by Jack Harbon
The ambulance arrived faster than Kit had ever seen, and Michelle was loaded onto the stretcher. Kit wasn’t sure what that meant, and nobody would tell him anything. Was she still breathing? Was she okay? Just as they closed the doors, Roman spoke up.
“You need to call Chad,” he said to Kit. Roman turned to hail a cab, and Kit pulled his phone from his pocket. Chad picked up on the third ring.
“Tell me what’s going on, Kit,” he said. “Why am I hiding out from Michelle?”
“You need to get to Lenox Hill, Chad. Michelle was in an accident.”
*
Chad couldn’t sit still. He walked back and forth, pacing around the small waiting room. Kit wanted to tell him to sit down, but he couldn’t. He knew that Chad was still reeling from everything that he’d just learned about Michelle. Not only was his girlfriend the one that had been stealing thousands of dollars from her old employers, but she’d admitted to being pregnant. Kit could only imagine how sick he’d feel if he was in Chad’s shoes.
Roman took Kit’s hand in his and gave him a squeeze. Throughout the entire wait here in this suffocating room, he’d been quiet, keeping to himself and his own thoughts. It pained Kit to see his best friend and his boyfriend both in so much agony.
Dr. Richards stepped into the room, her soft brown eyes on the three of them. “Mr. Gillespie?” she said. Chad stopped in his tracks and spun around to face her.
“Is she okay? Please, god, tell me she’s okay,” he begged.
“Ms. Schreiner is in stable condition, yes,” Dr. Richards said, holding up a hand to calm him down. Chad collapsed in his chair and let out a choked noise of relief.
“What about the baby?” Kit asked.
The doctor’s eyes fell. “When we first brought her in, she was inconsolable. She said a lot of things. The police spoke with her, to get her side of the story, and…she said some very concerning things.”
Roman crinkled his nose. “Concerning how?”
“She told us that she tried talking to you two, but he was livid,” she said, gesturing to Kit. “She told them that you’d never liked her. You’d never been okay with their relationship. In fact, you were jealous of what she and Chad had. What disturbed me was that she implied that you pushed her into traffic.”
Kit laughed in surprise. “What the fuck?”
Dr. Richards shook her head. “She said you were willing to do anything to keep her and Mr. Gillespie apart. You couldn’t bear watching her steal him from you.”
Kit felt his blood pressure rising. She knew what she was doing. Back at the coffee shop, she’d asked for permission, worried that he might feel this exact way. He’d said he was okay with her getting close to Chad.
“This is bullshit,” Roman said.
“That’s what I thought,” Dr. Richards continued. “None of the witnesses at the scene could vouch for her. Each and every one of them said she ran across the street. And when we checked on the baby, there was none. She showed no signs of pregnancy.”
Chad buried his face in his hands, a retching noise escaping him. Kit placed a shaky hand on his back.
“I need to talk to her,” Chad murmured.
Dr. Richards cleared her throat. “Ms. Schreiner says that she doesn’t want to see you.”
Rage took over Kit. “That’s bullshit,” he nearly shouted. “She doesn’t get to do this.”
“I’m sorry,” Dr. Richards said. “Sir, I can show you to her room if you’d like.”
Roman nodded slowly. “Yes.”
“We’re going to figure this out,” Kit said, assuring Chad. He bent down to give him a hug, one that Chad was too stunned to reciprocate.
Dr. Richards led Roman and Kit down the corridor until she gestured to the right room. She stopped Roman before he entered. “I’ll leave you both to speak with her.”
Roman said nothing. He walked into the room with Kit. Inside, Michelle sat in a small blue bed, stitches and bandages covering her wounds. Her right arm was in a cast, as was her left leg. She looked worse for the wear, but much better than what she looked like the last time Kit had seen her. Before, she’d appeared dead.
Michelle’s bloodshot eyes slid towards the two of them. “I only want to talk to Roman.”
“Come escort me out then,” Kit said.
“Sadie… The doctor said that you weren’t pregnant. Why would you lie about that?” Roman asked.
