Chapter 15
“Soon…”
Jupiter’s voice wakes me from the deepest slumber.
I’m warm.
And content.
And that’s because Kit Rivers sleeps soundly beside me.
Thinking about last night sends shivers down my spine.
It was perfect, as clichéd as that sounds.
And so is he.
I never expected to feel this close to someone, yet sharing a bed with Kit now feels natural. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak, and that is Jupiter. She seems to strike when I’m happy.
So no doubt, I’ll be hearing from her soon.
I need to use the bathroom, so I quietly get out of bed and open the dresser drawer, finding a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt. I dress and softly close the door behind me.
Once I use the toilet, I gargle some mouthwash and wash my face. I peer at my reflection in the mirror above the sink.
I don’t look any different. Not that I expected to. But I feel different. I feel…relieved.
Deciding to make some coffee, I walk to the kitchen and hunt through Kit’s cupboards to find what I need.
“Morning.”
I yelp, almost dropping the mug I’m holding as I spin to see Dandy in the doorway with a knowing grin.
He knows what Kit and I got up to last night.
Oh God, did he hear?
I am so embarrassed.
“Trust me, I’m more horrified than you,” he quips as he enters the kitchen and starts making coffee.
His comment breaks the tension.
I stand beside him, silently passing him a coffee mug. “So—”
“So—” I repeat, my cheeks turning red.
“So…did you have…fun?” His lips twitch in amusement.
“Oh, Dandy!” I giggle. “We are not having this conversation. Now or ever.”
“Fair enough. Besides, I think we’ll need something a lot stronger than coffee for that.”
As mortified as I am, it feels nice to stand around Kit’s kitchen, sipping coffee and gossiping how best friends do.
I’ve missed Dandy so much.
“I trust you both came up with a plan before your clothes…came off.” He snorts into his mug before taking a sip.
I ignore him and focus on something I can talk about without blushing.
For the next half hour, I lay out Kit’s plan, ensuring I don’t leave out a thing. Once I’m done, we’ve gone through two cups of coffee and are on our third.
“So what do you think?” I ask, unable to read Dandy’s response. Perhaps he needs time to process it.
“Look, Hallie, it’s a solid plan, but is it enough?”
That wasn’t what I was expecting him to say.
“Enough?” I question, confused.
He nods. “I think it’s only fair she gets a taste of her own medicine. This seems, I don’t know”—he waves his hand as if searching for the right word—“like she gets off easy.
“Your original plan seems a lot more satisfying.”
“My plan was to kill her, Dandy,” I say, in case he’s had a lapse in memory.
But when he deadpans me, it’s apparent he remembers just fine. “That bitch took you away from me. She ruined your life. She’s a horrible monster who deserves to hurt the way she hurt us both.”
I understand that this is personal for Dandy too.
“Life would be so much better if she just…disappeared. That’s what she made you do. Now, it’s her turn. Knowing the Blooms, they will know some high judge somewhere, or a police commissioner, and this will all go away. No, she needs to pay!” Dandy thumps his fist onto the table, shocking me.
“What’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?” Something more is at play here.
Dandy sighs, his shoulders dropping. “I was seeing a guy, Renaldo. I thought he was the one. How stupid. Anyway, one night, I was at work, and it was a slow night. Bobby Harris came in. He was alone.”
I don’t say a word.
“He ordered a strawberry shake, but instead of sitting in his usual booth, he took a seat at the counter. He made small talk. Then he asked me how I knew I was gay.”
This is about to turn dark. And I think I’m about to uncover why I saw the change in Dandy on his socials.
“I asked him if he liked to suck dick. He was horrified, standing up abruptly and puffing out his chest like the macho man that he is, saying he only likes pussy. No dude was going to suck him off! Boo-yah!” Dandy says, mimicking the jocks at our school with perfection.
“But when I looked at him without judgment, Bobby changed. He said he didn’t want to suck dick but wouldn’t be opposed to someone doing it to him. Only out of curiosity, of course. So, well, one thing led to another, and Bobby realized he liked getting his dick sucked by a dude. He liked it a lot.”
Well, I was not expecting that.
“It only happened that one time, and we never spoke about it again. But when I met Renaldo, something changed in Bobby. He was…jealous, maybe? I don’t know.
But one night, we did more than just fool around.
This went on for a couple of months. In secret.
I felt horrible cheating on Renaldo, but sleeping with Bobby was like a fuck-you to this town.
“I can’t explain it. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t stop. Bobby told me he was leaving Rebecca. He said he was his true self with me and wanted to be together. But when Rebecca caught us in his car, he showed me that he was still the same asshole jock he was in high school.
