I hunt Ky down the minute I return to the house, determined that I can talk to him without losing the run of myself. He needs to hear what Zoe confided in us. “Come in,” he calls out in that rich, hypnotic voice of his when I knock on his bedroom door. All my lady bits rejoice, and I silently caution myself to get with the program. Drawing a long breath, I open the door and step into his domain.
Ky is sprawled across his disheveled bed, hurriedly pulling a shirt on over his bare chest. But he wasn’t fast enough, and I’ve witnessed enough to stir the usual longing inside me. His tantalizing flesh glistens invitingly, and I bite down hard on my lower lip, almost drawing blood. I close the door, purely because I don’t want anyone else to hear what I have to say, but being in his room, alone with him, is far too intimate, and already my resolve is wavering.
Focus, Faye. Mind out of the gutter!
“How did today, go?” He scoots to the edge of the bed, swinging his bare feet to the floor.
“Fine, apart from Peyton drenching me in Coke, but that had nothing to do with Kal and everything to do with me.”
Ky’s eyes narrow. “I might need to have a word with Fielding again.”
I slump to the ground where I stand, leaning my back against the door, with my knees pulled up to my chest. “No need. Brad sorted it.”
A glimmer of annoyance and something else flashes across Ky’s face. Before he can get mad or jealous or release whatever it is he’s feeling, I jump in with a question of my own. “How bad was it in Old Colonial today?”
Ky rests his face in his chin. “Pure hell.” I wince. “I spent the entire day trying to keep Kent out of fights and the rest of the time I was glued to Kal’s side. The whole school has gone insane, and we’re public enemy number one. Not that I can blame them. Getting in and out of the school grounds was akin to fighting your way across an open battlefield. Reporters swarmed the car when we were trying to leave.” He shakes his head. “Fun and games.” Air whooshes out of his mouth.
“How is he?”
“Not good, Faye. I could barely get two words out of him all day. I’ve never seen him like this and it’s scaring me.”
“I’ll try talking to him. See if I can get him to open up.”
“Thanks.”
An uneasy silence fills the air. I clear my throat. “I had an interesting conversation with Zoe today.”
His head tips up and his eyes spark to life. “Yeah?”
“She knows Lana is lying.” I proceed to tell him everything Zoe imparted. When I get to Addison’s involvement, Ky’s whole face and demeanor changes. He holds himself rigidly still, and a muscle snaps in his taut jaw. If looks could kill, Addison would be stone-cold dead by now. “I don’t know what you did to that girl, but she sure as shit is out to ruin this family.”
Ky hops up. “I didn’t do anything except fall for the bitch!” He starts pacing the room, and steam is practically billowing out of his ears.
“I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have voiced that.” I climb to my feet, fighting the almost irresistible urge to rush to his side and reassure him. “I should go.”
“Forget it. I’m overly sensitive right now.” He scrubs his stubbly jaw. “I’d prefer if you kept this conversation between us. I’ll tell Dad so he can pass it on to Kal’s legal team, but I don’t want you to tell Kal. I don’t want to get his hopes up for nothing. At the end of the day, it will be Zoe’s word against Lana’s, so I’m not sure how helpful it will be.”
“Surely, it’s got to count for something? She’s Lana’s oldest friend and she’s never been a supporter of Kal so the fact she’s willing to speak out on his behalf says a lot.”
He shrugs. “Maybe. It all depends on the evidence the prosecution present.”
Having said what I came in here to say, I reach for the door. “I suppose so. Anyway, I’d better go.” Before the craving to kiss him hits me full whack in the face.
“Wait.” Ky rushes toward me, and I instinctively shrink back. A pained look crosses his face.
“It’s not like that,” I rush to reassure him. “It’s only th—”
“I know.” He sighs wearily. “Look, leave Addison to me, okay? I’ll handle her.” My cheeks pucker sourly. “I mean it, Faye. I don’t know what she’s up to now, but I don’t want you involved. Promise me.”
