Chapter 38
Brendan
Now
When I step inside The Boathouse five minutes early, I immediately spot Ky sitting in the same booth as last time.
With his eyes on his phone screen, he doesn’t see me straight away, so I take the opportunity to get a read on him.
There’s a tightness to his expression, his high cheekbones somehow more prominent than normal, and his leg bounces under the table.
I’m halfway across the room when he lifts his head, a bright smile spreading across his face as our eyes meet. My heart swells when he stands and opens his arms in greeting. I quicken my step and walk straight into his embrace, kissing him on the cheek as his warmth curls around me.
“Thanks for the invite,” he says, breaking the hug and sitting back down in the booth.
I sit on the opposite side, wishing he’d held me just that little bit longer. “I wanted to thank you in person for what you did for Jeff. For savin’ his life. He’s out of the ICU now and a full recovery is expected.”
“That’s great, but I was just doing my job. Although I’ll never complain about a chance to see you. Just don’t ever scare me like that again.” Ky chuckles, but I can hear the underlying fear.
“Did you really think it was gonna be me lyin’ there on the floor?”
He nods, eyes shifting down to the table. “I thought God, or the universe, was teaching me a lesson. Reminding me of what a dickhead I’d been for missing the last twenty years.”
Ky’s sky-blue eyes meet mine, and the truth hangs heavy between us, laden with regret. I’m the first to look away, picking up the menu and pretending to read. “What do you wanna eat? My shout to say thanks.”
“The burgers were good last time. Wouldn’t mind another. And a cold beer to wash it down.”
“Comin’ right up.” At the bar I order dinner and grab the drinks. When I return, Ky is texting.
“Just checking on Lu,” he explains. “She’s got a friend staying over tonight.”
“How’s all that goin’? James still bein’ a prick?”
“He was at first. The weekend we moved out was completely fucked. But Lu is happier now, and things have settled down. And today”—Ky pauses, placing his hands flat on the table and drawing his shoulders back—“I met with my lawyer, who’s a badass lesbian by the way, and she said I’m getting full custody of Lu and a fifty-fifty split of our assets. ”
“Well, that’s the best news I’ve heard in a while. Congrats, man. How did she get that sorted so fast?”
“Oh, you know, I had those photos of him cheating on me. But I went one step further and told James I had a video, and I’d release it to the partners at his firm if he didn’t do the right thing.
Then Charlotte—my lawyer—put an investigator on the job, confirmed all the details, and let James’s lawyer go on thinking the video really existed.
“So he was cheatin’ on you? What a fuckin’ asshole.” I try to act surprised.
Ky throws his head back, laughing loudly. “Yes Bren, he was cheating on me. Some twenty-four-year-old named Xavier. A paralegal at his firm. They’ve been together for two years, and James used to take him to his secret apartment to hook up.”
“Fuck! Jeez Davies, you know how to pick em, don’t ya? How much are you gonna squeeze out of the bitch?”
“Charlotte says around five-point-five to six mill.”
My jaw drops. “Fuck me, Davies.”
“Love to.”
Ky smirks, his eyes dropping to my mouth, my temperature rising.
“In all seriousness, this wouldn’t be happening without you getting those photos for me. None of it. The custody, the settlement, him leaving me the fuck alone.” Ky reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “Bren, thank you. Truly.”
“Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, Davies. What photos?”
Ky kicks my shin under the table. “Jesus, ow! What the fuck was that for?”
“Bren, I know it was you. I’m just surprised you didn’t beat the shit out of him.”
I shrug my shoulders and smile. “There’s always next time.”
The server approaches with our meals and Ky unfortunately pulls his hand away. But I’m glad I’ve made a difference in his life.
“Bren, there’s something I need to tell you, and maybe you already know, but…”
Ky’s tone has me placing my burger back down on the plate before I even take the first bite. “Know what?”
“Shit, I don’t know what the situation is with you and Chris after…”
“Just spit it out,” I say, dread in my gut.
“Chris approached me about a month ago.”
All the blood seems to drain out of my body. “What the fuck? Why didn’t you tell me? A month ago?”
“Bren, please don’t be mad. I knew you didn’t want me to contact you, and I was worried he’d seen the text I sent, so I didn’t think I should send you another and make it worse. I’m sorry.”
I try to recall Chris’s behaviour over the last four weeks. Was there anything weird about it? Did I miss something? He hasn’t mentioned Ky again since that last fight. “Well, what the fuck happened?” I ask. “What did he say? What did you say?” Sweat trickles down my spine.