“He said I’d drugged him, even though he was the one getting a blow job behind the wheel. Rebecca didn’t believe Bobby, but she said I wasn’t to tell anyone about this, as she knew what shame this would bring to her. Imagine that, Rebecca Bloom’s high school sweetheart is gay. The shock, horror!
“Bobby begged me not to tell anyone. That we would have to be more careful. That nothing changed and that he loved me. But for appearance’s sake, he needed to stay with Rebecca. I was the mistress,” Dandy says, his anger and hurt clear.
“I had fallen in love with him, so I agreed. But Rebecca told Renaldo that I was cheating. She didn’t tell Renaldo it was with Bobby, though.
When he confronted me, asking if what Rebecca had said was true, I confessed.
He left me, which I deserved. And I never spoke to Bobby again because he would rather save face and live a lie than let everyone know he’s in love with the town queer.
“Rebecca had to hurt me the way I had hurt her even though she got the guy. It wasn’t enough that I kept my mouth shut. She had to take away the only man who truly loved me, and the kicker, it was my fault.
“And for that reason…Rebecca Bloom needs to die.”
Dandy looks away, his lower lip quivering.
This explains so much.
The change I saw in Dandy was because of Rebecca. She has destroyed us both.
“How can one person be so…mean?” I say, unable to understand the hatred she has brewing inside her.
Dandy sniffs, wiping away a stray tear. “I don’t know, but knowing what she did to you makes me hate her even more.”
Without thought, I reach for Dandy and hug him tightly. He cries into my shoulder, letting out years of pain, pain he hasn’t been able to share until now.
I don’t say a word and simply allow Dandy to grieve.
He’s right, however.
That bitch does deserve to die. His comment now makes sense, as no, it’s not enough. Ruining her and tarnishing her reputation seems tame compared to what she did to us both.
“It’s going to be all right,” I assure him, rubbing his back.
Rebecca has made it impossible for either of us to be all right ever again.
After a few minutes, he pulls away, his eyes red. “Please don’t tell Kit any of this. I don’t want him to know.”
“Of course. It’s not my story to tell,” I promise.
Dandy stands, blowing out a shaky breath. “I’m going to shower. I’m working a double shift. Text me later and let me know what you guys decide.”
I nod.
He rinses his mug out, and before leaving the kitchen, he turns over his shoulder and says with nothing but sincerity, “I’m so happy you’re back.”
“Me too.”
And I am.
Dandy leaves as I process what he shared.
I’m torn as the feelings of revenge reappear.
I hear Jupiter once again. “I told you we’re the same.”
Lowering my head, I rub my temples, sensing an oncoming migraine.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” Kit asks as he enters the kitchen.
There’s no point trying to pretend that everything is okay. But I made a promise to Dandy, and I intend to keep it.
“You were snoring, I mean, sleeping so soundly,” I say with a smirk.
“Probably the only sleep I got when you stopped hogging the bed.”
My mouth parts in mock horror. “Oh, you lie.”
He chuckles, his bare chest doing things to me that would have Mother Superior praying for my sinful soul.
I stand and pour him a cup of coffee. “I can do it.”
“I know,” I say, offering him the coffee. “But I like doing things for you.”
He raises an amused brow.
“Oh, get your mind out of the gutter,” I tease, rolling my eyes.
He leans his back against the counter. “I was thinking we could talk to a few girls today. I know a couple of them. They or their family are customers of the garage.”
Which reminds me. “What about the garage back in Flat Planes? Aren’t you supposed to be there until further notice?”
“This is more important,” he says, sipping his coffee.
“Kit, I don’t want you putting your life on hold for me. You have responsibilities—”
“The only responsibility I have is to you.” He interrupts, making clear this isn’t up for discussion. “Now, go get ready. We can swing past the motel and grab your things.”
“You’re so bossy,” I state with no bite because I secretly like it.
He sets his cup down on the counter, then grabs my waist and pulls me toward him. “You haven’t seen anything. Yet.”
Yet has never sounded so promising.
I grabbed my things because Kit made it clear he would set the motel on fire if I refused to stay with him.
Honestly, I would much rather that option. I can’t help but feel like nothing but a burden to him.
He’s been my savior from the very beginning, and all I seem to do is drag him into my mess. And sitting in this public park, watching the ducks swim leisurely in a pond, is a prime example of this.
He somehow managed to convince two of the girls to meet us for a chat.
No pressure.
They could leave at any time.
He was upfront, as I didn’t want them to feel ambushed or cornered. If this is going to work, then we need them to trust us.