The kindness in his eyes, the softness of his touch, made her wish she could see the gentle side of him all the time. “Thank you.”
Chapter Eight—Ambush
Kelly was jogging down the steps, headed to Gage’s for pizza and a movie, when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it!” she called, heading for the door.
“No, let me,” her mother said from the kitchen.
“I’m already here...” Her words trailed off as she pulled open the door to see Mr.
and Mrs. Walker on her front porch, with Alex lingering behind them.
Kelly stared, dumbfounded, while Mrs. Walker smiled at her. “Kelly, it’s so good to see you again.”
Jodi came up behind Kelly. “Don’t be rude, Kelly. Let them in. They’re staying for supper. I know I told you.” She pulled Kelly out of the way so Alex and his parents could come inside. Jodi led them to the living room, where Jordan sat watching a football game.
Kelly took the opportunity to pull her mother into the kitchen. “This is the worst kind of ambush,” Kelly said, trying her best to stay calm. “I can’t believe you—”
“This isn’t an ambush,” Jodi said, sounding almost insulted as she returned to the oven. “I told you about this dinner days ago.”
“You did not! ” Kelly said, knowing full well her mother had never mentioned a word about it. “And anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’ve got plans—”
“I don’t mean to interrupt,” Alex’s voice cut Kelly off. Kelly and Jodi turned to look at him, and Kelly didn’t know how she’d last an entire dinner in the same room as him. Already, just five minutes after stepping into her house, Alex managed to fill it with tension. “Jordan told me I could get a soda.”
“Of course,” Jodi said. “Kelly, get your friend a drink.”
Kelly stared at her mother, gaping, wanting to grab her by the shoulders and scream “Don’t you care what he did to me?!” at the top of her lungs.
“I can get it,” Alex said quickly, and Kelly was relieved that at least he saw this situation for what it was: a giant, awkward mess.
“What do you mean you have plans?” Jodi asked, turning her attention back to her daughter.
Kelly saw Alex pause as he reached into the refrigerator. Recovering quickly, he pulled out a soda and offered them both a sheepish-looking smile before he left the kitchen.
“I’m getting a pizza with Gage—”
“Gage? Do I know him?” Jodi paused, as if searching her brain. “Who are his parents?”
“You don’t know him. He went to Westview. Besides, he doesn’t even live with his parents, and—”
“He doesn’t live with his parents?” Her mother gasped, shooting Kelly a look of shock. “Is he still in school?”
She shook her head, and as she did, she caught a glimpse of a shadow just outside the kitchen door. Recognizing Alex’s shape immediately, she scoffed at how far he’d fallen to eavesdrop on a private conversation.
“So this Gage is a dropout who lives on his own?” Jodi asked to clarify as she glanced at Kelly over her shoulder. “You sure are slumming it these days, young lady.”
“Mom!” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe how much of a snob you sound like right now!”
“Don’t take that tone with me, Kelly.” Turning to face her daughter, she wiped her hands on a towel. “I just don’t think I like the idea of you seeing a boy who lives on his own. You’re too young for that.”
Kelly knew her mother wouldn’t be saying that if she knew what Kelly’d done, and for a second, she entertained the thought of telling her. Of course, Jodi didn’t give her the chance, because she never truly paid attention to her daughter. Heading toward the refrigerator, she pulled out a few more cans of soda. “Now, I want you to call that boy and cancel, and then I want you to make Alex and his family feel welcome here. Do you understand?” Sucking in a deep breath to keep her cool, Kelly stalked out of the kitchen. She muttered, “I hope you’re happy,” to Alex as she passed him on her way to her bedroom. After calling Gage and ranting to him about the ambush, they rescheduled their pizza and movie for the next day. Then, bracing herself, she prepared for the worst, most awkward night of her life.
≈≈≈
Kay followed her mother as they turned down the baking section of the grocery store. Walking with her hands stuffed in her back pockets, she scanned the shelves for the brown sugar they needed, while her mother continued down the aisle to get a few pounds of flour. Kay finally found a bag of brown sugar and grabbed it and turned to go find her mother. She ran straight into a cart, the wheel of it running over her toe.
