Chapter 26 – Kylie
twenty-six
Kylie
My phone rings as soon as I walk into my apartment and I reach into my purse, pulling it out. I don’t know why I’m expecting it to be Knox, but it’s not, it’s Kirby. “What’s happening, big brother?” I say instead of greeting him the normal way.
“Not much.” He sighs. “Just got to the rink for the game.”
“Why aren’t you calling Lexi?” I ask him, kicking off my shoes and picking them up as I walk to the closet to put them away. “Or am I the second on the long list of people?”
He chuckles. “First of all, there is no long list of anybody.” I put my shoes on the shelf I took them off this morning. “I just feel like we haven’t touched base in a while.”
“I literally saw you three days ago.” It’s my turn to laugh as I walk back out and to the kitchen. “Or was it so unmemorable that you forgot?”
“I know I saw you three days ago, Kylie.” I hear him panting.
“What are you doing?” I open the fridge and peek inside at what there is to offer, which shouldn’t be shocking when I find it almost bare.
I find it a little bit depressing cooking for just one person.
I usually have a couple of those prepared meals that Kirby has catered to him.
But this week, the time must have slipped away from me since I didn’t order any.
“I’m on the bike,” he says.
“Ah, so you called me because you were bored.” I close the fridge door before opening the freezer.
“No,” he quickly snaps out. “What’s new with you?”
I turn my head to the side and a sheer sense of panic fills me.
Did Knox tell him about us? Did Jaxon? Does he know?
“Nothing,” I reply, not sure what he’s heard but I’m not going to tell him.
I mean, what would I even tell him? I’ve hooked up with Knox for the last couple of months on and off?
That we went on one date together and that it was set up?
“Why, what did you hear?” I tread very carefully.
He snorts. “I haven’t heard anything.” My head falls back, relieved. “But you’ve been suspiciously quiet, and we haven’t seen you much.”
“You are on the road,” I remind him. “You are the one who has been suspiciously quiet.” I turn it back on him. “Why is that?”
“I know what you are doing.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” I reach in for a frozen pizza and then close the door.
“Are you okay?” he asks me softly
“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” The tightness in the middle of my chest comes and I push it away.
“You pretend you are okay.” His voice is still low, and it’s probably because he doesn’t want anyone to hear his conversation.
“No one is pretending.” My voice is as soft as his. “I’m okay.” I sigh deeply. “This is starting to finally feel like home.” I look around the apartment. “I love my job. I love my coworker. I have some pretty cool friends.” My mind immediately goes to Knox. “I’m content.”
“You were always the strong one out of the two of us.” His words make me clear my throat, trying to get my breath out. “When I get back, you have to come over.”
“I would love that,” I reply, turning to open the drawer that holds my cookie sheets, which I use not for baking cookies, but to make my pizza.
“Okay, well, if you want to talk about anything...”
“I want to talk about how annoying my brother is,” I snap.
“He’s on my ass constantly. Made me move to this run-down place.
” I almost snort out. “He never buys me anything. I feel totally neglected now that he found the love of his life and she’s been taking all of his time away from me and all the emotional conversations we have with each other.
Never including me in their lives. Actually, now that you mention it, I’m feeling a little sad. ” That makes us both laugh.
“Goodbye,” he says and he hangs up. I turn over the pizza box and read the instructions when the phone rings again. I don’t even bother looking at the name, knowing it’s Kirby calling me back.
“Seriously, I’m fine.” I laugh out and then I hear the rumble of Knox’s laugh and I freeze.
“Good to know.” His voice comes out smooth and I hang my head.
“I thought it was my brother,” I cut in. “He just called me.”
“Well, that was nice.”
“He got super annoying at the end, so it was not as nice,” I counter. “Do you annoy your sister?”
“Well, considering I haven’t spoken to my sister since her husband slept with my wife and she blamed it on me, I’m going to say no.” My eyes go big for a minute and then we both snort out a laugh.
“That was—”
“I don’t think I’ve ever said that before and laughed after it,” he admits, his voice light.
“I’m glad I could help you out. Shouldn’t you be getting in the zone and shit?”
“I’m about to get into the zone and shit.” He laughs the whole time he says that. “But I wanted to ask you something.”
“No,” I say right away. “The answer is no.”
“You don’t even know the question.” He can’t stop laughing and, to be honest, I like it so much I want him to always be laughing.
“I think I know the question, and I’m going to have to say no.”
“Okay.” He stops laughing and I hear him walking. “What do you think I’m going to ask you?”
