by Lyn Gardner
“Kate, please, I’m tired, and I’m done talking about this,” Brodie said as she stepped into the tiny bathroom. “Now, do us both a favor and just leave.”
Brodie closed the door in Kate’s face, resting her head against the wood for a few seconds before going over and turning on the tap. As she watched the tub fill, Brodie took off her blouse, and as it dropped to the floor, the door opened.
“I’m sorry. I forgot to bring you fresh—”
Kate’s gasp echoed off the walls, and it took a split-second before Brodie’s lips curled into a knowing smile. She looked over her shoulder, and it was all she could do not to laugh out loud at Kate’s horrified expression. “Oh that,” Brodie said, her tone deliberately casual. “Her name’s Talia…and she likes to leave marks.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Who’s Talia?”
“Who?” Devon said, placing her fork on her plate.
“Talia.”
Devon shrugged. “I have no idea who you’re talking about.”
“I thought you knew Brodie’s friends.”
Devon looked up from her coffee, trying to keep the liquid inside her mouth. For months, Kate hadn’t mentioned Brodie’s name once, and now, over Sunday breakfast, she said it like she was asking for more toast. “Um…I know some of them, but I don’t recall one named Talia.”
Kate hesitated for a moment. “She likes to leave marks.”
“Oh, Christ,” Devon said, rocking back in her chair. “That one.”
“Then you do know her?”
“Not exactly. I didn’t even know her name until now.”
Kate lifted her chin just a bit. “Care to explain?”
“No,” Devon said, crossing her arms as she stared back at her sister. “Actually, I don’t think I do.”
“Devon!”
“What? Why do you care?” Devon said, leaning forward in her seat.
“I just want to know. That’s all.”
“That’s not a reason.”
Kate sucked in a breath, holding it for a second before letting it go. “Look, I’m not sure if you know this or not, but a couple of weeks ago, Brodie stayed here—”
“I know. It was the night she got bashed on the head. She told me you wouldn’t call me.”
“It was late.”
“Whatever.”
“Anyway,” Kate said, pausing to gather her thoughts. “I forgot to give her some towels. I wasn’t thinking, and I just walked back into the bathroom and…and she’d taken off her blouse, and there were bruises all over her back.”
Devon chuckled. “Trust me. They weren’t just on her back.”
Kate blanched at the innuendo. “Brodie’s into that…that pain thing?”
“No, of course not, but from what I hear, this Talia chick likes it rough, and she’s up for it, if you know what I mean. So, what’s a little pain when you get all that pleasure—right?”
It was intentional. Devon adored her sister, but Kate had hurt Brodie, and Devon wanted to give a bit of that back, except Kate’s reaction wasn’t what Devon had expected. Kate wasn’t angry. She was jealous. Green from head to toe, it seeped from every pore like sweat.
Kate got to her feet and began grabbing the dishes from the table. “It’s time to clean up this shite. I’m assuming you’re done.”
“Um…yeah,” Devon said, hiding her smile behind her coffee cup. “It was great, as always.”
“Good.”
Devon watched as Kate busied herself at the sink. “Oh, by the way…I’m going to come out to Mum.”
“You’re what?” Kate said, spinning around.
“I said, I’m going to—”
“I heard what you said, but why in the hell would you want to do that? She never visits us. We visit her.”
“And what’s that got to do with it?” Devon said, getting to her feet. “Gina and I are planning to move in together, so I can’t very well lie about a change in address, not that I’d want to.”
“This is all because of fucking Brodie,” Kate said under her breath, turning back to the sink.
Devon went over and grabbing Kate by the arm, she spun her around. “What are you talking about? This has nothing to do with Brodie.”
“Until she came into your life, you were just fine with things the way they were.”
“In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve known Brodie for a lot longer than a few months. So do you care to grasp for another straw because that one isn’t holding water, Kate. As a matter of fact, I think it’s leaking jealousy all over the floor.”
