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Kyler: Made it home. Mom grilled me about why I was such a mess. I told her I almost hit a dog on the way home and I was still freaked out, but I don’t think she bought it.
A sound that almost sounded like a growl rumbled in my chest. Sometimes I genuinely hated Brenda Strong, and right now it was amplified more than normal. Maybe she wasn’t the one who was hurting Kyler, but I also had a feeling that the reason Kyler still blamed herself for her assault was because of the way she’d been raised. The way she wasbeingraised. And that was one hundred percent on her mother.
Me: It’s none of her business. She doesn’t have a right to your thoughts and feelings just because she gave birth to you. You okay otherwise?
Kyler: Not really. What about you? I know that was a lot.
Me: None of this is about me. Not even a little bit.
Kyler: *sad face emoji* I’m sorry. I hate that I upset you.
Me: You don’t have a single thing to be sorry for. I’m honored that you felt safe enough with me to talk about it. I’m just processing.
Kyler: If it helps, I am too. I’m kind of drained.
Me: Love on Cosette and try to get some rest tonight, baby. I’ll see you in the morning. I love you.
Kyler: I love you too. <3
Kyler: *selfie of her in bed hugging teddy bear*
Kyler: At least I have Teddy to keep me company.
Despite my shot nerves, I chuckled, smiling a little. Thank God I’d thought to get that for her birthday last week. I’d thought it was kind of cheesy at the time, but she’d loved it. And now she had something to cuddle with tonight, since I couldn’t be there.
Me: This may be the first time in my life that I’m actually jealous of a teddy bear. You don’t know how much I wish I was there holding you right now.
Kyler: Me too. But I’ll take a rain check until tomorrow morning.
“That her?” Izzie asked.
I nodded. “I asked her to text when she got home. She really shouldn’t have been driving, but her mom’s a drill sergeant. She couldn’t spend the night here, not even in the guest room.”
“She okay?”
“As okay as she can be,” I sighed. “I, um…I sort of offered her your Chiefs ticket. I just really need to spend some more time with her this weekend. And I think she needs it too.”
She snorted. “I can live with that. I didn’t come home to go to the game. I came home to tell everyone about…” She took a deep breath. “About my girlfriend. I’m…I’m bi, Ian.”
I raised my head from my phone to look at her. I’d had my suspicions since she was in middle school, and I’d seen her kissing a girl once when I’d caught her sneaking back into the house after her curfew, but she didn’t know that. This was the first time she’d ever said that out loud, and as far as I knew, this was the first time she’d actually dated a girl.
“I know,” I told her. “I mean, I had a feeling.”
Her eyes went wide. “How?”
I shrugged. “I just did. And it’s never mattered. You’re my big sister and I love you no matter what.”
That earned me another hug.
“Right back at you, baby bro,” she chuckled softly, sniffling.
“So, what’s her name?” I asked.
“Hillary,” she said, cracking a smile. “I might have asked about meeting Ky to soften the blow with Dad and Maya. I’m so sorry if doing that made Ky talk about something she wasn’t ready for.”
I shook my head. “It wasn’t you. I promise. She loved meeting everyone.”
“You two tailgating tomorrow?”
