by Eva Luxe
Liam and Kina lived in an obscenely large house. I didn’t like going to their home because it reminded me of what I could have had, and didn’t. The house was a large, modern structure, surrounded by a garden that stretched in all directions. The lawn was immaculate and there was a sparkling pool in the back. Kina had hired a landscaper to turn the garden into a dream, and if I hadn’t been so bitter about everything, I would have admitted it was beautiful.
***
I parked in front of one of the garages and walked to the front door. Liam opened it for me and extended his hand. I took his hand, shaking it, but the atmosphere around us was tense, and awkward. This was why I hadn’t wanted to see him. I didn’t want to have to explain why I’d left before the end of practice, before speaking to him. I hoped to God he wouldn’t ask.
“Kyle, hi,” Kina said, coming from the kitchen. She had an apron tied around her waist and she looked at home in the big house, like the queen of her castle. I stepped forward and hugged her. It was a little awkward, but we both pretended it wasn’t.
“Morgan is at Mom’s,” Kina said. “I hope you don’t mind.”
Right, Morgan. I hadn’t been a part of Kina’s life for such a long time that I had almost forgotten she’d had a child. That probably made me a terrible brother and an even worse uncle, but it was impossible for me to play ‘happy family’ in their perfect life when mine was anything but.
“Of course, not. I’m sure Mom is enjoying herself.” I rocked back and forth on my heels, not knowing what to say. Awkward silences stretched between us.
“So, what happened to you on Monday?” Kina asked. “Liam said you left early.”
She gestured with her head toward the kitchen and I followed her. She took the sticky chicken wings out of the oven, turning them around before putting them back in.
“I had a work emergency,” I lied.
Liam walked over with a beer in each hand. He offered one to me and I gladly took it. If I needed anything tonight, it was alcohol.
“That’s a pity,” Liam said, and I wasn’t sure if he believed me or not. “You’re welcome to come to practice anytime, you know.”
I sipped my beer, relishing the icy liquid that ran down my throat.
“I don’t know, work is really busy at the moment. I’ll have to see when I get a chance again.”
Liam and Kina both nodded as if they’d agreed not to say anything if I declined an invitation. I knew Kina wanted to fight with me about it, but she knew that if she did, I would walk out. She was caught in a catch twenty-two.
“So, I have news,” I said. I desperately wanted to make conversation to get rid of the awkward silences. I wouldn’t be able to get through tonight if this was how it was going to be.
“Oh?”
“Do you remember Maya?”
Kina nodded, “I always loved her. She was really good for you.”
I cleared my throat. Kina had been unhappy with me for breaking up with Maya and I guess she had a reason. Maya had been great in every way.
“Well, I ran into her again the other day, I took her out on a date.”
“That’s wonderful!” Kina cried. “She used to be a part of our family, just the way Liam was,” Kina said.
I nodded. It was interesting that both Liam and Maya had been in our lives thanks to me. It struck me that neither of them was in my life now, and that was because of me, too. It made me feel like a jerk, and maybe I was. But I wasn’t going to apologize for my feelings, or what I had gone through back in college, or for what I was going through now.
“So, tell me about it. What was it like seeing her again?” Of course, Kina wanted all the gossip, and soon the awkwardness disappeared. I told her about the girl I liked the way I used to do when we were kids. It felt like old times and with it came a pang of sadness. I didn’t know if things could ever go back to the way they were.
“Well, I’m really happy for you,” Liam said. He stood with his hip against the counter, listening to our conversation in silence. He hadn’t once pushed for me to speak to him. I was glad, because I really didn’t want to.
“You know, I saw her a couple of weeks ago,” Kina said, after I told her everything.
“Oh, you didn’t mention it,” I said.
“We’re not exactly speaking in case you hadn’t noticed,” Kina said, and there was a bite in her voice. “Anyway, I saw her at a charity event Liam and I attended, but I didn’t know what to say. Things didn’t end very well between the two of you.”