“I am not jealous,” Kate said, snatching her arm away. “Brodie Shaw is a bad influence, and if you were smart, you’d wise up, stop working with her, and move on.”
“Well, that’s a little hard to do since I’m now her business partner.”
“You’re her what?”
“She and Ethan have plans for the company. They want to branch out, and since smart homes are all the rage, they offered me a buy-in, and I took it.”
“Oh, Jesus Christ, that’s just great,” Kate said, stomping back to the table to grab her coffee cup. “That’s just fucking great.”
“What in the hell is wrong with you? I thought you’d be happy for me.”
Kate whipped around. “Just like Mum is going to be happy when you tell her you shag women?”
Devon rocked back in her stance, her hands becoming fists as she glared at Kate. “I shag Gina because I love Gina, and I don’t know where all this crap is coming from, but just because you’re angry at Brodie, don’t take it out on me.”
“This has nothing to do with Brodie!”
“It has everything thing to do with Brodie,” Devon screamed, waving her arms about. “She got under your skin and screwed up your bloody plans, didn’t she? She made you see that not everything is black and white and lives can’t be planned down to the nth degree, and you don’t like it, do you? No, you don’t like it at all because you like being in control. You like calling the shots. Well, I hate to break it to you, Kate, but you don’t call Brodie’s shots, and you sure as hell don’t call mine. Tomorrow, I’m going up to see Mum, and I’m going to tell her I’m a lesbian and if she doesn’t like it—”
“Devon, we both know her bloody beliefs! Have you forgotten how she tried to cram them down our throats day after day after day?”
It was something they rarely talked about, a conscious avoidance of memories that brought with them pain and condemnation. Devon hadn’t forgotten anything because, at times, she could see their mother in Kate, and that thought brought sadness to Devon’s face. “I remember everything, Kate,” she said quietly. “Every goddamned thing.”
“Then you know she’s not going to like this,” Kate said, taking a step in Devon’s direction. “And I’m telling you right now, don’t come crying back to me when it blows up in your face…because it will blow up in your face.”
“So what do you want me to do? Lie to her? Is that your solution for all of this?”
“Why not? It wouldn’t be the first secret we’ve kept from her.”
Devon’s shoulders sagged. “Maybe not, but what about me, Kate? What about Gina? What about my living my life? Doesn’t any of that matter?”
“What matters is the world isn’t as open-minded as you think. There are lots of people who don’t like gays, and it’s foolish for you to put yourself out there for everyone to see, especially our mother,” Kate said, slamming her hands on her hips. “Jesus Christ, Devon, you know Gina’s visits home with me during school stopped the moment Mum found out she was gay, and you’ve been there when she’s shut me down whenever I try to even mention Gina. You’re just being stupid if you think she won’t do the same goddamned thing to you.”
“The only one being stupid around here is you,” Devon said, raising her voice. “You are in complete and utter denial over your feelings for Brodie, and you’re so enraged that she went out and got laid—”
“I don’t give a fuck about Brodie Shaw!”
Devon
threw back her head and laughed. “Keep telling yourself that, Kate, because from where I’m standing, there’s only going to be one liar in this family now…and it sure as hell isn’t me.”
***
Brodie walked into G-Street, slowing only for a moment before heading to the bar. It wasn’t her usual club night, but then again, she wasn’t looking for a shag. She was looking for a friend.
As Brodie neared the bar, Gina looked up. “Hey there, stranger,” she said, placing a drink on a server’s tray. “Devon told me what happened at The Loft a few weeks back. How’s the head?”
“Oh, it’s fine,” Brodie said, running her hand over her hair. “Stitches came out over a week ago.”
Before Gina had a chance to speak, another server came over and handed her an order for drinks. Gina held up one finger, silently requesting Brodie to wait for a second, and after filling a few shot glasses with tequila, Gina sent them on their way and turned back to Brodie. “Sorry about that.”
