Chapter 34 #2
“No,” I say, stopping them before they can face the room, who is watching us avidly. “No. Where is Janessa right now?”
“She was going to be my guest,” Lexie says. “But we saw the post on the way over. She’s waiting in the car out front for us.”
“Tell her to come in.”
Both girls look at me like I’m insane.
“Tommy, what are you saying? I just want to leave,” Kira whispers to me, sounding so achingly forlorn.
I take her hands back in mine and stare into her eyes, trying to show her how serious I am, trying to show her how much conviction I have.
“Kira, I know this won’t be the easy way out, but you’re not helpless.
I know that Young-gi just wants to protect you, and so do I, but our ruse is up.
There’s no saving this now. It’s over. This is ending.
But we can end it on our terms. Have Janessa come inside.
She can smile, I’ll smile, and I’ll pass you to her like I was in on it all along.
Like I’ve always known. Who gives a shit what they say about me?
About you? They’ll wonder if we’re open, if we’re poly, but it won’t matter because it’s up to us how we spin this.
Don’t let Brian win. We’re going to come out on top. ”
“Tommy, I don’t know if I can.”
“I know you can,” I say emphatically. “All I wanted was to shield you from my mistake, from the drama I caused at the lake. But this is something we can’t hide, so let’s not hide it.
The only way to beat a bully is to ignore them.
This can’t bother you. This isn’t a secret, this isn’t a shameful thing.
It’s just you, and who you love. Didn’t you say you wanted to be with Janessa in the open?
That you didn’t want to hide her? Our engagement was in the way of that.
But if we were in an open relationship, sure it’s a bit scandalous–but you can be with Janessa from now on.
And I can just, you know, fade into the background until I’m gone. And that was the goal, wasn’t it?”
Lexie is nodding, and texting furiously.
“Janessa says she’s in. She can spin it, she has way more followers than he does.
She’s already making a post about how he’s being homophobic and bigoted by outing you before you were ready, and how Tommy was supportive of you being bisexual. She wants to go for it.”
Kira swallows hard, and I pull her into a hug. She clings to me, and nods against my chest. “Alright, fine.”
“She’s coming in,” Lexie says, looking a little more eager now, instead of scared. Her eyes narrow and she scans the gossiping crowd. An evil, vindictive smile curves her lips and she has to hide it by looking at me. “They’re going to be so confused and scandalized by this.”
“But powerless,” I say when Kira flinches. “Because we’re not hiding anything at all.”
The crowd parts, and Janessa glides toward us like she’s walking on water, made of liquid beauty. I turn Kira to face her, and her lips part and her eyes widen. Janessa is stunning.
She walks confidently up to us, puts a hand on my cheek and leans in to air-kiss both sides of my face. Her smile is slow and seductive and her eyes are knowing. I smirk at her.
“Janessa,” I greet her.
“Tommy,” she murmurs, taking Kira’s hands from mine. “Thanks for watching our girl for me until I could get here.” She’s not being quiet about it, and since several nosy attendees snuck closer once she arrived, her words are heard.
The impact is immediate, with jaws slackening and whispers pinging around the room. I want to laugh but manage to hold it in, because Janessa basically just implied that we’re in Kira’s, like, harem or whatever.
“It’s my pleasure,” I drawl, like Tommy Claremont would, and give Kira’s cheek a kiss before she joins Janessa in circling the room and facing her fears.
“She’s braver than she used to be,” Lexie whispers as the stares follow the couple around. “She never would’ve done this before.”
“Before what?”
“Before you, before Janessa. Before the lake? I don’t know when it happened, but she’s getting braver. Tougher. She wants to be with the girl she loves and she’s willing to make it happen, even though it’s scary.”
“Maybe that’s what love is all about,” I say, my mind flashing to Young-gi. I wonder if he has Tyler in a box yet. I wonder if he’s thinking about me, too.
“Oh my god, stop,” Lexie elbows my side. “You get the stupidest look on your face when you think about Mr. Sokolov.”