“Ouch!” Kay exclaimed, hopping on one foot.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry. Kay?”
Looking up from her wounded toe, Kay saw that it was Daphne who was pushing the cart, and terror filled her entire body. She scanned the aisle for her mother, realizing with dread that she was headed straight for them. “Daphne? Uh, hi...”
“Honey, did you find the sugar?”
Kay nodded, handing the bag to her mom.
“You must be Kay’s mother.” Daphne, completely oblivious to the damage she was about to cause, turned to Kay’s mom and extended her hand. “I’m Daphne, Kay’s counselor at the support group. I’ve really enjoyed working with your daughter.”
“Support group?” Melanie said, her eyes bulging as she looked at Kay. “What support group?”
Daphne looked at Kay and squinted with curiosity.
“You were out of town when I found out about it,” Kay said quickly, trying to think of a lie to get her out of the mess Daphne had inadvertently just made of her life.
“So, uh, I had Dad sign the release form. He probably just forgot to tell you.” She glanced nervously at Daphne; she could see her still watching with a concerned expression.
Melanie turned to Daphne, holding out her hand. “I’m sorry. I had no idea. I’m Melanie. Daphne, was it?”
“Yes.” She nodded, shaking Melanie’s hand. “Kay’s just been a delight to have in the group.”
“That’s nice,” Melanie said, eyeing Daphne up and down. “Forgive me, but aren’t you a little young to be a counselor?”
Daphne blushed, and Kay figured it was because she heard that question all the time. “I’m twenty-four,” she said with a friendly and patient smile, “but I’m legitimate, I promise. I hold a psychology degree and everything.”
“Well, it was nice to meet you, Daphne.” Melanie gave her a thin-lipped smile that looked strained and embarrassed. “But, I’m sorry, we’re kind of on a tight schedule, and—”
“Of course,” Daphne said, grabbing on to the handle of her shopping cart. “It was nice meeting you. Kay, I’ll see you this Wednesday?”
Kay nodded, but inside she was thinking, I hope so. As Kay followed her mother down the aisle, she glanced back at Daphne to find her watching them. Giving Kay a small wave, Daphne mouthed, “I’m sorry.” ≈≈≈
Kelly sat at the dinner table across from Alex (which she swore her mother did on purpose) and tried to drown out the sounds of Jordan and Mr. Walker talking about football. At the other end of the table, Jodi and Mrs. Walker discussed the chicken pot pie Jodi had baked.
Kelly tried to eat, but every bite on her fork looked disgusting and tried to stick in her throat when she swallowed. Finally unable to take one more second of the silent tension between her and Alex, Kelly stood from the table. “Please excuse me,” she said, ignoring the glare from her mother. “I’m not feeling very well. I think I’m going to turn in for the night. It was nice to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Walker.” Kelly ducked out of the dining room and into the foyer before her mother could stop her. She darted onto the stairs when she saw that Alex had followed her.
“Kelly...wait a second!” he said, rounding the corner and starting up the steps.
“No,” she said, taking the steps by twos to get away from him.
He quickened his pace, using his long legs to take the steps three at a time to catch up
with her.
When they topped the steps, she glared at him over her shoulder. “What are you going to do, follow me to my room?”
“If you make me,” Alex said.
She pushed open the door to her bedroom, and sure enough, he followed her inside and shut it behind them. Turning, she scowled at him. “This is my bedroom,” she exclaimed, furious. “You have no right to be in here.”
“I’ve been in here dozens of times, Kel,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I’ve even spent the night in here before, if you recall.”
“That doesn’t make it your house,” she snapped, “and those days are over. God, Alex, when are you going to get that? I don’t understand any of this. You dumped me! I was crazy about you, and you broke my heart. So why are you now following me around like a lost puppy?”
His blue eyes were staring at her, filled with affection and confusion and regret in that same look that made butterflies of attraction flutter in her stomach and her knees go weak and wobbly. As he took in a shaky breath to draw bravery, she realized what he was going to do.