“Not a problem,” Brodie said, reaching for her wallet. “You have some Cabernet back there?”
“Yeah, hold on.”
A minute later, Gina placed the wine in front of Brodie. “So, what brings you here on a Thursday night? I thought Devon said your clubbing night was Friday.”
“It is,” Brodie said, glancing around the club. “But I’m not here for fun. I’m looking for your significant other. She took some time off early this week, but I thought she’d be back by now, and every time I call, it goes right to voice mail. She’s not at her place either, and since I don’t know where you live, here I am.”
“Oh…um…give me one minute.”
Gina went over and said something to the other bartender, and after waving to Brodie to follow her, before too long, they were standing in Gina’s office. “It’s quieter back here,” she said, closing the door.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Brodie said, eyeing Gina. “Is Devon all right?”
Gina groaned out a breath. “Yes and no.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“She went up to see her mum on Monday and outed herself.”
The sadness in Gina’s tone was all too clear, and Brodie’s face fell. “And I’m going to assume it didn’t go well.”
“That’s putting it mildly. Typical out-of-control parent who can’t see their way past the bedroom door. I’m sure you know the type.”
“Unfortunately, I do,” Brodie said, frowning.
“From what Devon told me, her mother went ballistic, ranting, raving, and screeching every chapter and verse she could remember from both the Old and the New Testaments just like my mother did when I came out. Luckily, Devon managed to escape with only a bruised cheek.”
Brodie snapped back her head. “Wait. Are you telling me her mother hit her?”
“Yeah, she managed to get in one good slap before Devon got the hell out of there.”
“Now I know where Kate gets it from.”
“What?”
“Oh…um…nothing,” Brodie muttered. “So, where’s Devon now? Your place?”
“Yeah, and I’m sorry she didn’t call you. She’s had a lot on her mind. Apparently, she’s been disowned, and after what Kate did to her, Devon needed some time to get it all sorted.”
“What do you mean? What did Kate do?”
Gina pondered the question for a moment. “Look, I’m not really sure it’s my place to say. I know how you feel about Ka—”
“Kate and I are done, and Cassidy is…Devon is my best friend. I love her to death, so please just tell me what happened. Please?”
The corners of Gina’s mouth drooped. Letting out a long breath, she went over and plopped down in one of the chairs facing the desk. Patting the arm of the other, Gina waited until Brodie sat before she turned to her to speak. “Last Sunday, Kate invited us over for breakfast. I had worked until two the night before, so Devon let me sleep in, and she went on her own. While she was there, Devon told Kate she was going to see their mum and tell her she was gay, and Kate…Kate went off the deep end.” Gina stopped and shook her head. “I still can’t believe she reacted like she did. I mean, she basically told Devon to keep her relationship with me to herself, and when Devon tried to explain why she didn’t want to do that, Kate blamed it all on you.”
“On me? What the fuck did I do? I didn’t even know Devon was planning to do this.”
“Yeah, well, according to Devon, the whole thing started when Kate found out about someone named…um…Terry? Tracy? Tam—”
“Talia?”
“Yes, that’s the one,” Gina said, leaning back in her chair. “Talia.”
“And what the fuck does Talia have to do with Devon outing herself?”
“Nothing, except once Kate found out that this Talia was one of your…um…acquaintances, her whole mood changed. She became argumentative and angry, and everything went downhill from there. It ended up with Kate making it crystal clear that if Devon did what she was planning to do, she was going to be on her own.”
Brodie took a sip of her wine, processing everything Gina had told her. “Why do I think there’s more to this than what you’re telling me?”
“Because there is,” Gina said, letting out a long breath. “When Devon got back into town, she went over to Kate’s to tell her what happened. She figured by that time, Kate would have calmed down and come to her senses, offered a shoulder to cry on or at the very least a little empathy. Instead, Kate said, ‘I told you so’ and made it clear to Devon she wasn’t planning to do anything to change their mother’s mind.”
