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“Kyzer,” I said hesitantly, “I should probably fill you in on the situation with my father. I hope when I tell you this it doesn’t change the way you feel about me.”
For the next hour, Kyzer sat across from me and listened intently as I spilled my guts about what had transpired over the past year and a half with respect to my family right up to the delivery of the black roses this afternoon. He was riveted as the story unfolded.
“Wow,” he said when I finished. “I mean, Lindsey, I had no idea what you’ve been through. I am so sorry. I guess that saying is true about bad things happening to good people.”
“I definitely have some nasty baggage, that’s for sure.”
“Hey, Lindsey,” he said, rubbing his fingers over mine, “this changes nothing about the way I feel about you. I admire your strength and integrity. I can see that you are nothing like how you described your father.”
“The thing is, Kyzer, I still love my father. I don’t like the person he turned out to be, but he is still my dad, you know?”
“I think that is very understandable. It’s that unconditional love; parents have it for their children and vice-versa. So, what do you think that message meant?”
“I have no clue. My roommate said that black roses signify death or the end of something. The message certainly wasn’t one of condolence. It almost seemed as if it was a warning of some type.”
“Do you think your father sent them?”
“I don’t see how that is possible. If he is in fact back here in the country, I can’t see any reason for him to want to spook me like that.”
“Yeah, I agree. But if he is back in the U.S., don’t you think he would try and contact you if nothing else to let you know that he’s okay? Of course, you would have to keep that confidential from everyone.”
“I truly don’t know how my father thinks. He certainly turned out to be someone different than the man who raised me. The note mentioned my granddaddy, but he was pretty much out of the day-to-day activities there. I don’t know, but my stepfather is on it.”
“Well, it does help having a special agent with the FBI in the family with something like this. I’m sure everything will turn out okay, Lindsey. In the meantime, do you feel safe?”
“I’m okay. I can’t think of any reason why I would be targeted for anything. I barely had any connection to Banion Pharmaceuticals with the exception of the brief stint the summer before last when I interned there. I was pretty much clueless as to what was going on at the time anyway.”
“Still, if you would feel better having me take you to and from school, walk you to your classes or whatever, I am at your disposal.”
I gave him a smile. He was truly an awesome person.
“Thank you, Kyzer. I’m alright, but if that changes, I’ll let you know.”
We walked hand-in-hand from the restaurant. Kyzer opened the car door for me. As we returned to my apartment complex, we discussed our schedules for winter quarter. We were in two classes together, which delighted me.
He walked through the lobby with me and pressed the button for the elevator. At the door to my apartment, I fumbled with the key for a moment, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.
I was considering inviting him in for coffee, but yet I didn’t want to sound like I was asking for more than that. I wanted to do this right with Kyzer. I decided I would extend the invitation. It would be coffee only.
As I turned to extend the invitation, the door to the apartment was suddenly jerked open. We both turned to see who had opened it, and found ourselves staring into the very piercing, extremely angry, green eyes of Taz.
“Where the fuck have you been, Lindsey?”
Taz was fuming, expecting an answer. I was still in shock as to why he was even here. It was taking me a moment to digest his presence.
“I asked you a question.”
Now that I had digested the fact that Taz was in my apartment, I was trying to figure out why the hell he was in my face. Pissed was finally making an appearance in me.
“Excuse me? Apparently I didn’t get the memo that stated I needed permission to leave my apartment.”
Taz was shooting me a dirty look. He then looked past me at Kyzer, who I’m sure was as horrified as I was at the rudeness Taz was exhibiting.
“Lindsey, say good-night to Kyler there and get inside.”
I was humiliated at the way Taz was treating me.
“It’s Kyzer,” I hissed, turning away from his angry face to look at Kyzer. Taz was making no move to give the two of us any privacy. If that’s the way he wanted to play it, so be it.
