Kaiden didn’t turn to face her, didn’t want to see the rage in her expression. After so many years at this gallery, Kaiden had done well at keeping his family drama away from his job. His stomach twisted in knots, reminded of how many jobs Sandra’s drama had cost him over the years.
“And who the fuck are you?”
“I’m the bitch who’s about to walk down these steps and slap the attitude right off your face,” Alison said with the most composed and threatening tone Kaiden had ever heard. “Now, get the fuck out of my gallery before I drag you out by the hair, and if that shitty dye job stains my fingers, I’ll slap you a second time for the inconvenience.”
“This is between me and my—”
“This is between me and my gallery.” Alison strode down the steps so quickly, Kaiden believed she might tackle Sandra. “You ever step foot inside my shop again, I will beat the ever-living fuck out of you.”
Sandra wasn’t the type to back down from a confrontation, but she mostly kept her altercations verbal. Since Alison stood about a foot taller and clearly had fifty pounds on Sandra, she did the first smart thing in her life and walked away.
“Fuck you, Kaiden,” Sandra spat. “This is how you treat your family?”
“Keep walking, raggedy bitch.” Alison crossed her arms and glared.
“This is why you’re alone. You’re a worthless, selfish coward,” Sandra shouted as she reached the door. “You’ll always be alone, you fucking fraud!”
Kaiden didn’t correct Sandra, didn’t point out that he had not one person but two who cared for him. All he wanted at this moment was to get his sister to leave the gallery before she caused more problems.
After the longest minute of silence, Kaiden finally looked over to his boss.
“I am so sorry about—”
“Shut up.” Alison raised a hand to urge his silence. “Did you make a big deal when my ex stormed in, causing a scene?”
That was Kaiden’s first year, and he did, in fact, make a big deal out of the person trying to stab several portraits on the wall. He’d never seen someone so enraged after a heartbreak.
“I mostly just panicked,” Kaiden admitted.
“People suck,” Alison said with a soft smile. “We can’t control the actions of others, only how we respond.”
Alison didn’t always show it, but there was a kindness in her. She often went out of her way to help others with grand gestures or small deeds.
“Anyway, get back to work.” Alison sauntered away. “Don’t think this family drama excuses that to-do list. If I have to come back down here, it better be to sign off on a seating chart and not beat one of your dumbass relatives black and blue.”
“Thank you.”
“Whatever.”
Kaiden went back to work, invigorated by the unwanted drama. So much so, he finished his tasks and set out to accomplish a few extra things around the gallery, perhaps to show gratitude for Alison’s assistance or merely remind her how useful he was most days.
Still, his sister’s words stuck with him over the hours. Somehow, she seemed to know him so well for someone who knew so little about him. No, Kaiden wasn’t alone, but he was a fraud in some ways. Ways that started to haunt him the more he dwelled.
In the days that followed, Kaiden kept busy and a bit anxious for more unwanted visits. Thankfully, his family stuck with rude texts and nasty voicemails, which made his life bearable. After the first one from his stepfather started up with a list of profanities, Kaiden simply deleted them without listening. All except for one.
His mother had left him a single voicemail that pierced at his heart. Part of him wanted to believe she left something kind, seeking to smooth things over. Another part of him believed she intended to yell at him too, guilt him over the scene his sister had caused, or worse, hate him for abandoning his family. Kaidendid the only sensible thing he could: he ignored the message until he had the strength to decompress.
Instead, he focused on the men in his life. The group chat had gone quiet until Rus hopped in and asked if they wanted to come over. Kaiden agreed, but noticed Dylan’s response was rather curt. No bubbly comments or silly questions, just a simple one-word acceptance.
When Kaiden got to Rus’ apartment, the pair relaxed in bed for well over an hour. Kaiden semi-napped as Rus played his video game. When Dylan arrived, the vibe changed almost immediately.
The anxiety oozing out of Dylan needled at Kaiden, so much so that he stood up and attempted to calm him while he paced around the apartment.
Dylan eventually settled in one spot. He shifted anxiously over by Rus’ desk, unable to relax. It didn’t take him long to share his hidden worries with them, fears he’d unlocked over Thanksgiving, and things he’d never taken into consideration once they started dating.
“Yes, I wanted to explore these feelings,” Dylan explained. “But my biggest concern was ruining our friendships if things weren’t reciprocated. Now? Now I know there are so many other factors that I never even considered.”
“Like what exactly?” Rus asked, taking a cautious step toward Dylan.