“He was waiting for me outside the gym. He asked me straight up if we were having an affair.”
I rub my forehead, trying to collect my thoughts and remain calm. I don’t know how to handle this. “And what did you say?”
“I told him no, of course. I told him he was a lucky man to have you, and he should treat you right.”
“Jesus fuckin’ Christ Kyle! So you basically told him you still have feelings for me.”
Ky stares down at his plate but doesn’t respond.
I start to lose my shit. “What else did you fuckin’ say? We may as well get it all out right now.”
Ky lifts his head, guilt in his eyes. “Shit Bren, it was hard knowing what to say when he put me on the spot like that.” He drops his face into his hands. “I also told him I’ve always loved you and always will.”
“Fuck fuck fuck,” I mutter under my breath. “Give me a minute and don’t follow me.” I storm towards the front entrance, pulling my cigarettes from my pocket as I go. Once outside, I inhale deeply as I pace the footpath, the nicotine hit dulling the panic.
Why didn’t Chris tell me he’d seen Ky, and why hasn’t he confronted me if he thinks I’m having an affair? If I bring it up now, he’ll know I’ve been in contact with Ky.
Finishing the first cigarette, I immediately light another. With a bit of luck maybe Chris believed Ky and was satisfied with the answer. That’s gotta be it, doesn’t it? Because he hasn’t said anything. He would’ve brought it up otherwise. Right?
I take a few deep breaths, then head back inside, sitting down to Ky’s apologetic face.
“Bren, I’m sorry. I should’ve called you the day it happened, but I was trying to respect your wishes and keep my distance.”
“It’s okay,” I interject. “I overreacted. It was a fuckin’ shock is all. Finish your food.”
I scull my beer and motion to the waitress to bring another. Ky makes the right choice and orders a coke. Wanting to get the evening back on track, I change the subject. “Tell me about bein’ a paramedic. You look like you were born to do it.”
Ky leans back in the booth, his shoulders relaxing. “I love it. I can’t believe I let that asshole manipulate me like that.”
“What do you mean manipulate? You’re a stubborn bitch, how’d he manage that?”
Ky sort of folds in on himself, his chin dropping down as one arm crosses protectively over his chest. “It happens slowly, over years, so you don’t even notice at first. Then one day you don’t recognise yourself anymore.
Like when we were dating, he was slowly pulling me away from my family, telling me he needed me and using my insecurities about my bipolar against me.
When we had Lu, he would scare me into thinking I was going to turn out like my parents.
And he would do it when I was sleep deprived or going through a depressive phase. ”
I already knew James was an uppity prick who didn’t respect Ky, but this is so much worse than what I’d imagined. All I want to do is hold Ky, but I know I shouldn’t interrupt.
“He was always building me up and then tearing me down, making me more and more dependent on him. It fucked with my self-esteem, which, let’s face it, wasn’t ever great to begin with.
It’s so obvious now that I’m out of it, but when it was happening, I was blind to it.
It’s embarrassing, Bren. I feel ashamed. And fucking stupid.”
It’s hard to look at Ky’s pain and it breaks my heart just as much as I want to break James’s face.
But what he says makes sense; his greatest fear was always that he would turn out like his shitty parents.
“Ky, you’ve got nothin’ to be ashamed of.
I know his type. He preys on younger men when they’re vulnerable so he can control them.
I should’ve laid that motherfucker out when I had the chance. ”
To my surprise, Ky bursts into laughter. “Oh, really?” he asks, eyebrows shooting up. “And when did you have the chance to do that, huh?”
It only then clicks I’ve been caught lying about the photos. Ky’s smile is infectious, and I chuckle, my face flushing. “Shut the fuck up, Davies. You don’t know shit.”
“Oh, but I do. I know all your shit, Brendan Young. Hey, do you wanna grab dessert?”
Ky orders the chocolate cake, and I order cheesecake, happy for the extra time with him.
“Bren, how’s business going?”
“Business is boomin’. I landed a commercial contract to renovate all the bathrooms at that motel up the road.” I point in the direction. “Seems like I’m movin’ up in the world. If it goes well, I hope to get more commercial jobs. I’m set to make a tidy little sum on this one.”
“That’s great. Being a boss suits you. Damn, this chocolate cake’s good.”
Ky forks a big helping and I lean across the table, stealing it and shoving it in my mouth before he can react. “Mmm,” I moan suggestively. “It does taste good.”
“You fucker! You better give me a taste of that cheesecake now.”
Ky tries to nab some, but I playfully bat his hand away. “Piss off, I need all of it.”