Kina was right about that. In fact, things had ended horribly. It had been my fault, I had pushed Maya away because I hadn’t known how to deal with the difficulties that had come with being rejected from a pro football career. I hadn’t only broken up with her, I had effectively erased her from my family. I understood now how much it must have hurt.
“So, does this mean that you’re together again?” Kina asked.
I shook my head. “It’s still early. I definitely want to see her more, and get to know her again. Then we’ll see where it leads.”
I didn’t add that I hoped it would mean we’d be back together, or that I really wanted her in my life again. I didn’t want Kina to tell me how I had fucked up when I had gotten rid of her in the first place. I glanced at Liam who silently watched me. There had been a time when we’d been on the same team, and I’d always known exactly what he was thinking, but now, we stood on opposing sides in a way, almost facing off.
“When are you seeing her again?” Kina asked.
“Tomorrow, actually.”
Kina looked up at me, smiling. “Well, that’s a good sign.”
I shrugged, “We’ll have to see, like I said, it’s early and I don’t want to screw things up. I ran into her at the training center when I went to watch practice. She is on the Dolphins Cheerleading Squad now.”
“Oh, well there you go,” Liam said, speaking up for the first time. “It’s a good thing you decided to go, then. Maybe you should swing by sometime soon, you could even go on a night that Maya trains there again.”
“I’ll have to see,” I said.
“It will be fun. This time, you can stay until the end and we can have a beer with the guys, afterward. You know a few of them, they went so school with us.”
I was irritated. Liam was pushing for me to spend more time at his practice, which was the last place I wanted to go. I didn’t want to see the men training, I didn’t want to be reminded that they were playing professional football while I was a boring accountant. I didn’t want to have to plaster a smile on my face and pretend to enjoy it.
“I’ll just have to see how it goes,” I said, pointedly. Liam and Kina glanced at each other, no doubt silently communicating, gossiping about me, which just pissed me off even more.
The rest of the night was strained again, awkward, like we hadn’t had the small period of grace in the kitchen. Dinner was delicious, though overshadowed by the animosity between us. The chicken wings that were supposed to be a sign of happiness didn’t taste like happiness at all. When I finally left, I was tired and agitated. The night had been a bust in my book, but at least they would leave me alone for a while.
As I drove home, I felt conflicted. I didn’t like spending time with Liam, and by extension, I avoided Kina. Yet I missed my sister, and I missed spending time with people I loved. I hated being alone all the time. I had no idea how to bring the two together so that I wasn’t reminded of all the things that hurt while still spending time with my friends and family.
Until I figured that out, I would carry on the way I was now. At least, I had Maya to keep me company. That, for now, was enough.
Chapter 10
Maya
Kyle and I went to dinner together. This time, I chose the place. It was only fair, and I wanted somewhere a little more relaxed, where we could be ourselves. The first date had been amazing, and I had been thoroughly impressed, which was what Kyle had been going for. But the ice was broken now and I just wanted to relax t
ogether. I had chosen a casual restaurant that served burgers and fries for dinner, and soda instead wine. I wore a pair of Sarah’s designer jeans, with a blouse left just enough to the imagination. I had pulled my hair back into a ponytail, and wore ballerina flats rather than heels.
Kyle looked more relaxed, too, in faded Levi’s and a T-shirt.
“So, how was your week?” Kyle asked.
I shrugged. “It was a good week. I had a hiccup in the middle, but I dealt with it. Everything is fine, now. And this night is the cherry on top.” I smiled at him. “How was yours?”
“It was all right,” Kyle said. “I had a lot of work pressure, but I got through it. I went to see Kina last night for dinner.”
I smiled. “Oh, I haven’t seen Kina in such a long time. How is she?”
Kina and I hadn’t been best friends, but she was my boyfriend’s only sister, and I’d loved her. She was a strong woman, serious about what she wanted, which seemed to run in the family.
