Brice laughed. “That wasn’t a favor for you, Mike. Or you, Kyle.”
Brice looked at me again and pushed away from the doorway. “Let me get my coat and get out of here.”
“Don’t do that,” I said. “Stay.”
“What?” Brice asked.
“Listen to her, man,” Kyle said.
“Have a beer with me,” Dad said.
“Are you sure, Kins?” Brice asked.
No.
“Yes,” I said. “Have some pizza. Why not?”
“Here, let me get those,” Dad said and made a move for the pizza boxes.
“I got it,” I said and cut him off.
I stood there and watched as Dad walked to Brice and grabbed his shoulder, trying to shake him. But Brice was too big and thick with muscle to be moved. It was a very interesting sight because there was a time when Dad would grab Brice by the shirt and show him to the front door. Now he was showing him to the dining room table.
Kyle moved with his one crutch and paused to look back. “Sorry, Kinsley. I tried to warn you.”
“Yeah,” I said.
“Bring that pizza in here. I’m starving.”
“On my way,” I whispered.
I carried the pizza into the dining room and put the boxes down.
Kyle reached for the top box and I swatted his hand.
“Let me get plates, you animal,” I said.
Brice laughed. “She told you.”
Kyle’s cheeks turned deep red.
I embarrassed him in front of Brice.
I went into the kitchen to get paper plates. I put them on the counter and stood at the sink to catch my breath. I had taken my stand with Brice, right? I told him how I felt and how things were going to be. That didn’t mean I couldn’t see him. That didn’t mean I had to forget about him. That didn’t mean…
“You okay in here?”
I jumped and spun around.
Brice stood a few feet from me.
“I’m fine,” I said. “I came to get plates.”
“Right,” he said. “Hey, I’ll take off, okay? I don’t want to crash your pizza party with your family. I’ll sneak out.”
“No. They want you to stay. I’m the one who showed up unannounced.”
“I was going to give you a call later,” he said. “Kyle’s appointment was later today and then your father started having a couple of beers. We were just talking.”
“Talking,” I said. “You and my father… talking…”
“I know,” Brice said. “It’s a whole new universe. A life where I’m closer to your father than you, huh?”
My cheeks flushed. “You don’t have to leave, Brice.”
“Okay. Just wanted to make sure everything is okay. You seem jumpy.”
“I literally came in here to get paper plates,” I said. I turned and opened the cabinet. There were no plates.
“Are you looking for the plates on the counter?” Brice asked.
I groaned, forgetting I already took the plates out.
“Got them,” I said.
Brice shook his head as he walked back to the dining room.
I curled my lip. I felt like flinging the plates at him.
He was here because of me. Because I panicked when I saw how depressed Kyle had been after his accident and knew Brice could cheer him up. Because if Brice told him to get off his ass, he would listen. Which he did.
By the time I got into the dining room, both Kyle and Dad each had half a slice of pizza downed.
“Why did I get plates then?” I snapped.
I smacked the paper plates off Kyle’s shoulder.
“Ouch,” he said in a fake voice. “I’m going to need more therapy.”
“Funny,” I said. I threw the plates to the table. “Whatever. Here are your damn plates.”
Brice leaned forward and carefully peeled a plate away and then tore a slice of pizza out of the box and put it onto the plate. He did so with one eyebrow raised, either trying to make me feel better or to be a complete ass.
“So today, I had Maria again,” Kyle said.
“She the pretty one?” Dad asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Kyle said. “It’s almost uncomfortable when she’s touching my leg.”
“That’s because you wouldn’t know what to do with a pretty girl,” Brice said.
Dad laughed and slapped the table.
“Oh, come on, man,” Kyle said, his face throbbing red.
“Maria is pretty, huh?” I asked, feeling the jealousy in my voice.
“Freaking hot,” Kyle said.
“Maybe I should fake a fall and say my hip hurts,” Dad said.
“Dad!” I yelled.
Brice started to laugh again.
I was embarrassed and didn’t know why.
“And what about you?” I asked, looking at Brice. “Is Maria pretty?”
“Hot,” Kyle said.
“Excuse me,” I said. “Is she hot?”
Brice grinned and folded his slice of pizza in half. He took a massive bite and stared as he chewed like a slob.
“He’s not answering,” Dad said. “So, there’s your answer.”
“Next time I’ll take a picture of her,” Kyle said.
I smacked Kyle in the back of the head. “You pig. You take a picture of a woman when she’s not looking, and I’ll break your phone and your other leg.”
“She’s got a point,” Brice said. “If I see you do that, I’ll crush your balls with my foot.”
“Jesus, I was just kidding,” Kyle said, showing his hands. “Fucking hell, it’s like when you two were together, ganging up on me.”
My face burned as I caught sight of Brice.
I didn’t say a word. I got myself a plate and stole the bottom pizza box.
“Where are you going?” Dad asked.
“Away from you perverts,” I said. “Enjoy your dinner.”
“Ah, come on, Kinsley,” Dad yelled.
“I was just messing around,” Kyle said.
