Kyle
I was a bastard. I shouldn’t have gone off on Lee earlier. I was pissed with Rachel for slapping me again and took my frustration out on Lee. I cringed remembering the look of terror in her eyes when I shouted at her. I shouldn’t have shouted. It was obvious Lee was nervous, but what she had said touched on something that Rachel would never have to deal with and that was entirely my fault. The girl had every right to hit me. Christ, I would hit me if I were her.
That didn’t excuse the way I treated Lee though. She had defended me when Rachel was shooting her mouth off and had given me one of the best nights of my life last night. She had tried to comfort me when she thought I was hurt. She was nothing but good. I owed her an apology and I would give her one, just as soon as I could look her in the eye again.
Lee
I wasn’t sure if I should go downstairs. I didn’t know if Kyle wanted me to come down.
I knew he was still here. I could hear him rustling around in his room all afternoon. He had gone downstairs when Cam shouted up that the pizza had arrived, but he’d been so angry earlier that I was still shuffling around my room, debating whether I could face him or not…
“Lee, come on down girl,” Cam called again.
I was just going to have to face him. He would have to deal with it. We all had to live here. I walked downstairs and poked my head around the living room door. Cam and Derek were cuddled up on the love chair eating each other’s faces, which left only the couch to sit on. That option wasn’t looking very good either, not with Kyle sitting on it with Rachel sprawled across his lap.
Dixon and Mo were sitting on the floor near the coffee table, so I focused on them. “Lee you’re here,” Dixon smiled broadly. “I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to stop myself from eating your slice.”
I took a deep breath and walked in, ignoring the two pairs of eyes boring into me. “Well, I’m here now Dixon so hands off,” I joked as I sat on the floor alongside him. I could see Kyle shift on the couch. He moved slightly further from Rachel, but I didn’t dare look to see her reaction. I was too busy hoping to hell that she wouldn’t put a beating on me.
I focused on the two boys next to me. They were very much alike, but that was expected with twins. Both boys were lanky and thin. They both had brown hair, but Mo had green eyes and Dixons were brown. Dixon had his eyebrow pierced, which distinguished them from one another even more.
Dixon nodded his head in my direction. “You’re looking good Lee. Tell me, you got your eye on any man here in Boulder?” I heard a choking noise from behind me.
“You okay bro? You need a drink?” Derek asked.
“No, I’m good Derek,” Kyle replied. I blushed and made some comment to Dixon about focusing on work right now. Dixon continued to prattle on while I ate my slice of margarita, it felt like I was swallowing glass. It was obvious which twin was the outgoing one.
“I’m heading out,” I heard Rachel say and a few seconds later felt a burning pain shoot through my fingers. I looked down at my hand, to see a shoe pressing into my skin. “Good night everyone,” Rachel smirked down at me; there was a look of pure malice in her eyes.
I held in the scream that was bubbling in my throat. I would not give her the satisfaction of knowing she was hurting me.
“Bye now,” Cam said. “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Oh, wait never mind,” She waved enthusiastically at Rachel.
Rachel huffed. “Kyle, walk me out? Now.” She moved her foot and I pulled my hand towards me. Holding it against my stomach, I covered it with my other.
“You okay there Lee?” Mo asked.
“Yeah, I’m good, just real thirsty. I’ll be right back.” I got up and went straight to the kitchen sink. Running the faucet, I let the cold water wash over my aching fingers. Thank god Rachel was skinny; otherwise my fingers could have been a lot sorer. I reckoned it was just bruising. They stung, but I could move them and I’d had a lot worse.
“I’m sorry about today.” I turned to see Kyle standing in the doorway. He was sorry? He looked guilty.
I turned off the tap and wrapped my hand in a tea towel. “Me too, I interfered in your business. I won’t do it again.”
Kyle stepped closer. “You hurt your hand or something?” He had that worried look on his face. Before I could move, he took my hand and slowly unwound the towel. “Holy shit Lee. How’d you do that?”
His thumb softly traced my swollen fingers. “I caught them in the door.” He believed me; I was good at covering up.
“Damn Lee, you gotta be more careful. You could have snapped these. It could have been a lot worse.” I grimaced. Kyle didn’t realize how much more careful I needed to be.