“To be honest,” Kyle said, “I don’t really talk to her that much anymore. She is married to Liam.”
“Oh, my God. I can’t believe it.” I had heard that Liam Larson, one of the star players of the Miami Dolphins, had gotten married, but I hadn’t known to who. “They must be so happy. That’s amazing.”
“I guess so,” Kyle said, but he didn’t sound like he thought it was amazing at all. I didn’t understand it. He and Liam had been best friends in college, and it made perfect sense that Liam and Kina had gotten married. Why did Kyle seem like something was wrong when he spoke about it? I couldn’t figure him out, he seemed like something was bothering him, but I didn’t want to ask. So, I changed the topic. I spoke about other things that I had been up over the past few years. So much had happened that we needed more than just a few days to catch up. As soon as I spoke about other things, Kyle perked up again, interested and listening. We talked and laughed, flirted and reminisced. The date was going great. It felt like we had gotten as close as we used to be in almost no time at all. I thought about what Sarah had said about it being dangerous, that Kyle could hurt me again because of how I still felt about him. She was right, he could hurt me. But I wanted to trust him.
I was about to ask Kyle something when my phone rang. It was Sarah, and I frowned. She never phoned me when I was on a date, not unless it was important.
“I’m sorry, I have to take this,” I said, and pressed the phone to my ear.
“Maya, someone broke into the condo.”
Sarah was hysterical, speaking fast, tripping over the words. She breathed hard as if she had been running.
“Sara, slow down. What happened?”
She swallowed hard before trying again. “I was out with Charlie. When I came home, the doorjamb had been busted in and the door was ajar. I pushed it open and everything was fine except your room. It’s been trashed.”
Blood drained from my face. What the hell was going on?
“I’ll be right there,” I said, and hung up. I looked at Kyle looked worried. “I’m so sorry, I have to go. Someone broke into our condo.”
Kyle looked shocked. “Oh, my God. I’m coming with you.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I just need to get home.” I waved frantically for a waiter to spot me, so we could order the check.
“Maya, I don’t want you to go back home, alone. If something is wrong, if someone is still there, at least I’ll be able to help. I want you safe.”
I looked at Kyle and he looked genuinely worried. He cared, he wanted to protect me. I nodded, agreeing.
“Okay, but Sarah is in a state. Be prepared for something serious.”
Kyle nodded grimly. “I want to be there for you,” he said.
Finally, we got the check, paid and left the restaurant. Kyle had picked me up so he drove us to the beach condo where Sarah and I lived. When we stopped in front of the condo, Sara came out, waving her arms.
“Oh, my God, you’re here,” she said, pulling me into a hug when I climbed out of the car. “I’m so scared for you.”
“Why?” I asked. “What happened?”
“I told you. Everything is perfect except for your room. Come and look.” She grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into the house. I glanced over my shoulder at Kyle who followed right behind me. The door jamb had been busted in, just like Sara had said. But everything inside was untouched. The living room, our laptops on the dining room table, the TV, the microwave; all the valuables were still exactly where they had been. I walked into my room. Kyle was right behind me and I was glad. I was almost scared of what I would find.
My room was in stark contrast to the rest of the condo. It was a mess. The bed had been overturned, the sheets ripped off. My nightstand had been pushed over, the lamp was broken on the floor. The drawer had been emptied with contents intentionally scattered on the floor. On my mirror, in red lipstick, one word was written.
LIAR.
“Oh, my God,” I said, clasping my hand over my mouth. There was no doubt in my mind who had done this.
“It’s him, isn’t it?” Sara asked, standing in the doorway, hugging herself. “He was in here.”
I nodded. I felt like I was going to cry. I was angry, and terrified.
“What’s this all about?” Kyle asked, taking in the chaos. “Who did this?”
“Tyler,” I said softly.
“Who the fuck is Tyler?”