I want to, but I don’t trust Addison around him. She knows how to push all his buttons, and I want to protect him. “I can’t make that promise, Ky.”
He lets loose a string of colorful curses as he invades my personal space. “Goddammit, Faye. For once, can you please just do something I ask.” His tone is frustrated, and that rubs me wrong.
“Why can’t I protect you from her?”
He exhales loudly. “Because I know how her mind works, and this is all tied up with me.”
“And that’s exactly why you should steer clear of her. She’ll suck you in and trap you again.”
His face relaxes. “That’s what you’re worried about?” He leans in, pressing his forehead against mine. My heart skyrockets, slamming against my ribcage. “I’ve told you I love you. You’re the only one for me, so if that’s what you’re worried about, stop it. You have no reason to be concerned in that regard.”
His warm breath snakes over my skin, clouding my senses. “But what if we’re … if you’re my …”
“If that’s our reality, it’s not going to change how I feel even if I’m forced to ignore those feelings. And I won’t magically love Addison again. She’s dead to me, and she has been for a long time.”
I cup his face, ogling his lips with a craving so intense I think I could expire from it. “You really mean that?” I ask, shuttering my eyes to avoid temptation.
“Yes. Now stop worrying, and leave Addison to me.”
Chapter Eight
Famous last words. That’s what I’m thinking as I walk on auto-pilot to the kitchen. Does it make me a bad person that I keep wishing for something life threatening to happen to Addison? Like she’s run over by a car or hit by lightning or someone she’s pissed off beats her up so badly that she gets amnesia and she can’t remember who Ky is? It’s not that I want her dead, per se—even I’m not that cruel—but I’d like her solidly out of the way.
Keaton slams the fridge door in a temper as I step into the kitchen. “What did the fridge ever do to you?” I joke.
“Gobbled all the food and left nothing to eat, that’s what,” he retorts with a glum face.
I open a few of the presses, and Keaton is right. The cupboards are bare too, and without Greta around, we’ll most likely starve if we’re relying on any of my cousins to shop or cook. I take a quick peek at my watch. I still have a couple of hours before my shift at the diner starts. I was planning on speaking to Kalvin, but feeding the horde of hungry men in the house seems like more of a priority at present. “I’ll make you a deal. If you come to the supermarket with me, I’ll cook you whatever you want when we get back.”
“Where do I sign up?” His eyes twinkle.
“Come on.” I loop my arm in his and drag him out of the room. “Let’s go grab some grub.”
“Can you quit moaning for five seconds or we’ll be here half the night?” I ask Keaton after his latest bout of grumping. His patience for grocery shopping is nonexistent as I’ve discovered to my peril the last half hour. I’ve never been to a store as mammoth as this one, and it’s taking me forever to find the things I need. Plus, I’ve never shopped for so many people before, and I’m not sure if I’m adding too much or too little to the cart. A frustrated sigh slips out of my mouth. At this rate, I won’t make it to work on time. “If you stopped complaining and actually started helping, then we’d be done that much quicker.”
“Fine. You’re the boss.” He lets go of the trolley and walks to my side, nudging me in front of it. “You drive while I fetch. Tell me what we need.”<
br />
Our new system works much more effectively, and a half hour later Lenny, Max, and Keaton load the grocery bags in the boot of the Merc and we are en route back home. “How was school?” I ask once we’re settled in the backseat.
“Don’t mention the war,” Keaton deadpans. “Hopefully some other scandal will crop up soon and people will forget about ours.” He stares out the window. “The timing sucks.”
“In what way?” I’m thinking no time is a good time for stuff like this to blow up in the public domain. He messes with a loose thread on the hem of his shirt, and he’s uncharacteristically quiet. “Is there some other big secret I don’t know about?” I’m only half-joking, because, honestly, if there is more stuff waiting to come out of the closet, I’m going to freak the hell out.
“I have a girlfriend,” he blurts out a few minutes later, his cheeks flushing red.
“Cool! When do I get to meet her?”
“If she’s still my girlfriend by the end of the week, I’ll bring her over to the house this weekend.”
