Releasing Kate: The Acceptance Series

by D. Kelly

  Who does she think she is? This is not the Jess I know; my Jess would talk to me. Fuck! My Jess would have told me about Mike’s message as soon as it came in. I’m taking deep breaths, trying to calm down, but all I can think about is how well do I really know my best friend after all?

  By the time I get home, Mike and Daniel are already with Vanessa and Jess and Connor are gone. There’s a note on the counter that says ‘sorry’ on it but I’m getting a little tired of hearing those words from her. My phone is beeping with a message alert and I know without even looking at it that it’s Connor.

  Connor: I’ve got a bottle of tequila with your name on it and I expect you to be here to drink it.

  Kate: I’ll be there.

  My thought process is interrupted by a knock at the door, it’s Daniel and Mike.

  “Hey, Kate, can we come in for a few minutes?” Mike asks with a killer smile. I’ve never been able to deny that smile anything.

  “Of course,” I reply, opening the door wider so they can come inside.

  “Whoa, are you having a party you forgot to invite us to?” Daniel asks, gesturing to the cases of champagne over my shoulder. “No, it’s just to celebrate when the baby comes,” I reply sweetly and watch him and Mike exchange ‘what the hell’ glances.

  Mike clears his throat and Daniel motions toward the couch for us all to sit. “We talked to Vanessa,” Daniel says and Mike continues, “We worked out an alternating schedule so one of us will always be with her in the evenings after work. I’m taking Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.” Daniel finishes, “And I’m taking Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Then we’ll alternate on Sundays.”

  Well, it sounds like they’ve got it all worked out, so that’s a start.

  “That’s great, you guys, I’m proud of you both. Whichever one of you is the father will really appreciate this time, and if you’re not the father, at least you’re helping your friend and doing a good thing for Vanessa. Tomorrow, I’m taking her shopping for the nursery so you guys can have the day off. I like Vanessa and I want to get to know her better.”

  Once again they exchange glances. I swear it looks like they are concerned for my mental health or something. It’s time to put a stop to this nonsense. “I’m fine, you two, honestly. I’ve never been the girl to believe in fairytales. I’ve always known that life can be cruel. We’re all going to adapt to this; it’s just going to take some time.”

  “Kate,” Mike speaks up, “maybe we should take Vanessa shopping, instead. It might make things easier for you.” Letting out an exasperated sigh, I take a good look at them both. They’re really nervous about something but I can’t pinpoint what it is. “No,” I state firmly.

  “I want to do this, I need to do this. It’s going to help me transition to this new reality and I know that sounds weird but it’s what I need to do. Besides, it’s also going to give me a chance to get to know Vanessa better. I really like her; we’ve been spending time together every day since she moved in. I feel bad about leaving her today, but Chad is spending the day with her so I’m not as worried as I was.”

  “Have you met him yet?” Daniel asks curiously.

  Nodding, I answer, “Yes, and he’s a sweetheart. He really cares about her. It’s too bad it didn’t work out between them; they seem like they would have been a perfect fit together.”

  “People change,” Daniel says obnoxiously and it’s an obvious jab at Mike. It doesn’t seem to bother Mike, though, so I’m just going to ignore it.

  “They do, that’s for sure, but most always it’s for the better,” replies Mike smugly.

  Oh hell, I’m not getting caught up in their pissing match.

  “Well, it’s time to go so I’ll see you guys at Connor’s in a bit,” I tell them, trying to usher them to the door. They look at each other again. What the hell is it they’re hiding?

  “We thought maybe we could, um, talk to you about something else,” Daniel says sheepishly.

  I’ve got a feeling I don’t want to know whatever it is that is keeping them both so pensive. “Sure we can, but I’ve got to make a stop to pick up some cupcakes I ordered so can we talk at Connor’s?”

  “Sure, yeah no problem we’ll see you there,” Mike says with a sigh of relief. God this must be big whatever it is. Now to go find a place with some cupcakes since I just lied through my teeth.