“She did it because she was desperate to get away with all of this,” Kit answered, stepping closer to her. “That was your whole game, wasn’t it? You started working at the coffee shop so that you could meet the next assistant. You’d get all buddy-buddy with them, make them trust you, and then when you were done siphoning money from Yellow Fall, you’d pin it on them. That little email with that bogus update you sent me was pretty damn genius.”
She glared at him. “None of that is true.”
“Oh, fuck off with that, Michelle. Or, is it Sadie? Either way, you’re a fucking snake. I can’t believe I thought you were my friend. All that time I spent crying over Roman, you were probably loving it. Did it make you mad that Roman was mine? Is that why you tried lying to the police, telling them that I pushed you in front of that car?”
“It’s what you deserve,” she spat venomously. Kit could practically see her drop her innocent act. “I would’ve blamed Roman if I could, but he wasn’t stupid enough to open an email like that. But you? You were perfect. Some kid from a shitty neighborhood, playing at being a grown up? I almost felt bad for how easy it was.”
Kit didn’t consider himself a violent person, but his fists clenched tight. “I fucking trusted you. Chad loved you, and you used him. Out of everyone, he deserved this the least, and you screwed him over too. What kind of piece of shit pretends to be pregnant for sympathy? Actually, I know. The kind that’s desperate for a shorter sentence. I thought, just for a second, that you might have some mental health issues, but you knew exactly what you were doing the whole way.
“I’ve learned to spot abusers, and Roman can attest that that’s exactly what you are. You’re not crazy. You’re not unhinged. You’re a manipulative bitch that was mad that you lost your ‘toy.’ And you almost got away with it. You almost pinned this whole thing on me. But you didn’t. You decided to frame me the day Roman and I were together, on his birthday. You picked the day I spent the day taking care of him. Every single one of his needs. Massaging him, kissing him—”
“Shut up!” she screamed.
Kit was in her face immediately. “No, this is exactly what the fuck you need to hear,” He spat the words at her. Before he could say anything else, Roman pulled him back, cupping Kit’s face and forcing him to look at him.
“Please don’t,” he said, searching Kit’s eyes. “Please don’t. She’s not worth it. She wants this. She wants to get under your skin.”
“She used Chad,” he said, shaking his head. His throat constricted and he felt his eyes grow wet. “She used me. She used everyone.”
“I know, baby, I know. Don’t look at her, look at me, okay? Look at me. If you let her see you like this, she’ll only get worse. Please be strong, for me.”
“Okay,” Kit said, squeezing his fists by his side. He had to think about something else. If he thought about Chad sitting in the waiting room crying over her, he might actually put his hands on her. Nobody hurt Chad. Nobody.
“I hope you know all the damage you caused, Sadie,” Roman said after a slow breath.
“That’s rich coming from you, Roman. You hurt me. You never loved me. You used me and threw me away when you were done with me,” she exclaimed, her voice wavering. Tears formed in her eyes.
“I loved you completely,” Roman said, shaking his head. “I gave you everything I had. My money. My love. My past. I gave it all to you, so don’t project that shit onto me. I fired you because you wanted too much! You were manipulative and controlling and toxic to me and everyone around me. I had to let you go.”
Michelle shook her head, t
ears falling. “No. I was good. I was a good person,” she whispered.
“You weren’t. You were a monster. You ruined my life. The second you left, I could finally breathe. I felt like I was a person again, not some thing for you to boss around and demean whenever you felt like I wasn’t giving you enough.”
“Please, stop,” she sobbed.
“No. I never told you this, but maybe I should have. Maybe hearing this will finally help you understand that I never want you in my life again. With Kit, I’m happy. I know what real love feels like. I know what forgiveness feels like. I give, and he gives. Nobody takes too much from the other. That’s what love is. You never loved me. You owned me. But this shit ends today, do you hear me?”
Michelle didn’t say anything. She covered her face with her free hand, her shoulders shaking.
