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“Son of a bitch!” Jude’s sudden exclamation prevents Ky from continuing with whatever he was going to say. We both look toward the front door as Jude yanks it open and storms out, yelling expletives at whoever’s outside.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
Curiosity gets the better of both of us and Nolan and Devon join us as we go to see what the commotion is all about.
“I want to see her, Jude. Just let me talk to her.”
Adam’s voice has me stopping abruptly and instinctively I look at Ky. His look of indifference has been replaced with one of anger. I know immediately by the hardness in his jaw and the cold, hard look in his eyes, any progress we were about to have in our strained relationship has been taken off the table. Without saying anything else, Kyler turns and roughly brushes past the three of us, taking the stairs to his bedroom two at a time.
“She told you to leave her alone so, leave her the fuck alone!” Jude continues yelling at Adam and when I turn back, I see him push Adam roughly on the shoulder. “After everything you’ve done, what the fuck makes you think you can turn up here? She trusted you. I trusted you. I thought of you as a little brother. Took you under my wing when Austin was thrown in jail, and all along, you were becoming a fucked-up little clone of your dad’s, doing his dirty work so you could carry on with his immoral business dealings.”
Adam attempts to push back at Jude, but clearly underestimates him because Jude retaliates by throwing a punch which hits Adam squarely on his jaw, causing him to stagger back a few paces. Instantly Nolan and Devon are out the door and attempting to break up what has the potential to turn into a messy fight. Devon strains to hold Jude back and Nolan stands between him and Adam.
“You’re not welcome here. You don’t go anywhere near her. You don’t come anywhere near me. You understand? Get the fuck off my lawn!”
“I suggest you do as he says, buddy,” Nolan tells Adam when the latter makes no attempt to move. It doesn’t escape my notice Nolan uses exactly the same words, in exactly the same tone, as he did all those months ago outside the hockey arena, when Adam was trying to warn me off Kyler. Adam’s eyes drift toward me as if seeking my final say in the matter. Jude’s message was clear enough, but if he needs me to say it again, I will. But, not for his benefit: for the person brooding upstairs in his bedroom.
“Just go, Adam,” I say determinedly. “I told you earlier I don’t want to see you again. The least you can do—after everything you’ve done—is respect my wishes.”
“You’ll regret this, Thea,” Adam shouts as Nolan walks him to his car. “You’ll come running back to me, when the novelty of having a sympathy fuck with a nobody wears off!” This time Nolan lands a punch on Adam. I leave them to discard “the trash” and make my way back to the kitchen.
* * *
The days following Kyler’s return and the incident with Adam are non-eventful. We go to school. We do our homework. The guys play their hockey games. And we eat together as a household when we can. Well, most of us do. There’s still an empty chair at the table and the plates of food I keep for him go untouched. It’s like he’s here, but he’s not here. I know I should stop, but I can’t bring myself to. Stopping means accepting it’s truly over between us and I can’t give up hope, not yet. My housemates try to soften my rejection by telling me it’s not as bad as I think, and they’ve had various conversations with Kyler which indicate it’ll only be a matter of time before we’re back together. Devon tells me Ky’s moved back because he missed seeing me. Nolan tries to convince me Ky asks about me at practice. Jude says Kyler still has feelings for me and just needs time to sort things out in his mind. Even Millie tries to make me feel better, telling me Ky sought her out one lunchtime and asked whether I’m seeing anyone. It almost feels like they’re playing a childhood game; the one where you’re sitting in a line and the kid at one end says something to the person sitting next to him, and the message is passed down the line until it gets to the end, and you realize how much the message has changed. Kyler may be talking to my friends about me, but I doubt it’s favorable.
My thoughts are confirmed one night, almost two weeks after Kyler moves back, when my phone beeps to signal a new message.
Ky
You need to stop leaving me food. Nothing’s changed between us, Thea.
I guess this confirms my friends and their theories are wrong, and I’m back on the lovesick train once more. Only this time, it makes an extra stop at Grand Central feeling-sorry-for-myself Station.
The following morning, I decide I need to take control of the situation, because this impasse or whatever we have between us, is not only affecting us, but also the mood of the house too. It’s not fair for the others to feel like they have to pick sides. Even though they promise me it won’t come to that, I’m not naïve enough to think that at least Nolan and Devon’s loyalties will be with Kyler as they’ve known him longer. That, and they’re teammates. Jude is the one who is truly torn between his sister and his best friend. Yet again, I’m in a romance novel and the trope this time is falling for your brother’s best friend.
I open the group chat on my phone and start a new message.
I need your help.
Jude
Everything okay, sis?
Devon
Do you know what time it is? Some of us are trying to sleep.
Nolan
Dude, don’t be rude.
Millie
Uh-oh. Has this got something to do with Mr. Broodypants?
It does and stopping calling him that.
Millie