  ***

  An hour later, after I’ve spent some time on my appearance and waited in line at Sprinkles, which thankfully wasn’t very long, I finally arrive at Connor’s. I’m already on the defensive between my blow-up with Jess and whatever it is that Daniel and Mike want to talk about. I could use a drink A.S.A.P.

  “There you are! We were wondering what was keeping you.” April gives me a welcoming hug and I feel myself relaxing a bit.

  “Sorry I had to make a cupcake pit stop; I was craving s’mores cupcakes until I saw the coconut ones, so of course I had to get both,” I tell her, laughing.

  “I love cupcakes so you don’t hear me complaining. Come on, let’s get you a drink. From what I’ve heard about your week, I’m sure you could use a few.” I feel bad. I should have called her to explain and I didn’t.

  “I could definitely use a drink. I’m sorry I haven’t called things have just been…hectic, I guess.”

  She smiles kindly at me. “It’s okay; Jake filled me in on everything after he spent the night at Mike’s. Plus, I finally got some alone time with Daniel to catch up so I think I’ve heard most of the story. I’m sorry you’re going through so much. And I’m even sorrier to hear about Vanessa. I’ve never liked her very much.”

  April hands me a margarita, which I gratefully accept, and we work our way outside. It’s strange to see everyone together in one place. I’m not really sure why, the only thing different is Mike being here, but everyone seems to be getting along. Jess shoots me a pained look and I smile back at her. I’m trying really hard not to be mad at her. I know I’m overreacting, but every little thing just seems to set me off lately. At least she seems to relax a bit at my warm greeting; I’d hate for her to feel uncomfortable. Today is supposed to be about friends so we all need to make an extra effort.

  “Hey, everyone, sorry I’m late but there are three dozen Sprinkles cupcakes inside to make up for it.” Connor hops up and goes inside then comes back out with two on a plate.

  “What?” he says with his mouthful. “Oh, come on! With the chance that this was a PMS related pick up I just wanted to make sure I got some before you three went to town.” I practically ooze margarita out of my nose and a loud snort escapes me, which has everyone laughing.

  When I finally compose myself, I’m able to respond, “You’re such a liar, Connor Houston. You’ve got the biggest sweet tooth out there. Don’t blame your urges on our hormones.”

  “Ha! I don’t consider PMS hormones; it’s more like the devil coming to town for a week. Now if we’re talking actual hormones, I’d consider those more like carnal desires, wouldn’t you?”

  Thankfully, Jess reaches out and smacks him. “I’ll tell you what, how about you do without your carnal desires for a bit and see if that feels like the devil coming to town, too.”

  He raises up his hands in defeat, “How about we just forget this conversation ever happened and to make up for it I’ll go get cupcakes and bring them out for everyone?”

  Jake thumps him on the back of the head. “That’s probably a good idea. I swear I don’t know how you ever got a girlfriend, let alone a hot one.”

  “I just felt sorry for him; he was like a little lost puppy wandering around campus. I just didn’t think he’d be so needy.”

  Connor pounces on her and pulls her from her chair “Needy? You think I’m needy, huh? I’ll show you exactly what I’m needy for.” He throws Jess over his shoulder and carries her into the house with her squealing the entire way.

  “Damn, guess I’m going to have to go get my own cupcake now,” Jake pouts, but April isn’t buying into it.

  �
��Will you bring the margaritas out, too, when you come back? Thanks, babe,” she tells him as she blows him a kiss.

  “Only if I get drunk April tonight,” he whispers in her ear but I’m sitting right next to her and I swear the tone to his voice even makes me blush.

  “You can count on it, baby,” she tells him breathlessly and suddenly I feel like the odd man out.

  Needing a minute to myself to work through my thoughts, I wander over to the side yard and check on Bev’s garden. This probably wasn’t a good idea, though, as my body remembers how it felt to be covered by Daniel on this very grass the morning of my birthday. I can’t believe that was only three weeks ago; it seems like so much longer.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Daniel asks from behind me as his hands wrap around my waist. For a moment I lean against him, close my eyes, and just breathe. The thought of Mike walking up and catching us pulls me from his embrace. Keeping my distance from both of them is key tonight.