I barely made it out of the dining room before I heard Dad say, “So tell me more about Maria…”
Men.
I carried my pizza through the kitchen and went to the back porch.
It was almost like the porch me and Brice used to have. That’s why I loved the house we had rented so much. It was chilly but not as cold as being outside. The backyard had a small slope to it. The yard was mostly useless except when it snowed, the slope was an okay hill for sledding.
In the quietness of the porch, the only light being the soft light from the kitchen, I stood there and helped myself to two slices of pizza. Comforting now, but I would probably regret it later. I checked my phone and still hadn’t heard from Ben. He hadn’t sent me a text since morning. Which wasn’t like him. Which meant his meeting had been really long this time. Which meant…
“Knock, knock.”
I sucked in a breath at the sound of his voice.
“Mind if I join you?” Brice asked.
“Sure.”
“How much do I owe for the pizza?” Brice asked as he tore a slice out of the box I took with me to the back porch.
“A hundred bucks,” I said.
“I’ll get you later for it then. I don’t carry that kind of cash on me.”
“Rough part of town here, huh?” I asked.
“Well, with those neighbors across the street…”
“Yeah, right. I figured someone must have died.”
“Just retirement I guess.”
“Which explains why I didn’t see your truck.”
“I had to park a mile away.”
“Literally?”
“Literally,” Brice said, smiling.
How many hours of my life did I spend on this back porch with you, Brice, wasting them away by flirting with you? Waiting for you to make a move on me?
My eyes moved away from him and I saw the old, ugly, flowered couch. The couch where a long time ago in my life I took a chance and made a move on him.
Just after midnight one night while we were talking - flirting - and I just went for it. My awkward feelings and awkward body climbing over his already man-like body. The way my heart raced so hard and fast I forgot what I was doing. Brice had to gently stroke my cheek and tell me it was okay and that I needed to breathe.
“Hey, I’m really sorry about tonight,” he said.
“What?” I asked, coming back to reality.
“About tonight. Being here. I’m sure I’m the last person you want to see.”
“Nah, you’re not high up on the list.”
“That’s a relief,” he said.
“You still fold your pizza in half,” I said.
Brice held up his half-eaten slice. “Of course I do. You eat it faster and get to eat more. Plus, guys look stupid if they stand there and nibble like a squirrel or something.”
My mind flashed with an image of Ben. Using a knife and fork to eat pizza because he was wearing a nice shirt and tie.
Brice ate the rest of the slice and his lips glistened with grease.
As if his lips weren’t tempting enough.
In the past though. It’s only about the past.
“I eat like stupid squirrel then,” I said.
“Nah, nothing you do is stupid.”
“Really?”
“Well, most things,” Brice said. He reached into his pocket and took out a twenty. “Here’s my down payment on the pizza.” He flicked the bill to the box.
“Stop,” I said and reached for his wrist, but he was on the move.
I grabbed the twenty and chased him down.
I got a hold of his shirt just as he tried to step back into the kitchen.
“You ass,” I said. “Take this back.”
“I ruined your family night,” he said.
“I’m not taking money. If anything, I owe you for what you’ve been doing for Kyle.”
“I don’t take payment in cash,” he said with a tone that was not his normal smart- ass innuendo one.
I swallowed hard as Brice plucked the money out of my hand.
We stared at each other for much longer than was needed.
This was the part where I needed to break up the silence. It wasn’t awkward at all. It was a comfortable silence. The kind that would lead to…
“How are you?” he asked.
“Good.”
“Cut the shit, Kins. I’m asking a serious question.”
“I’m good.”
“Good? That’s it.”
“What do you want to hear?”
“Anything.”
“You want me to say something…”
“I want you to be you for once.”
“For once?”
“The woman I had back at my place,” he said, inching closer to me. So close, I could smell him. “That was the Kinsley I knew. The Kinsley I loved. The Kinsley I still love.”
“That’s the past, Brice,” I whispered. I put my hand to his chest to make sure he knew stealing a kiss wasn’t going to happen.
“No, it’s not.”
“Yes. It is. When I see you, I see everything we went through. Everything we did together. The crazy love we shared. And we’re forever connected. Okay? I will never deny that. I will never take that from you. Or myself. And I did that, Brice. I took it from myself.”
“Or did someone else take it from you?” he asked.
“No. I didn’t allow it to be seen or known. That’s the truth.”
“And you’re okay with that now?”
“I’m here right now,” I said. “I’m figuring everything out.”
“Over pizza, alone?”
“If that’s what it takes.”
“Being alone? That’s what you want?”
“Brice… stop.”
I watched the way his eyes flared. A mix of hurt and pissed.
Kyle then appeared next to Brice, leaning on a crutch. “Sorry to interrupt. There might be a small problem.”
“What’s that?”
“Ben is here.”
“What?” I asked.
“Ben is here. And I think-”
“I’ll show myself out,” Brice said. “Through the door I came in.”
Brice moved faster than I could.
My body went into panic.
The way this looked…
“What the hell do I do now?” I asked Kyle.
“Kinsley, wait a second. Ben looks drunk.”