Shaking her head, she backed away. “No! No, you don’t—”
Too late. He lunged forward, cupping her face in his hands as he pressed his lips against hers in a kiss that made her remember all of the fun times they’d had: the after-game parties they went to, the night they watched fireworks together, the time he’d sprained his ankle during practice. The emotions from the memories filled her body with warmth and the true sense of being loved. Then she remembered the look on his face when she told him she was pregnant, how sternly he’d insisted on an abortion, and the cold look in his eyes the day he dumped her. The pain slapped her in the face, punched her in the gut, and ruined any chance of her being happy.
Pressing her hands against his shoulders, she broke her lips away from his and stared up at him, trying to find words to express everything he’d made her feel. When she came up speechless, she smacked him across the cheek.
His skin reddening, he turned his face to look at her and for a second. She could’ve sworn she saw tears brimming in his blue eyes. “I’ve been horrible to you,” he said, his voice shaky as he turned to open the door. Keeping his back to her, he whispered, “And I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I just want you to know that.”
≈≈≈
“I’ve never been so humiliated in my entire life,” Melanie hissed as she drove Kay home from the grocery store. “Why do you think you need group therapy?”
“Mom...” Kay groaned, shrinking back in her seat as she stared out the window.
“Don’t ‘Mom’ me,” she snapped. “If you feel like you need to go talking to strangers about your problems, then you can tell me. I’m your mother.”
“I don’t tell them my problems,” she whispered. “I haven’t told anybody anything.”
“Then why go?”
“Because...” she sighed and slunk back against her seat. How could she explain her problems to her mother without suffering at the hands of her father? “It just helps to be around the other members. Just knowing they’re there to listen helps, I guess. I can’t explain it.”
“What reason did you give them?”
“I told them you and Dad are getting a divorce.”
“For God’s sake, Kaytlin!” Melanie scolded. “How could you lie about something like that? Do you want your father and me to divorce?”
Yes, she thought grimly. “Of course not, but I had to tell them something.”
“Well, you’re not going back, that’s for sure.”
“Mom, please—”
“Is there something going on with you, Kay? Something you don’t want to tell me?”
Kay stared out the window, wishing she could come clean to her mother but knowing she couldn’t. “No,” she whispered. “Everything’s fine,” she said, the biggest lie she’d ever told.
≈≈≈
Kay didn’t want to pull a no-show at the next group meeting, so she dialed Daphne’s cell number and made arrangements to meet her for coffee. Of course, Daphne was happy to oblige and met Kay at the coffee shop within fifteen minutes of the phone call. Now, as Kay sat in front of Daphne, she couldn’t think of anything to say. Rolling her warm coffee cup between her palms, she glanced up at the compassionate young counselor who was just waiting for Kay to open up.
“Your parents aren’t getting divorced, are they?” Daphne asked, finally breaking the ice.
“No,” Kay said, shaking her head. “I’m sorry I lied. How’d you figure it out?”
“I saw your mom’s wedding band,” she said as she shrugged, “and it wasn’t your dad’s signature on the release. Did you forge your mom’s?”
Kay nodded, feeling her stomach swirl with nausea. “Are you mad?”
“No, of course not.” Daphne leaned toward Kay, trying to convince her. “I just wish you’d told me so I could’ve helped. We would’ve worked something out.” Sitting back in her seat, Daphne sighed. “Kay, why did you really come to the support group?
You clearly think you need help, and I applaud you for that. Most of the kids in the group are forced to be there, but you came on your own free will, and I think that’s very admirable. But I can’t help but wonder what you’re going through.”
Feeling tears fill her eyes, Kay wished she could tell Daphne what was going on, but she couldn’t. She knew Daphne would call Social Services, and then her father would weasel out of it somehow and she’d be in for the beating of her life. Still, she needed to get if off her chest somehow, so she decided to hide the truth inside a lie. “It’s my boyfriend,” she said slowly, afraid to look at Daphne. “Sometimes he gets really mad, and...” Unable to speak the words, Kay pushed her sleeve up to reveal the finger-shaped bruises her father had left. “There’re some worse ones, too, on my back. I broke up with him and everything, but it took a while.”
