Disgust and anger coursed through my body. Disgust with myself, for being so weak, and anger towards Kyle, for being the source of my weakness.
I couldn’t deal with Kyle, or my feelings for him. I was holding a lot of bitterness inside of me, and I was afraid of what would come out of me, if Kyle pushed me too far...
It was bitter cold as I trudged down 11th street, towards The Henderson Hotel.
The impressive eight story building, stood proud in the center of 11th street, dwarfing the other buildings around it.
The light coming from the modern glass paneled walls on the ground floor, ricocheted off the traditional limestone stonework, casting out an almost majestic ambiance.
Stepping inside the foyer of the hotel was like stepping back in time. Memories flooded my mind, memories of Kyle.
I pushed them down and went in search of Mike.
There were two restaurants on the ground floor of the hotel, and Mike served in the larger one.
I slipped through the glass doors, and my eyes circled the restaurant, in search of his familiar blonde head.
When I spotted him sitting at table in the far corner of the room arguing with a leggy blonde, I had to take a double look.
My feet moved towards their table, as my curiosity got the better of me.
What the hell…
“Hey, Cam,” I said, when I reached their table. “What are you doing here?” With Mike, I wanted to add.
Cam’s head swung up.
“I’m here, because I’m warning your little friend, to back off,” she said in an agitated tone. “What are you doing here?”
“I…Uh, I was looking for Mike,” I muttered guiltily.
I wasn’t sure why I was feeling guilty.
I wasn’t doing anything wrong, was I?
Cam shook her head in disgust, before turning to look at Mike.
“You need to stay away from your brother’s girlfriends’,” she growled. “Lee has enough friends, she doesn’t need you interfering, and causing problems.”
Mike shrugged, smirking. “Wow, Cam, if I didn’t know better, I’d think that you were jealous.”
I watched, mouth open, as Cam shoved her chair back and stood slowly, glaring at Mike.
“It’s a good thing that you know better,” she seethed. “Isn’t it?”
Mike shook his head.
Ignoring Cam, he turned to face me. “How you doing today, Lee?”
“Fine,” I mumbled, thoroughly embarrassed, and confused as hell.
I knew those two didn’t exactly see eye to eye, but they’d seemed to have called a truce while I was in hospital.
But after this display, it looked like they were back to the trenches.
“Do yourself a favor, Lee,” Cam said, fixing her glare on me. “And open your eyes. Running to the father of your baby’s brother, is sick. He is bad news and you are looking for trouble.”
Cam stormed out of the restaurant before I had a chance to respond, which was just as well, because, quite frankly, I wasn’t sure I could.
“Ignore her,” Mike said, patting my back. “She’s being irrational.”
“Huh?” I said, still in shock over Cam’s outburst. “Does she think something is happening between us?” I asked, appalled.
What she had said, made me sound like a whore.
Mike shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.” He frowned. “I think she’s making sure that nothing does happen between us.”
Dropping into Cam’s vacated chair, I shook my head, sickened at the thought.
“That’s disgusting.”
Mike chuckled. “Ouch, Lee, way to hit a man when he’s down.”
“Mike,” I warned, not in the mood for jokes.
There was nothing funny about what Cam was accusing me of.
“Relax, Lee,” Mike said, smiling. “I know a lost cause when I see one. You’re in love with my brother, I get it. I’m not looking for anything more than friendship. I thought you knew that?”
“I did, I do,” I assured him. “It’s hurtful that other people don’t.”
“Screw Cam,” Mike muttered. A frown creased his brow. “She’s interfering in your life, when she should be looking at her own.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, staring into Mike’s troubled brown eyes.
“Nothing,” Mike muttered, before smiling broadly at me. “So, how’s my little niece, or nephew?”
I smiled, and sighed in relief as I rambled on about my baby, glad to change the topic of conversation.
******
Kyle
I was watching a movie and eating Chinese food with Derek when the front door opened, then shut quietly, and Lee’s curly head hurried passed the open, living-room door.
Bruno, who had been still as a statue, staring down our food, bounded out of the room after her.