I just laugh, because she’s right.
“Let’s go confuse some people,” I invite, holding out my arm so she can loop hers with mine.
“Oh, let’s,” she smiles, eager and wicked.
“Have I ever told you that your vindictive side appeals to me?” I ask her quietly as we make our way back to the crowd, back toward where Janessa is handling conversations like a politician, like a queen, holding Kira to her and projecting an image of confidence and love.
“No, but I’m glad someone finally appreciates me,” Lexie sighs with a smirk.
I lean toward her ear so I can talk to her without being overheard. “Wanna make a bet? I bet before the night is over, if we play our cards right, we can get people so desperate for gossip that they’ll straight up ask you if you’re part of her harem, too.”
“Oh, I love the way you think.”
And we jump into the party, ready to finally stop avoiding drama and to just let it burn, to start the fires and be open about it. To be brave.
And before I know it, despite the nerves and the way the choice of when she wanted to come out was taken from her, Kira isn’t acting timid anymore.
In less than an hour, she’s glowing, because Janessa is showering her with the kind of affection she’s always wanted, right out in the open, without a care for who might see.
I rub my chest, wondering if Young-gi and I will ever get to be together in public.
Now wouldn’t THAT be a fun scandal? It will have to wait.
Kira’s being brave, but there’s no reason to make these rough waters even more turbulent for her.
No, I’ll wait for my happy-ever-after, if there even is such a thing.
For tonight, seeing her look so happy and confident and in love is more than enough.
I make Lexie snap a picture of her while she’s not paying attention.
“For their wedding,” she nods decisively, taking way more than one photo. “I’ll be the maid of honor, obviously. I need to start making the PowerPoint presentation for my speech ASAP.”
And I win my bet. Because right as the party starts to wind down, the crowd can’t take the mystery and suspense anymore, and Lexie finally gets asked if she’s also part of Kira’s open relationship.
We just laugh hysterically, nearly falling down from it, as we stagger out the door to the waiting car.
The ride back to Kira’s apartment is full of giggles, the kind that come from an adrenaline high and a heist pulled off right.
When we pull up, I stay in the car, because I’m going back to Young-gi’s place to wait for him to come home from his business, so I can suck his dick and tell him I love him a few more times.
But Kira pauses, turns to me, takes my hand. Lexie and Janessa are outside waiting for her, so it’s just her and me.
“Tommy, thank you,” she says emphatically. “Really. I didn’t think I’d ever be brave enough to be in the center of attention like that. I didn’t think I’d ever…but you… Anyway, I want to say thanks.”
“No problem,” I shrug bashfully.
“I want you to be with my uncle whenever you want. Publicly,” she says, startling me. I jerk, totally not expecting that.
“What?”
“Let’s rip the Band-Aid off and get it all out of the way.
Don’t wait. Janessa and I are together now, so you’ll be kicked out of my harem,” she says with an embarrassed smile and a blush.
“So just…don’t wait too long to be with him.
Don’t wait on my account. You don’t need to fade slowly out of my life.
I don’t care if it’s dramatic. I don’t care if it’s crazy.
Young-gi is private so it’s not like you’ll be on the news anyway.
I just… I don’t want you to feel like you can’t be happy with him, like I was happy tonight with her. ”
Her eyes glide to Janessa, who’s standing by the entrance to Kira’s building, staring back at her.
“That girl is obsessed with you,” I say, deadpan.
Kira laughs, and nods. “Yeah. Think about what I said. Let’s drop the fiancé act now, alright?”
With a smile, she gives me the ring she’s been wearing since we started all this.
I take it, not sure what else to do. And then she’s gone.
She does this cute little run thing to Janessa, who grabs her and kisses her while Lexie pretends to gag while taking a bunch more photos of them.
The car pulls away from them, and I look at the rings in my hand: Kira’s, and the one still on my finger.
I guess I’d better return these. And if I’m ever wearing another one, it will be his. I smile. All I think about for the rest of the drive is him.