Kyle was getting upset and I didn’t blame him. It was unsettling to see my stuff in a mess like this, to know that someone had been in my personal space, and violated my privacy. I took a deep breath and blew it out with a shudder.
“I guess you could say he’s my stalker,” I said.
“I’m going to put on the kettle. You need a cup of sweet tea,” Sara said, and disappeared into the kitchen. Kyle took me out of the room so we could talk on the couch, away from the drama in my room, away from what was upsetting me. When we sat together on the couch, a hot cup of tea clasped between my hands, I told Kyle about Tyler.
“We went on one date about two years ago. I figured it was time to get into the dating scene again. It wasn’t a big deal, the date. You know, you look around to see who you fit with, and I didn’t see him as someone I wanted to pursue a relationship with, or even another casual date. But he decided I was the one and he wouldn’t accept it.”
“So, he’s been stalking you ever since?” Kyle asked.
I nodded. “He’s been watching my social media, finding information on the web or other places. I keep changing my number but he keeps finding me. I don’t know how he does it.”
“So what did he say you were lying about?” Kyle asked.
I took a deep breath, embarrassed about what I had done. It had brought so much more trouble into my life. If I hadn’t been so eager to get rid of him and tried lying to him about my life, I might have gotten by with nothing more than the calls and texts.
“This is embarrassing, but I told him I was engaged so he would leave me alone. I thought if he thought I was with someone for good, he would finally back off. He threatened me when I told him, but I didn’t think he would follow through. He hadn’t, until now.”
I shivered, thinking about Tyler in my house, going through my stuff, making good on his threats. He had been making threats for so long I had stopped taking him seriously.
“What am I going to do?” I asked.
“I’m calling the police,” Sara said, already taking out her phone. “This can be seen as harassment if they can prove it’s him.”
I shook my head. “What are the odds he left a clue behind? He’s not an idiot. I haven’t been able to nail this guy for two years because he does everything right so he doesn’t get caught.”
Sara shrugged. “I’m still going to try,” she said, and got up to call the police from the balcony.
“Calling the police is the right thing to do,” Kyle said, pulling me against him. I melted against him, absorbing his warmth and the calm th
at came with him. I was so glad I didn’t have to go through all this alone, tonight. “Until this is taken care of, I want you to come stay with me.”
I shook my head. “I can’t just leave Sara alone here with this lunatic breaking into our place.”
“No, go,” Sara said, coming into the condo again. “You aren’t safe here. What am I going to do to protect you? If he knew we’d moved, he’ll know you’re not living here for now. He’s not going to come for me. Besides, I could always go stay with Charlie if I want to.”
It only made me feel a little better that Sara would be safe.
“But then I’m putting my issues on you,” I said to Kyle.
He looked down at me after planting a kiss in my hair. “I want to be there for you. It’s safer for you to stay with me. I can look after you, I can fight him off if I need to. Besides, I want to be your knight in shining armor.”
He smiled at me and I realized he was right. It would be good to let him take care of me. And I wanted to go stay with him for a while.
“You’re sure?” I asked Sara.
She nodded. “You go pack, I’ll handle the police.”
As she said it, the sound of sirens started in the distance. I walked into my room, careful not to touch anything I wouldn’t take with me so it didn’t disturb the scene. Kyle helped me. Soon, the police were in the house, and immediately starting taking photos. I told them what had happened, and how I had tried to report Tyler a few times in the past. This time, they said, I might have a case.
When we were finally done, Kyle and I left and he took me to his place. We were quiet on the drive, the darkness in the car wrapping around us. I felt safer with him. Maybe, finally, all this would go away. Even if it didn’t, Kyle was in my corner, and it was more than I’d had before.
Chapter 11
Kyle
I woke up on Saturday morning and sat up in bed, listening carefully for movement in the apartment. When there was none, I slipped out of bed and walked quietly down the passage, peeking into the guest bedroom. Maya lay on her side, still asleep.
