“Is that all you and Dex are?” She turns his way and then back to me. There’s no longing love gaze, but there isn’t a frown either, just indifference.
“Yeah, we live hundreds miles from each other. It’s fun while we’re together, and he can make me come through the phone, so bonus there. Oh, on those nights I come home half plastered. Instead of bringing some guy I don’t know with me, I just dial Dex, and he gets me to the point of exhaustion all through the receiver of my phone.” I’m surprised she’s so willing to share this much information about what they do with each other. Does she know she’s not his only girl he shares his ‘words’ with?
“Oh, well every couple is different.” I smile and glance over my shoulder for Trey. He’s chatting with Grant and Jessa, the happy couple. “So, when do you graduate?” I ask her, and she begins rambling about the classes she’s taking for the summer. At least this is a topic I can converse about.
Trey slides back down next to me and takes my hand, giving it a squeeze. Out of the corner of my eye I see them wheeling the cake into the center of the room. Grant and Jessa get shuffled over, and the buzzing of my phone alerts me. Trey heavily sighs with assumption that more than likely our night just ended.
Excusing myself from the table, Trey’s eyes divert from mine. Not that I try to meet his either, but his blatant glare the other way tells me all I need to know. “Hey, Caden,” I answer. I hear Jen’s moans in the background. “What is it?” My voice quickly becomes frantic.
“I’m taking Jen to the hospital, she can’t stop throwing up, and her fever is rising. Mrs. Altman is watching the kids, but do you think...” He releases a long sigh. “I’m sorry, Kailey, I hate to ask. I know it’s their wedding, but if the kids wake up...” His voice filled with sadness for me when he should only be concerned for his wife at the moment.
“It’s fine, Caden. I’ll leave now. Call me when you have news.” I hang up and make the dreadful walk back to Trey. He sits alone with his shoulders slumped as he stares into his fresh drink from the bar. Sam and Dex are long gone from the table, snapping pictures of the cake cutting.
My shaking finger taps his shoulder, and his back rises and falls before he turns my way. No words are exchanged as he pulls the keys out of his pocket. I bite my lip from despair at the horrible place we’re in. I wish I could beg him to come with me, but his place is here with his friends.
Placing my hand on his forearm and asking him to hold on a second, I maneuver through the chairs to tell Grant and Jessa.
“Hi, Kailey,” Jessa says, embracing me immediately.
“Um...I have to go. I’m sorry. Caden is taking Jen to the hospital,” I reveal, pushing back the tears that are waiting to be unleashed from my eyes.
Jessa takes my hand and for the first time she gives me the sympathetic look that almost breaks the gates on my tears. “Go. If you need anything, you call us, okay?” I nod, and Grant gives me a hug. “Is Trey going with you?” she asks, and I shake my head. Her eyes dart to him, and then she smiles trying to conceal the pissed off look I witnessed.
I say my goodbyes to everyone, and Trey silently begins to walk alongside of me as I leave the restaurant. The tension filled silence surrounds us, except the clicking of our shoes on the pavement. When we get to his car, he opens the door and hands me the keys. “I’ll get a ride with Dex.” I nod and climb in. The car purrs to life, and I roll the window down, wishing I could just speed away and escape.
“I love you,” he tells me, leaning in and giving me a chaste kiss on the lips.
“I love you too.” When I roll up the window and back-up as he rocks back on his heels with his hands stuffed in his pockets. I wonder if what we have is enough as I drive away.
I pull onto the road purposely leaving the radio off. The car contains only the sound of the engine and the tires on the road. Once I’m alone in my thoughts, the tears break through. Everything I’ve been holding in comes bursting out with sobs, screams, and palms beating the steering wheel. Why is life so fucking unfair?
Chapter 16
Trey
Seeing the taillights of my car pulling out of the parking lot fills me with dread that I’m not in it. I should of fucking driven her, but I’m pissed as hell. It was our night. One fucking night, and you couldn’t even give us that, I say looking up at the sky. I get it, Jen’s sick, and Kailey’s her sister. I wouldn’t expect her to do anything other than leave when she receives the phone call. It’s just I’m in desperate need to have her to myself if only for one damn night.
The guilt of disappointing her just like I did someone else years earlier starts to eat away at me before I even hit the doors of the restaurant. I open the door and the cool swish of air hits my face. Although everyone seems to be dancing and having a good time, there are a few currently watching my every move. The few who know why Kailey just left. The few who are now curious why the hell I’m still here. I wish I could answer them, but instead I snag the bottle of Jack from the bar and disappear through the back door.
Untwisting the bottle cap, I stare at the brick wall I just took her against less than a half hour ago. All of our times, float through my memory like a slideshow. Screw this. I stand up, leaving the bottle on the ground. My hand on the doorknob, I fling the door open to find Jessa standing there with keys dangling from her finger.
“Thanks,” I murmur before grabbing them and running out to the parking lot.
I have to check the keys twice, trying to figure out whose car they belong to, before smacking myself for not just hitting the panic button on the keyset to identify the car. Brady’s Camaro lights flash, and I jog over, hopping into the smooth leather seats. I pull out my phone and dial up Kailey, but it goes straight to her voicemail. I wish I could kick my ass for not asking her how serious it was that she left. If it is really bad, she would have said something, right? Shaking my head, I can kid myself all I want, but deep down she’d keep it from me, just to make sure I stayed. She’s so hell bent on me living the life she assumes I should. A life I don’t want any more if it doesn’t involve her.
When I see my car in the driveway, I finally release a relieved breath. Not for my car, but for her. Mrs. Altman’s climbing down the steps just as I’m walking up the drive.
“Hi, Trey. Don’t you look draper today,” her grandma voice shakes with her compliments. “Kailey too, she’s beautiful.”
“She is,” I agree, and she places her hand on my forearm, giving it a light squeeze.
“You’re a good guy, Trey.” She keeps going down the paved walkway, turning on the sidewalk. I watch for her to get into her house safely before going to the door. I’ve been here so often I have a key, but it’s on my keychain that’s currently in the house with Kailey.
Knocking softly, I spot her image walking toward the door from the window encased within the wood. She unlocks the bolt and stands in the doorway. “Hey,” I say, “can I come in?” She doesn’t answer, but steps out of the way. I walk in and grab her around the waist, pulling her to me. “I’m sorry you love a dickhead.” My lame ass attempt to end this with humor.
She doesn’t laugh. “You should have stayed. You belong there.”
“I belong here. Anywhere you are is where I’m supposed to be.”
She leans into me, and tears begin to fall. “What is it?” I ask her, pushing back and gripping her upper arms.
“Caden hasn’t called yet. They’re at the hospital again. It’s the third time in two weeks. I just know, Trey, I just know—,” her voice shakes, and sobs begin pouring out of her. “The t-t-time is c-coming,” she stutters, and I grab her as tight as I can get her against me. Holding her head against my chest, I attempt to soothe her, but it’s too late. Kailey holds everything in until she can’t hang on anymore, so I know she just needs a release.