Chapter twenty two
SIERRA
Kyle's been acting weird.
Ever since the wedding, and especially after last week's visit to Ruby and Elias, he's been way too closed off—to the point where I nearly made myself believe that a witch named Briony had made a re-appearance.
This is why I'm now standing in front of his apartment, a bag of food in my hands and a bottle of tequila that will surely bait him to spill the truth.
Honestly, I am a bit worried since he didn't respond to any of my messages.
I know that he usually keeps his phone on silent and his responses come through in a sloth pace, but something's telling me that he's avoiding it altogether.
I sigh to myself, already thinking that he's not there, but when the key rattles from the inside, it grasps my attention. Kyle opens the door with messy hair and without a shirt. It's a sight where I question whether I've just walked in on something I shouldn't have.
"What's up?" he says first, looking like he didn't expect to see me here, but tries to play it off anyway. I hold up the bag like a peace offering, still testing the waters whether he's up for it or not.
"Dinner. Thought you might want company."
He leans on the doorframe, arms crossed, and his eyes flicking from the bag to the bottle like he's trying to decide which one's more dangerous. "Is this gonna be an interrogation?"
"Depends," I say. "Sounds like you have a lot to tell me."
He exhales a laugh that sounds sharp and humorless. It literally translates intoyou're not wrong, but I'm not ready to admit it. Then, without a word, he steps aside.
I walk in and follow him, and the first thing I notice is how dark it is. The curtains are drawn close on all windows of his apartment like a shield, and I doubt he even planned on getting out of bed if it wasn't for me showing up.
The coffee table in the living room is messy with empty chip bags and cans of soda. His gaming set-up is also gleaming with colorful lights and a lot of devices are just thrown around the couch. He must've been in here on his own for the entire weekend.
I set the bag on the kitchen table, tequila beside it, and turn to face him after I open the curtains on one side, along with the window to let in some fresh air.
"What's going on, Kyle? You disappeared on me," I say, then cross my arms when I set eyes on him.
Kyle runs a hand through his fluffy hair, messing it up, then slumps on the kitchen chair so hard, it feels like gravity suddenly doubled. "You wouldn't believe me," he sighs out, and I tilt my head in confusion.
"Try me." I stare at him, waiting. My heart is suddenly pounding, but his face is locked down, not revealing a single thing.
He's not telling me everything. Not even close.
He looks conflicted, and I stalk back to him, sliding onto the seat beside him. "Kyle," I drawl. "What happened?"
He rubs his palms on his sweats, then wipes at his mouth like he's trying to erase a confession before it's said.
"Nothing. I just... all of this is weird," he sighs, then stands up again to walk to the couch.
He grabs a t-shirt and slips it on before coming back to me.
And I know that he's stalling on something.
"Seeing Eli so unhappy just makes me think of how fucked up it all is. I got a little drained from that hideous lunch."
I understand the feeling. We all want to help, but are unable to. But I believe that there's more behind this that he tells me.
Kyle sighs deeply and leans back, letting the silence linger for a few seconds, then goes to grab two shots from the kitchen before returning. He's agitated, I can tell. I watch as he rubs his earlobe with his forefinger and thumb. The gesture's casual, but I know that he does it when he's nervous.
"I know. But it's not the thing you're worried about most," I say, and he pours two shots. We lift them up in the air and clink them together. I feel the burning sensation as soon as I empty it, and a low hiss falls from Kyle's mouth.
I hear him letting out a long breath after that, as if he's been keeping all the weight inside. Then reluctantly, he speaks up. "I really don't wanna talk about it."
I accept it as valid enough and don't pressure him anymore. "Alright. Let's eat then." I offer, and take out the food containers from the plastic bag. Luckily, it's still fresh and hot, so I only have to grab us some utensils.
We eat in silence, but it's not awkward.
My thoughts mostly wander though, questioning what could it be that makes him feel so uncomfortable talking about it, but for his sake, I let it go and keep myself from prying.
Despite us being best friends, I realize full well that everyone's allowed to have their own secrets.
After we finish the food, we clean up a bit. I throw away the trash and he also clears out his coffee table and moves his gaming devices to their place. We get to the couch, bringing the shot glasses and the bottle of tequila with us.
The only problem is that a few shots later, he's still not in a good mood.
"Okay, what the hell is happening with you?" I nudge him with my foot as he remains sprawled out on his back. I want to help him, but cannot if I don't know what's going on. My voice is a little desperate for answers, but not annoyed.
Kyle stares at the ceiling for a few more minutes, then moves his eyes in my direction. "Fine, I'll tell you," he says then, grabbing all of my attention. I nod my head vigorously, urging him to continue as he sits up and messes up his hair again.
"Just... it was... two years ago," he mutters, running both palms down his face.
"What was?"
"I did something that I probably shouldn't have." He confesses, but doesn't look at me. This makes even less sense to me.
"Okay... what was it?" I prompt.
"It was a mistake, now that I think about it," he says. "I went to a bar after what happened with Briony. Got a little drunk..." he sighs.
I'm surprised that he's bringing her up. He never spoke a word to me about her after everything that went down, so it's no use hiding the surprise on my face. But I don't interrupt him.
"And then I met Ruby. Took her to my place."
He throws the bomb. He keeps going, each word sounding like it's being pulled from under his skin.
"It meant nothing. We were just talking and flirting, it was stupid. It was way before all of this happened with Elias, but still... I slept with her because I was heartbroken, and I don't even know if she remembers..."
he trails off, throwing both arms over his face when he leans back.
"With Ruby." I repeat, my eyes wide as saucers and my gaze unwavering. I knew something was up about the way he couldn't even meet her eye.
The newfound information settles in, and I just laugh.
"You? You had a hookup?" I tease, taking this lightly. It definitely wasn't something I expected, hence his celibate state, but it's not a fatal thing for him either. More than anything, I'm actually glad that he let himself loosen up.
Kyle grins and chuckles, andI can tell that he's a little embarrassed about it. Honestly, I would never guess that such a thing would come out of his mouth.
"A wildcard after all," I murmur, earning a nudge on the shoulder. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't want things to get awkward, and I didn't think it mattered anyway...until I saw her again. It was a reckless thing to do. And the last thing I expected was to see her again. Let alone getting married to one of my best friends," he adds.
"Do you think she knows it was you?" I ask. "I mean, she has to... right?"
"I don't know. Maybe." He shrugs. "To be honest, I'd rather she didn't. The last thing I want is to make things weird."
I ponder it a little, then nudge him again. "Look at you. Having a secret rendezvous."
He only lets out a small scoff before a grin shows on his face again. "Shut up."
"It's okay. I won't tell," I say then, smiling. "We all have our weak moments. And if that was the way you found to cope, and it worked for you, then I understand why you didn't want to mention it at all."
Kyle nods, looking down at his hands resting on his lap. His secret is safe with me, and he knows it.
We spend the rest of the evening binge watching a show he likes, and he keeps catching me up on the things happening since I hadn't seen the show before and he's already on season five. It's late at night when I decide to gather my stuff and leave back home, glad that his mood turned up.
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