Roman kept his gaze on her. “This is over. You didn’t just ruin my life, but your own. Ari’s pressing charges. Grand Larceny is serious. You’ll be lucky if you’re out of prison before you’re thirty. And not only that, but I’m filing for a restraining order against you. We’ll all have one against you. I’ve tried being kind, I’ve tried being understanding, but this is where that landed us.”
Kit swallowed hard. He hadn’t even thought about the punishment she’d receive for her crime. Everything that she’d done, from the hacking to the stalking to the stealing, was coming around to bite her. He wanted to feel sorry for her, but all he could think about was the path of destruction she’d left. The betrayal and the scheming. She deserved every bit of this.
“Sadie, look at me.”
Michelle wiped her eyes and looked up at him. “What?”
“Kit and I are going to leave now. Do not contact us again. Leave Chad alone, leave Kit’s family alone, and leave the employees at Yellow Fall alone. This is me telling you that if you don’t, I’m going to do something that I can’t take back.”
Kit didn’t want to find out what that was, and evidently, neither did Michelle. She nodded and covered her face again, crying. Roman took Kit’s hand and led him outside into the hallway. They walked for a few moments in silence before Kit stopped and pulled Roman back to him.
“Are…are you okay?”
Roman’s eyebrows knitted together. “I’m free.”
“Yes. You’re free, Romy.” Kit stepped into his arms and hugged him for the second time tonight, this time squeezing him tight. After a moment, Kit stepped back. “Are you sure I can’t beat her ass? Because I would love to beat her ass.”
“No, kitten,” Roman sighed. “No beating anyone’s ass. She got hit by a car. I feel like that’s punishment enough.”
Kit looked back out into the waiting room. Chad sat with his head in his hands.
“We should get him back to my place,” Kit said.
“I feel bad for him,” Roman murmured. “Sadie actually felt something for me. She never had any feelings for him.”
“He’ll be okay. Chad’s strong. One of the strongest people I know.”
He bumped Roman’s hand. Roman laced their fingers together, and as a pair, they walked back into the waiting room to take care of Chad.
33
Peace of Mind
It was no wonder people spent so much of their lives trying to destress and relax. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of workplace drama and interpersonal relationships, that level of peace was gone. Kit had only been a free man for a few hours, and his life had gotten exponentially better.
His dinner tasted better. Sex with Roman felt better. Most importantly, sleep was better. With all of the scandal and torment that Michelle had brought out of his life, Kit felt as if he were a new person. No longer did he feel he had to prove himself to his coworkers. No longer did he lie awake in bed, wondering if Yolanda would make a smart comment about him or give him a dirty look. The culprit had been caught.
The only thing left was to clean up the mess she’d left behind in her wake.
Chad hadn’t said a word that night after they came home from the hospital. He’d nodded when Kit asked if he wanted to come over to his place and sleep on the couch so he wasn’t alone, but aside from that, he’d been silent. He put his headphones in, pulled the blanket to his neck, and rolled over, facing the cushions. Kit wanted to reach out and touch him, but Roman stopped him. Chad needed time to process this. Nothing Kit could say would change that.
That night, for the first time in their entire relationship, Kit didn’t worry about his standing with Roman. He had his job. They’d caught Michelle. They’d fessed up about their feelings and were finally able to have something real that nobody could threaten. It was enough to make Kit emotional. Before the two of them really got down to it, Kit considered keeping his head on Roman’s chest and sleeping. Then he remembered how good Roman could make him feel.
Roman fell asleep soon after their romp, leaving Kit some time to think about everything. His mind wandered to his job. It wasn’t an easy conversation to have with himself, but by the end of it, he knew what he had to do. It was best for everyone.
Kit woke before Roman. He yawned and stretched, heading out into the kitchen. At the counter, Chad sat with his head propped up in one hand, the other shoveling a spoonful of soggy cereal into his mouth. He looked up when Kit stepped out of his room.
“Hey,” was all he said.
Kit sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Chad.”
“It’s nobody’s fault but hers. I keep telling myself that. This isn’t my fault. I didn’t do this to us. She did. And yet… I feel dumb as fuck. I should’ve known.”