“That makes no sense. That night you and I went out to dinner, you told me that Kate’s always had your back.”
“She has. From the day my mother cut me off, Kate’s been there for me. She’s never had a problem with my sexuality, and more than once, she’s come to my defense when some wanker made an off-color remark in a pub, which makes me believe Devon’s right.”
“About what?”
“She thinks Kate is so wound up over you, she’s taking out her frustrations on the rest of us.”
“Can’t she see she’s driving a wedge between herself and Devon in the process?”
“Right now, I think the only thing she sees is red,” Gina said, shaking her head. “I haven’t talked to her all week, and honestly, I wouldn’t know what to say if I did.”
“Well, luckily, I do,” Brodie said, and after downing what remained in her glass, she stormed out of the room.
***
Kate jerked out of a sound sleep, and for a second, she didn’t know why. She blinked, and as her vision cleared, she looked around the lounge. She saw nothing out of the ordinary, and then she heard pounding. Someone was knocking on her door or rather trying to knock it down, and picking up her phone, Kate looked at the time. It was late, and in a flash, Kate was bolting off the sofa. There had to be something wrong for anyone to demand such urgent attention, and since her neighbors knew she was a copper, Kate raced to the entry and yanked open the door. A second later, Kate was trying to keep her eyes firmly in their sockets. “Brodie?”
“That’s right, Kate,” Brodie said, holding her head high. “It’s Brodie. Remember me?”
Kate had to quickly sidestep as Brodie marched past her into the house. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Kate shouted. “Get out of my house.”
“Not until I say what I’ve come here to say.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you have to say,” Kate said, crossing her arms. “Now get out of my—”
“Why didn’t you have Devon’s back?”
“What?”
“Why didn’t you go with her when she went to see your mum?”
Kate’s eyes turned into slits. “That’s none of your business,” she said, walking toward the kitchen. “Now, if you don’t mind, it’s late, I’m tired, and you’re trespassing. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
“Like your mother hit Devon?”
Kate cam
e to a stop. Over the years, she’d always been the one on the receiving end of her mother’s slaps, and it pained her to know Devon had joined the club. Kate’s eyes began to mist and blinking away the blur, she paused long enough for her annoyance to replace her empathy. “Nothing I can do about that,” Kate said over her shoulder. “Devon made her bed. She can lie in it.”
Brodie’s nostrils flared, and taking two long steps, she grabbed Kate by the arm and spun her around. “Oh, no, you don’t,” she said, looking down her nose at Kate. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why you didn’t go with your sister and support her. Why couldn’t you have lifted one goddamned finger and—”
“Because I have a job, and I can’t just up and leave it whenever I’d like, especially when it concerns my sister acting like a bloody idiot!” Kate said, yanking her arm away. “Devon and I grew up in the same house. She knew exactly how our mother would react, and she was stupid to think it would end up any differently.”
Brodie rocked back. “But she’s your sister. She needed you. Do you have any idea how much courage it took for Devon to do what she did? That was her Everest, Kate, and you let her climb it all alone. Yeah, she probably knew how it would end up, but if you’d been there, supporting her decision and defending her right to live her own bloody life, maybe your mother wouldn’t have been so quick to disown her or…or hit her.”
“You seriously have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kate said, meeting Brodie’s unrelenting stare with one of her own. “Whether I was there or not wouldn’t have stopped my mum from doing what she did, and it sure as hell wouldn’t have changed the fact that Devon’s a…a…”
“Because she’s a what, Kate?” Brodie said, and intruding on Kate’s personal space, Brodie pushed her up against the wall. “Because she’s a lesbian? A dyke? A fucking carpet muncher? Do you hate it…or are you just jealous because she can admit it, and you can’t?”
This time, Brodie didn’t see it coming, and the slap echoed through the house. Brodie’s cheek instantly reddened in the shape of Kate’s handprint, but refusing to acknowledge the sting, Brodie smirked. “Hit a nerve, did I?”