  “Just trying to clear my head, but this probably wasn’t the best place to do it,” I tell him after finishing off my margarita.

  “Why not? Does being here bring back certain feelings?” he whispers over my shoulder into my ear so seductively. He knows exactly what I’m thinking about and he’s trying to use it to his advantage. I’m not playing that game tonight.

  Turning around, I smile sweetly at him, lean up on my tiptoes as if to kiss him, but stop just a little shy “Excuse me, but I need a refill,” I say, and as I walk away, I can feel his eyes on me but I won’t allow myself to turn around.

  A few hours pass, and surprisingly we’re all having a good time. The food was excellent and we’re all three drinks past buzzed. There’s no way I’m staying here tonight, though. I’ll either have Marc come get me or call a cab. It’s so weird to think Daniel and Mike are going to live here with Connor now. I can only imagine how awkward it’s going to be for them, but at least they’ll be close to Vanessa, which is great.

  “Aaaapprrriiilll,” Connor says as he slurs, “want to come find Bugs Bunny with me?” And even though Connor is laughing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jake look so alpha male before.

  “Hell no, we’re not doing that again,” Jake growls at him. Everyone else is laughing but Jess and I have no clue what’s going on. Mike takes mercy on us and explains. I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in a very long time. My stomach hurts so bad and Jess and I both have matching tear trails down our faces.

  “Fine,” Connor huffs. “If we can’t play Bugs Bunny then can we at least play truth?”

  “You mean truth or dare?” Jess asks.

  “No, just truth. Truth or dare is for pussies. Everyone takes the dare to get out of telling the truth. We’re all friends we should know each other’s truths even if it means admitting our dares.” Connor has the biggest shit eating grin on his face and I can only imagine his questions. It actually sounds intriguing. I’d like to get to know their secrets, and since I don’t really have anything to hide, I’m in.

  “Sounds good to me, do you play with different rules?” I ask him with genuine curiosity.

  “Kate! My favorite sister! I knew I loved you for a reason, that’s a really good question. We play in a circle and go clockwise from the leader, who would be me. I’ll ask a question and then everyone in the circle answers it. Honestly. If you know someone is lying, you have to call them out on it. There are no secrets in truth. Then after my question, the next person asks one, and so forth.”

  “I’m in,” says Jess as she plops on Connor’s lap.

  April and Jake shrug their shoulders like they couldn’t care less and they probably don’t since they’ve been locked in a kiss for the last five minutes or so. Daniel and Mike don’t look as excited, which reminds me… they wanted to talk earlier. Maybe I’ll make that my truth to ask them what they wanted to talk about. I’ll have to word it carefully since everyone gets the same question.

  “Alright! It’s truth time,” Connor says excitedly. He looks like a little kid on Christmas morning.

  The first round of questions are kind of silly, but when the second round starts they get a little more intense, and by round three it’s an all-out truth war.

  “Have you ever had a threesome?” Connor asks. “We all know I have.” That is a fact I didn’t know and I choke a little on my margarita, even though it doesn’t surprise me.

  “Nope, thankfully you’re a bigger whore than me,” Jess says with a giggle.

  “Nope.” I reply. “I’m even less of a whore than she is,” I say laughing and Jess is busting up. Jake and April both answer no. I was actually curious if we’d get some interesting information from their answer.

  “Yeah, but…um…most of you already knew that,” Mike answers sheepishly, and even though it doesn’t surprise me, it still hurts to hear it. That would have never happened if we’d stayed together and a little piece of me breaks for him and for us. Never in a million years did I expect the next answer. I would have lost my ass in a bet on this one for sure.

  Daniel avoids my gaze as he answers and all hell breaks loose. “Yes.” It’s all he says but Jake and Connor both exclaim, “What the fuck?” at the same time which mimics my thoughts exactly. Mike is the only one who doesn’t look surprised and I can tell Jess notices that, too. She gets a determined look on her face and I have a feeling I’m not going to like her next question.