“You didn’t see her in that room, Chad—”
“I didn’t,” he laughed bitterly.
“You didn’t want to see her. She’s got issues, man. She’s not the person I thought I knew. She’s not the person that comforted me when I was crying over Roman. She’s not the person that cuddled and watched scary movies with you. That bitch is a figment of our imagination. She didn’t exist. If she did, she’d be dead.” Kit couldn’t sugarcoat it. They never did that, he and Chad. It was open and honest and brutal if it needed to be.
Chad stared into his bowl, silent. His grip on his spoon tightened.
“’Michelle’ doesn’t exist. We knew someone Sadie made up. We were her pawns. We got played while she was trying to play a game with Roman and everyone at Yellow Fall. You have to treat this like Michelle straight up died, because she’s never coming back.”
“I know,” Chad exclaimed. “I know. You’re right.”
Kit knew it was time to dial it back. He wasn’t going to rub salt in a wound that hadn’t even finished bleeding, let alone begun to heal. He rounded the corner and pulled Chad into his arms. “I’m sorry she did this to you.” Kit felt the front of his shirt wet with tears.
“I thought I loved her.”
“I know,” Kit said in a softer tone. “It’s okay.”
Chad stayed this way for a while. When he finally seemed to be ready to let go, Kit stepped back and looked down at his breakfast. He carried it to the sink, washed it, and made him a new bowl of cereal.
“I’m not hungry,” Chad murmured.
“Eat. You’re gonna need your energy.”
“Why?”
“Because tonight, we’re gonna find someone that’s throwing a party, and we’re gonna get you white boy wasted. I don’t want you sitting here and crying over some thieving ass hoe. You’re stronger than that.”
Chad sighed. “Kit, I—”
“Nope, I don’t wanna hear it. When Jaylen broke my heart and made me feel like shit, you were there forcing me to cheer up and feel better. So, I’m doing the same for you. I won’t stop until you’re laughing and smiling and you’re ready to let go of Michelle and find someone who loves you for you. That person is out there, and they might just be throwing a bomb ass party. You need to get negativity out of your life and invite positivity into it.”
“You sound like you’ve been reading some of Bria’s self-help books again,” Ch
ad laughed.
“Close. Those little inspirational posts on Facebook.”
“Gross,” Chad grimaced. “Fine. We’ll go do something tonight. Get the negativity out and invite the positivity in. I should probably get going and shower up. I wanna clean all her shit out of my place before I end up breaking down and smelling her shirts, Tommy Wiseau style.”
“I’ll text you when I find a good party.”
Chad placed his bowl in the sink and headed out the door. Now that he was alone, Kit smiled to himself. This wasn’t going to be an easy road, but he knew that Chad was going to be just fine. They’d both been there for each other during shitty breakups. They knew what it felt like to be the one taking care of the other as well as the one being taken care of. Kit would be there through it all, just as Chad had been there for him after Jaylen and Roman.
Kit crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter. Maybe it was time to start taking control of his own life. While Michelle was out of the picture and his job was back to normal, there was still one thing lingering in the back of his head. His parents. He couldn’t preach about improving his life and living better while also ignoring the fact that his father had basically offered to pay him to give up his body parts.
“Everything okay?” Roman asked, stepping into the kitchen. “I heard you two talking and I didn’t want to interrupt. It sounded like it was important.”
“It was, but everything’s okay now. I just have to find someone who’s having a party on a Tuesday night. I’ll spend my day at work looking all over Twitter,” he laughed. Roman nodded and stepped closer, placing a hand on either side of the counter beside Kit. He looked down at the younger man and smiled.
“We’re late and you’re already planning to skip work tomorrow to deal with your hangover. Tsk, tsk.”
“Oh please, what’s Ari gonna do? Fire me again?” Kit teased. “I figured out who stole seven grand from him, and now she’s going to jail and he can spin this into an angry previous employee targeting him. Yellow Fall’s gonna be in the papers and his company will be on everyone’s mouth for a little while. This time not for some terrible ad.”