She finally looked up to see that Daphne had tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. If there’s anything I can do—”
Kay finally let the tears fall. “My mom isn’t going to let me come back because I won’t tell her why I want to go.”
“Why don’t you want your mother to know?”
Kay laughed. “She would never understand. She’d just blame me.”
“Kay, I’m sure that’s not—”
“You don’t know her,” Kay interrupted, her frustration pouring out. “She sees what she wants, and she’s oblivious to everything else. I’m telling you, she wouldn’t understand that I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Okay, I believe you,” Daphne said quickly, and Kay could tell that she did. “But whether you’re still a patient of mine or not, I want you to know that you can always call me when you need me, okay? Anytime—day or night.”
≈≈≈
When Kelly knocked on Gage’s door with the pizza, he opened it, cradling a crying Lizzie against his shoulder. He looked tired, with purplish bags under his eyes, and his skin looked pale. “Hey,” he said, stepping aside to let her in. “It looks like Lizzie doesn’t want to go to bed yet. Third night this week she’s been up late. I think she’s catching a cold.”
“As clean as you keep this place?” Kelly asked as she walked into the living room. “It’s surprising any germs could live in here.”
“Well, I try to keep this house sanitary, but when we walk out that door, it’s out of my hands.”
Kelly smiled as she set the pizza on the coffee table. “Do you mind?” She held her arms out, reaching for Lizzie.
“Uh...sure.” Gage carefully handed the baby over to Kelly, and she balanced her on her hip, bringing her eye level with the little girl. When Kelly held Lizzie, the baby immediately started to quiet down, going from a whaling cry to small, quiet sniffles.
Tickled at being able to calm Lizzie down, Kelly looked up at Gage. “Isn’t she just the cutest?”
“Sure is,” Gage said, but when Kelly looked up, he was wearing an expression that made her think he’d been talking
to her. Giving her a small smile, he picked up the remote and turned the television on. “It looks like our movie tonight is going to have to be the Spongebob marathon. That okay with you?”
“Yeah, I like Spongebob,” Kelly said, watching as Gage laid a blanket on the floor a few feet away from the TV.
After placing a few throw pillows around the outside, he dropped Lizzie’s teddy bear and a few other toys onto the blanket and motioned for Kelly to put her down.
After Lizzie was happily watching the animated sponge’s hi-jinks on TV, Kelly grabbed a piece of pizza and offered one to Gage.
“So, how was the dinner last night?” Gage asked.
“Brutal torture,” Kelly said, covering her mouth with one hand so she could talk politely around a mouthful of pizza. “My mom hates me. It’s the only explanation.”
“She doesn’t hate you,” Gage said. “She just doesn’t understand why you and Alex broke up...because you’ve never told her.”
“Last night’s dinner was a pathetically see-through attempt for her to get us back together. And what’s worse, when I tried to leave, the asshole kissed me.”
“He kissed you?” Gage asked, almost choking on a piece of pepperoni as he tried to swallow. “In front of your parents?”
“No,” Kelly said, rolling her eyes. “That was after he followed me to my room and barged in.”
“You want me to take him out? I know people.” Gage gave her a wink, and she had no choice but to giggle in response.
“Don’t tempt me,” she warned.
“So, what’d you do when he kissed you?”
She laughed. “I slapped him.”
Gage burst into laughter and then slapped his hand down on her knee. “That’s my girl.”
She felt a jolt when his fingers brushed her kneecap. The butterflies in her stomach and the fuzzy warmth were all signs she was crushing on Gage. She was ready to give in and flirt a little with him to let him know she was definitely interested, but then he quickly withdrew his hand, keeping his gaze on the TV set.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him absentmindedly smooth his left thumb over the wedding band he still wore, and she knew he was thinking about Peyton.
From the Damage 1 - Opposites Attract Page 8