. I know I haven’t always been easy to be around, and I’m sorry for that. But please never feel like I want you gone. You’re family to Wes, which means you’re family to me.”
She burst out in a fit of tears and Wes handed her a tissue. “I’ve never had a family before. And I really like you, Keisha. I was hurt when I thought you didn’t like me back.”
My heart pinched in my chest at the pain I caused her. I was so worried about her non-existent seduction of Wes, I pushed her away when all she wanted was a friend. And God knew I could use another dependable person in my life.
I stood and walked over to her, pulling her in for a hug.
“I’m truly sorry. But please don’t do that again,” I said as I pulled away, wiping away a tear that fell down my cheek.
She laughed, shaking her head. “I won't, guys. Promise.”
“Let’s get out of here. Viv, we’re going to drop you off at home and then Key and I are going to her house. She’s moving out and I want to help her pack up a few things.”
“Can I go, too?”
“You should rest.”
“I’ve been resting all week. The doctor said I’m fine. I won't lift anything heavy; I just want to spend time with you guys.”
“Alright.”
By the time we got her checked out and out of the hospital, it was already dark outside. Wes headed straight to my house.
Wes offered to hire a moving company, but I wanted to go to my house one last time. It was time for a fresh start, and I was ready to toss most of my old belongings, along with the memories they held.
We turned into my development, and my heart stopped as I saw Kevin’s car approaching us.
“That’s him!” Vivian said, spotting him.
“Yeah, he was my roommate. We’ll get you filled in later.”
“Who’s in the car with him?”
“My mother,” I said blowing out a breath.
She may have only a few months left to live, but her manipulative skills were as healthy as ever. I had no doubt she talked him into staying with her. His eyes locked on mine as our cars got close, but he turned and looked away as they passed. My eyes watered; he was my rock for so long, and I didn’t know how I was going to make it without him. And then I looked up at Wes and realized I was going to be better than fine.
Kevin always hid things from me, I just never saw it as a problem. Who he was talking to on the phone, where he would disappear to at nights, and even his real feelings towards me. Wes was never like that. Wes was always my rock; it just took me a while to see that. I rested my hand on his thigh and he smiled.
As we turned on my street, the night shadows were illuminated by flashing lights. We pulled over as a police car zoomed by us, confusion growing seconds later as an ambulance came rushing by.
“Oh my God,” Vivian said with a gasp as we approached my home.
My mouth gaped open as I stared at the raging flames shooting from the house. We pulled up as far as we could go and I jumped out, rushing towards the house until a firefighter stopped me.
“This is my house! What happened?”
“I don’t know ma’am, but we’re still working on putting out the flames. I need you to stay back.”
Wes grabbed me and I cried into his chest, Vivian gently rubbing my back
“I can't believe he would do this! What am I going to do?”
“We’ll figure it out; just like always.”
I tossed and turned that night, finally sitting up when the clock hit two in the morning. I walked downstairs to Wes’s kitchen, and he rounded the corner shortly after.