“You think she’s going to dump you because of everything that’s going on with the fam?” My brows nudge up.
He shrugs. “I know I probably would.”
I poke his ribs with my elbow. “Give the girl some credit. If she didn’t dump you today, I’d say you’re fine on that score.”
Lines crease his forehead as he thinks about that. “Hhm. Maybe you’re right.” He looks at me strangely.
“What?”
“I, uh, I owe you an apology.” He looks embarrassed.
“For what?”
“For the way I behaved in Nantucket.”
Understanding washes over me. When Keaton had discovered Ky and I kissing, he hadn’t taken the news of our relationship well. He’d been distinctly frosty in the following days. “You already apologized. Besides, you were perfectly entitled to react as you did.”
“That’s the thing,” he says, turning into me so our knees brush. “I shouldn’t have reacted all judgy like that. I’m ashamed that I was so closed off. I didn’t think that was the kind of person I am. I don’t want to be like that.”
Not that it matters, at the moment, because Ky and I may be over before we’ve even begun, but my natural curiosity is piqued. “Why did you react like that?”
He tilts his chin up until he’s eyeballing me. “This is going to sound so immature but … I was jealous.” My eyes pop wide. “Hells, not like that!! That didn’t come out right.” He laughs nervously. “I thought we were friends, and I liked that we’d bonded in a way you hadn’t with my brothers.” His cheeks stain a darker shade of red. “Then you started spending more time with Ky, and I was already annoyed over that because I wasn’t seeing as much of you. When I realized why, and what was going on between you, I … I was hurt and upset. I thought it meant that you wouldn’t have time to hang with me anymore.”
He drops his head, clearly ashamed, but I’m glad he got that off his chest. I close the gap between us and pull him into my arms, hugging him to death. “Oh, Keaton. You little idiot.” I muss up his hair. “I’ll always make time for you, and I won’t ever forget how much you helped me settle in. You will always have a very special place in my heart.” I kiss the top of his head before pulling back. His blushing is out of control, and it’s so sweet. I love that he still has this fresh-faced innocence about him and a heart brimming with goodness. It’s a vast contrast to Kent who is completely the other side of the spectrum and Keanu who is still a total enigma—I haven’t sussed out his personality yet. They may be triplets, but they couldn’t be any more different if they purposely tried.
I smile at him. “When I was growing up, I hated that I didn’t have any siblings or any other family to call my own. I had my parents driven demented asking for a baby brother or sister until my mum sat me down and explained she couldn’t have any more children.” An icy layer grabs a hold of my heart as the pleasantness of my memory is tainted with the knowledge of her deceit. But I force it aside, because this is about making Keaton feel better; this isn’t about me.
“When I imagined having a little brother, this is what I imagined it would be like.” I gesture between us. “You’re like the brother I always wished for, Keaton, and nothing or no one will ever change that.” My voice chokes as the words register in my brain. Keaton looks like he might burst with happiness.
Keaton isn’t just like my brother; he very well may be my brother.
Blinding lights go off in my mind. Wow. I hadn’t thought of it like that before. I’ve been so consumed at the prospect of losing Kyler, and sick over what mum and James did, that I hadn’t even considered what I’d be gaining in this situation. It doesn’t lessen the blow, or ease the heartfelt pain, but it does help put certain things in perspective.
Mum may have given me my siblings after all—just not in the way she envisaged.
“What’s all this?” Ky strides into the kitchen like he owns it. Keaton is unloading the groceries while I’ve made a start on dinner.
“What’s it look like, ass face?” Keaton playfully shoves his brother. “Faye and I went shopping because there was nothing to eat in the house.”
“How did you pay for it?” Ky asks, leaning back against the counter.
I stir fresh basil into my homemade tomato sauce. “I put it on the card your mom gave me.”
He pulls a wad of notes out of his pocket, offering it to me. “Here. Does that cover it?”
I swat his hand away. “I don’t want your money. I covered it.” It’s not as if it’s my money I used anyway, so there’s no need to big-deal it.