“Drunk?” I asked.
“Yeah. He’s not right.”
I hurried through the kitchen and toward the foyer to find Ben standing at the front door, a hand on the handle, with Brice a foot away from him.
“I’m just trying to leave,” Brice said.
“With what?” Ben asked.
“Ben, what are you doing?” I asked.
“I came to see you. And tell you how fucked it all is.”
“Okay, that’s enough for now,” Dad said as he entered the frame.
Shock rippled through me. I never thought I’d see this.
“Brice, why don’t you step out back and-”
“I’m going out the front door,” he said.
Please, Brice, no… you didn’t let me finish what I was saying…
“Then go,” Ben said.
“You’re in the way.”
“Oh, right,” Ben said. He side-stepped. “You have a good night now, Brice. Enjoy the rest of your night. Where you can go be alone. Or go be a drunk somewhere else.”
“Only one of us is drunk, Ben,” Brice said.
Brice opened the door and Ben shoved him.
I gasped.
Brice barely moved and luckily he didn’t swing at Ben.
“Huh? Is that how this goes?” Ben asked. “You like to fight?” Ben looked at me. “Isn’t this what you want, Kinsley?”
“Ben, you need to come in here and sit down,” Dad said. “Let Brice leave. He was here helping Kyle.”
“He took me to my therapy session,” Kyle said. “Kinsley didn’t even know he was here.”
“Shut up,” I yelled. “Everyone shut up.”
I didn’t need my father and my brother trying to fight my battles.
“Yeah, I’m leaving,” Brice said.
He looked back at me and didn’t say a word.
Brice left the house, but the situation wasn’t done yet. Before I could even attempt to take a breath, Ben ripped open the door and went out after him.
“Stay here,” I ordered my father and brother as I went after Ben.
“You’re a fucking asshole,” Ben yelled, standing on the top step while Brice was halfway down the sidewalk.
“Ben, that’s enough,” I said and grabbed his arm.
“I didn’t do anything,” Brice said. “I was helping her brother.”
“Of course you were. Wiggling your way back into her pants.”
“Cut it out,” I yelled.
“I’m not talking to you like this,” Brice said. “You’re drunk. And your car is double parked. So, you drove like this.”
“Fuck you,” Ben said. “Are you the drunk police?”
“You drove drunk?” I asked Ben.
“Fuck off, Kinsley,” Ben growled.
“Oh, hell no, man,” Brice said.
He charged for the steps.
I hurried down to the second step to get between them.
“Come on, asshole,” Ben yelled.
“Not now,” I said to Brice.
“You don’t talk to her like that,” Brice said. “Ever. I’ll break your fucking jaw.”
“Like you did that other guy?” Ben asked. “I bailed Linda out of that mess you created.”
Brice looked ready to pounce.
I grabbed his shirt.
Ben pulled me back. “Don’t fucking touch him.”
Brice threw his other hand and had Ben by the arm. “I’ll fucking…”
“Please, Brice,” I said. “Please…”
My eyes filled with tears.
“Y
ou deserve better than this,” Brice said, letting Ben go. “From both of us.”
“She’s my fiancée,” Ben said.
I looked at Ben. “Ben…”
“You took the ring,” he yelled. “Then you fucked another man. So, what is it? Huh? Tell me what it is. Or I’ll just keep screaming.”
“I’m wearing the fucking ring,” I said. “Right?”
“So, tell me what it means.”
My body felt ready to explode. “It means we’re engaged,” I blurted out, wanting to get Ben to shut up.
His eyes were drunk, glossy. He looked ready to cry.
“Just sit down and shut up,” I said to Ben.
I turned and wanted to say something to Brice.
He was already on the move again.
I caught up to him at the end of the sidewalk.
“Please, Brice…”
“I’m done with please,” he growled. “That’s what you want back there? Have at it. You don’t deserve to be talked to like that.”
“He’s drunk.”
“I don’t care,” Brice said. He swallowed hard. “And you deserve better from me. To just steal you like I did. Give you my bed and heart when you were with someone else. I’m no better than him. And I fucking hurt you too.”
“Brice, it’s not that simple,” I said.
“Yes, it is,” he said. “Now go back to your fiancé before he hurts himself.”
I watched as Brice walked into the street and vanished into the night.
I turned and looked to the porch.
Ben was resting his head against the railing, limp and drunk.
I assumed that meant his meeting didn’t go as planned.
Nothing ever seemed to go as planned.
19
Something to Rest On
Ben
I sat on the top step of the porch and stared across the street. The house was full of people, their silhouettes moving behind the curtains. Lights were on in every room and the street was crowded with cars.
It was some kind of gathering of friends or family.
Probably something normal, right?
My head swirled from the couple of extra sips of vodka I took from the bottle that was under the driver’s seat. The dumbest thing I could have done tonight. But by the time I started to feel a little wasted, I wanted to get home to Kinsley. I had planned on drinking myself stupid over another fucked up deal that went south, then come home tomorrow and find a way to tell her. Not to mention the date.
Nobody Else Page 19