  “Was it Aimee and Julie? Come on, Daniel, you can’t say threesome and not dish… we’re playing truth.”

  Connor is on the border of mad and excited and I’m not sure which emotion is going to win this battle with him. But Daniel looks pissed, so I’m guessing mad is going to win.

  “We’re playing truth, which means I have to answer the question, but I don’t have to give you any details of my private life.”

  “Fair enough,” Connor pouts.

  It’s Jess’s turn and she doesn’t hold back. “How many of you have had foursomes?” Right then when I see the look Daniel and Mike exchange, I know it’s game over. I’m going to be sick.

  It’s a continuous round of ‘No’s’ as we go around the circle, and instead of this being fun, a somber mood has settled over us all. Surprise, surprise, Mike and Daniel both answer yes. I pull out my phone and text Marc the address and ask him if he can please come and get me. He immediately replies he’ll be here in twenty minutes. I pull the bottle of tequila off the patio table and pour myself a double shot. Connor and Jake look dumbfounded; they aren’t even asking questions at this point. Probably because they know that both men just stepped into a steaming pile of shit.

  “My turn,” I say, and by now even I’m slurring my words. “I want to know by a show of hands how many people here have not had sexual relations with Julie and Aimee.”

  Like I thought, Connor, Mike and Daniel have all been with the same two girls. I turn to April and ask her sweetly, “April can I have your turn too? I have one more question?” She nods and no one says anything about me breaking the rules. So I begin my rant that eventually turns into a question.

  “Today, Mike and Daniel wanted to talk to me about something and I could tell it was something I didn’t want to hear so I was avoiding it. In the back of my mind, I remembered something Daniel said the other night when we were having phone sex. Oops, I probably wasn’t supposed to mention that, was I? Well it’s not like we actually fucked, so I guess it’s okay. Don’t worry, Mike, if it upsets you too much maybe you can take a turn next week.”

  They look scared because out of everything I’ve ever done, this is very un-Kate. “Come on, guys, lighten the hell up would you? This is my truth isn’t it? Well, my turn to ask one so I might as well tell it. Anyway, Daniel said he was and I quote ‘definitely sexually open’ and I wondered what that meant. I’m not a prude, and I’ve never had a threesome, but I still consider myself sexually open as well. Whatever floats your boat, right? This truth is for the men in this group. I want to know by a show of hands, please. How many of you have bee
n in a threesome or foursome with each other?”

  Ever so slowly, Daniel and Mike’s hands both slowly creep up and I’m not the only one in shock. Jake’s voice thunders through the night, and for whatever reason it makes me laugh uncontrollably. “Are you fucking kidding me right now? You two and who? God, please tell me you guys weren’t fucking each other. That is just TMI.”

  Jess replies, “I don’t know, the thought of that could be really fucking hot.”

  All I can do is laugh. She’s completely right and the absurdity of this situation is comical. Mike jumps up, running his hands through his hair as usual, but Daniel actually speaks, “Kate we wanted to talk to you about this. This isn’t how…”

  “This is not how we wanted you to find out, Katie Grace, I’m so sorry,” Mike says sadly, and for some reason that really pisses me off.

  “Look, you know what? I don’t care if you’re sorry! I’m so sick and tired of hearing both of you saying you’re sorry. Your past is just that, your past. You have every right in the world to have one and if you both fucked Aimee and Julie, together and separately, more power to you. If you’ve fucked each other, that’s even better, because maybe you can understand why it’s so goddamned hard to choose between you two. Both of you have fucking fantastic cocks. But this…” I say, waiving my arm around in a circle at all my friends “This isn’t working for me right now.”

  A horn honks and I start to gather my stuff before the dam of tears building behind my eyes bursts. They’re not even sad tears, they’re pissed off tears “Do not, let me be absolutely clear, do not call me. Do not come by, do not send me packages or letters or flowers or coffee, or any other thing you can think of to make contact. Let me breathe for at least a week. If you try, you’ll push me further away and trust me when I say you do not want that right now.”

  “Kate, are you okay?” Marc’s concerned voice asks from behind me.