He frowns again. “I’ll get another bankcard off Mom for groceries so you don’t have to use your own money in future.” I don’t bother arguing as I don’t have time, but it’s blatantly obvious that my views on money differ greatly from my cousins.
“About that.” I scoop the meatballs onto the tray and place them into the oven. “I don’t mind helping out short term, but I’m going to have swim practice most days after school from next week, and with my shifts in the diner and homework, it doesn’t leave much time for housework.” I stretch my stiff back as I straighten up. “I don’t mind helping out as much as I can, but I’m not going to be able to look after this entire house singlehandedly.”
“Of course, and no one expects you to. I’ll talk to Mom and see if she’s done anything to find a new housekeeper, and in the meantime, everyone can help out with chores.”
“Sounds good, thanks.” I busy myself removing a saucepan from the press and filling it with water. Anything to avoid looking at him. Not that it makes much of a difference because the usual tingly charge electrifies the space between us. You could lead me blindfolded into a room, and I’d be able to detect Ky’s presence in a heartbeat. So far, our plan to stay out of one another’s way isn’t working so smoothly. In a house this size, it should be doable, but his presence looms large, and there doesn’t seem to be any getting away from that.
“Where should I put this, sis?” Keaton asks, holding up a bag of rice. I almost choke on a cough, and Ky’s eyes dart wide in alarm.
“Over there.” I point at a cupboard on the left, and he scurries off to stow it away.
“He doesn’t know,” I mouth at Ky, and his shoulders visibly relax even as he sends me a perplexed expression.
Keaton whistles under his breath as he unloads the last of the shopping bags.
“Can I help with anything?” Ky asks, looking around.
“Nope. Keaton and I have this.” I don’t make eye contact this time, and I catch Keaton looking curiously between us.
“Okay. I’ll leave you to it.” An edge of unhappiness creeps into Ky’s tone, and I’m waylaid by guilt, but separation is for the best. “Oh, one other thing,” he supplies a minute later.
I risk a quick glance at him. He’s standing in the doorframe with a
half-smirk on his face. “You might want to avoid Brad for a little while. At least until he calms down.”
“You agreed it with Alex?”
“Yep, and she’s cool with it, but Brad doesn’t want to be seen as a charity case, so he might take a few days to come around.”
“Thanks for the heads up.” I offer him a small smile, and his sad eyes meet mine in shared understanding.
“What’s that all about?” Keaton asks.
“Brad’s coming to live here, or, hopefully, he is, if he can get over himself.”
“Sweet.” Keaton plucks an apple from the bowl and sinks his teeth into the juicy flesh. I grab some cutlery from the drawer and move to set the table. “But that’s not what I meant. What’s up with you and Ky? I’ve seen strangers more comfortable with one another.”
“Don’t ask,” I plead, praying he’ll let it drop.
“Have you guys broken up already?”
His words strike fear into my heart. “Things are a little complicated.” Inside, I’m begging him to let it slide, because I can’t tell him what’s going on yet, and I really don’t want to lie to him, especially when things are back on track with us. I almost collapse with relief when he does.
I have no choice but to grab mouthfuls of my dinner in my bedroom as I get ready for work because at this rate I’m not going to make my shift on time. I fly outside like I’m being chased by a gun-toting madman, flinging myself into the backseat of the car while cramming the last morsels of pasta in my mouth.
I make it through the front door of the diner with seconds to spare.
“Cutting it fine, girlfriend,” Rose teases, looking up from the till.
“Tell me about it. It’s been all go today.”
I reckon I’d make it into the Guinness Book of Records for the speed with which I get changed into my uniform. I exit the locker room a couple of minutes later, tying my apron around my waist. Rose thrusts a pad and pen in my hand as our boss, David, emerges from his office. “We don’t want to give any customers a side of hair,” he semi-jokes, reaching up to tuck a few escaped strands into my hat.
Losing Kyler (The Kennedy Boys Book 2) Page 7