“If I want to do anal. Sorry, buddy, it’s a one-way street.”
“Kylie,” he hisses out my name.
“What? I know that is where it’s going. We have good sex.”
“Just good?” he counters, and I roll my eyes.
“I don’t want it to be very good, Knox. It might kill you.” I bite my lip. “You said it yourself.”
“It’s even better than very good,” he mumbles. “Anyway, that isn’t why I’m calling, but I would like to table that discussion for another time.”
“Of course you would.” I take the pizza out of the box and then walk over to grab a knife to slice open the plastic film. “How is this? We can do anal.”
He hisses out, “Yes.”
“After I peg you.” He groans. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. You can shove your dick up my ass after I shove mine up yours.”
“Okay, this conversation has taken a whole turn backward.”
“You are the one who called me,” I point out, putting the pizza on the pan.
“Yeah, not to talk about anal,” he hisses out, “to ask you something.”
“Fine, the answer is still no.”
“You didn’t even hear what I’m going to say.”
“Don’t you have to go?” I turn to start the oven.
“I would have already been done with this conversation if you let me ask you the question in the beginning.”
“I don’t know what’s taking you so long.” I lean against the counter and cross my legs at the ankle as I wait for the oven to preheat.
“Next week,” he starts and I don’t interrupt him, “I have Monday to Wednesday off.”
“Okay.”
“I have this thing,” he says and I look down at my feet. “It’s a two-night getaway.” I can’t help the smile that now fills my face, he sounds so nervous. “I want you to come with me,” he stutters over his words. “Think about it.”
“Where?” I ask him.
“All I’m telling you is that it’s a two-night stay at a place where we can rest and rejuvenate.” I put my hand on the counter beside me, my finger tapping the top nervously. “That’s the only thing you need to know for packing purposes.”
“I’ll think about it,” I tell him, “and I’ll let you go so you can get into the zone.”
“Good. I got a semi hard-on thinking of your ass, and I can’t exactly go out there and ride a bike next to your brother.”
“I mean, you did sleep with his sister right before you went on the ice the other day. You literally had a part of you in me.”
He groans, “That isn’t helping, Kylie.” His voice is low and sounds like he’s growling. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Or you can text me, that is good also.”
“Speak soon,” he says and disconnects the phone at the same time the oven beeps.
I shake my head and walk over, putting the pizza in the oven. When I close the oven door, I pick up the phone and call Lexi.
She answers after three rings. “Hey,” she answers breathlessly.
“Am I interrupting you?” I ask, knowing for sure she isn’t having sex.
“No.” She laughs. “I was running after Jefferson,” she says of the cat my brother has, who she has adopted as her own now. “She doesn’t want to play with the toy I bought her.”
“You know she hates people,” I remind her.
“I’m not people, I’m her mom.” Her voice is tight and a bit insulted.
“I have a question for you,” I start. “I just got invited to this retreat.”
“Okay,” she says.
“It’s next week, Monday to Wednesday.” I wait for her to say something. “I can’t go, right? It’s in the middle of the week.”
She laughs. “Why are you calling me? I’m not your boss, you’re my boss.” I roll my eyes at that. “Do you want to go?”
“It’s in the middle of the week, I have work,” I try to make an excuse.
“Technically, it’s the start of the week.” She must sense that I’ve rolled my eyes at her, when she snorts, “You can take two days off.” I inhale when she says that. “You can take four days off. The question is, do you want to go to this retreat and who are you going with?”
“A friend of a friend,” I reply, not even knowing what I can say.
“What friend of a friend?” she counters back. “Do I know these friends of friends?”
“You don’t know him.” I close my eyes. “Them, you don’t know them.”
She laughs. “You’re going on a date for three days.”
“It’s not a date. Friends don’t date. They socialize, which can then sometimes lead to banging. Besides, it’s a retreat,” I repeat between clenched teeth, “and I haven’t decided yet.”
“Where did you meet this friend of a friend?” She’s teasing me now and I can hear the snicker in her voice.
“I’m not—” I shake my head. “I have to go.”
“It’s okay for you to date,” she says softly. “There is nothing wrong with—”
I stop her from saying more. “I know, it’s just I have to work.”
“Have a good time at your retreat, and if you want to talk about it, I’m always here waiting with open ears.”
“Good to know,” I reply, hanging up on her. I look at the oven and then exhale, picking up the phone and bringing up his name.
Me:
Fine, I’ll go.