Break My Fall(33)

I was still upset about earlier. I debated turning around and running upstairs, but I forced my feet to move forward. I was going to have to get used to being around him. He was my roommate after all and my boss…

“Hey” he croaked, pulling himself up to make room for me to sit down. “You’re late tonight.” His eyelids were heavy. I had woken him up.

“I know. I just finished my shift. Linda had me cover Theresa’s shift.” I sat on the other side of the couch, as far away as I could from him.

“Again?” he asked stretching. “That’s the third time this week.” I nodded; surprised that he would know that. “Linda needs to get her shit together. I’ll have a word with her.”

I grabbed his arm in alarm. “Please don’t Kyle,” I begged. “I like Linda and she’s good to me. I don’t want her upset with me.”

Sighing, he patted my knee. “Okay, relax I won’t bring it up. Just make sure that you say no if you’re too tired Lee. I don’t want to wear you down.”

I plopped the pizza box in between us, needing a little space. I felt too worked up by the fact that Kyle was talking to me, to worry about…Well, work. I wasn’t sure why he was even speaking to me. He usually ignored me. Pathetic as it sounded, I craved his company. “Hungry?” I asked.

We sat side-by-side gorging on pizza and watching some crummy sitcom rerun.

It was…nice. “How come you’re not out tonight?” I asked between bites of my pizza, turning my head to face him.

“I’m just sick of drama. I am in desperate need of a chick free night,” he answered through chews.

“In case it has slipped your attention I happen to have a vagina,” I mumbled as we both went for the last slice. I immediately blushed from my outburst. I would have never spoken like that back home. I could feel the heat burning my cheeks. Did I just say vagina to Kyle? I felt like running.

Kyle made a choked noise as he tore the slice in half and handed me the bigger half. My stomach grumbled in appreciation. He looked over at me smiling and poked me in the side.

“I am very aware that you have a vagina, but you’re different.” He sighed heavily. “I need to apologize to you about earlier Lee.” He stretched his hand toward me and rubbed his thumb across my chin. “You have a little tomato sauce just there.”

I lowered my burning face and I could have sworn he stuck his thumb in his mouth. I was wondering if he would bring up the restaurant incident. I didn’t because I was too afraid he would leave. I really was pathetic.

I tucked my legs underneath me and turned to face him. “We don’t have to-”

“Rachel was a bitch. She shouldn’t have spoken to you like that,” Kyle interrupted. Rachel being a bitch to me was nothing new. She had a snide remark every time she saw me.

“It’s fine Kyle.”

He frowned, his brows furrowed. “No, no it’s not. She made you cry and I did nothing. I should have said something.” I shrugged. Yes, he should have, but he never did. I wondered what was going on with them. Why did he bother with Rachel? She was just plain nasty. Whatever was between them couldn’t be worth the hassle of staying with her. Kyle could do so much better than her.

“It’s okay, it’s not like you talk to me anymore anyway. I’m used to being ignored.”

He flinched and I felt bad immediately. “Is that how you feel? Like I ignore you?”

Of course, that’s how I felt, that’s what he did every time he saw me. I nodded.

“I’m sorry princess, I don’t mean to… I don’t want you to feel like that.” My heart skipped when he called me princess. It had been a long time since he had.

“Kyle it’s okay, honestly. I overreacted. Rachel just touched a raw nerve, bringing up my mother.”

He scooted closer to me. “I’ve never heard you talk about your mother. Why is that?”

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. “Um, that’s because I never knew her. She died giving birth to me.”

I heard him exhale sharply, but I kept my eyes focused on the television. “Shit, I didn’t know that.”

I smiled at him. He looked truly upset. “How could you Kyle? Don’t worry about it. I’m going to get some more water, you want anything?” When he didn’t answer, I went and got myself another bottle of water.

“My mom’s dead too,” Kyle said, when I returned to the couch.

I sank onto the couch beside him. “Oh, I’m sorry.” My heart swelled for him. “How old were you when she passed away?” I was sorry for him. Losing a mother was the worst feeling in the world for a child. To be missing that crucial element, a mother’s love.