He releases my hips, tumbling forward onto the bed beside me. I’m completely spent. He pulls me into his arms, the warmth of his body covering me like a blanket and for the first time I realize that I’m in love with him.
Chapter 6: The Betrayal
Dear god, I’m gonna burst if I don’t talk to Brianna soon! I’ve been sitting through lectures at Columbia all day that I could barely hear because I can’t stop replaying last night in my head. I never realized that life could feel so sweet as if everything makes sense, and I’m on my way. Even things like waiting for the bus feel exciting and fun today. The world just feels like a better place to be living in today than it has for the past twenty-six years.
I know that Brianna is working tonight, so I’m taking the bus to the diner to hit her up before her shift gets started. I’m going to tell her everything. She’s going to die when she hears about my night with Matthew. I’m so happy I gave him a second chance after our first disastrous date, he said that he could be a gentleman, and he proved it, and proved it, and proved it! My face is actually sore today from smiling so much at my little secret.
I walk into the restaurant but don’t see Brianna anywhere. Of course, when I want her to give me some privacy she’s like two feet away, but now she’s nowhere to be seen. I go into the kitchen, taking a quick look around and see her backpack by the back door. She’s here! Good. Relief floods through me, I can’t go another second holding all this in. I’m going to wait for her at a table out front.
Heading back into the dining area, I see that Brianna is sitting at one of the booths with her back to me. My mouth physically drops wide open when I see that Matthew is sitting cuddled up right beside her, and she’s holding his large hand in between both of hers, deep in conversation with him. I keep walking up behind them, quietly, hoping that there is some reasonable and logical explanation for what I’m witnessing. My mind is spinning in its tracks trying to come up with something, anything, to make this better.
“Matt, you gotta make this right with Kendra.” Brianna is looking at his face so hard she doesn’t even see how close I’ve gotten to them. I stop dead in my tracks. They’re talking about me? What is this about? “You can’t leave her in the dark, Matt, it isn’t fair. You have to tell her the truth about this.”
What. The. Fuck.
“I know you’re right, of course you are.” He smiles weakly. He’s looking at her in a way that I’ve never seen him look at me. He looks so vulnerable, so open. My heart twists in my ribcage, but I can’t stop watching this train wreck. “I just never thought I could fall in love like this.”
“Awww.” Brianna squeezes his hand and looks at the table.
“I never wanted things to get away from me like this. I just hope she can forgive me, you know? I hope she’ll understand.” He continues, staring at her earnestly.
I’m going to throw up. How is this even happening?
“Look, I know it’s gonna be hard, but you have to tell her ok? I can’t predict how she’ll take it, she’ll probably be really upset at first, but I know she’ll come around. She’s my best friend still, so you can’t expect me to keep this from her.”
“Just give me some time. I need to tell her when the time is right, ok? I can’t just spring it on her out of the blue,” he pleads.
“If you don’t let her know soon, I will,” Brianna answers flatly, staring him in the eyes. I’ve heard enough!
I storm up to their table. “Don’t worry, I already know!”
“Kendra! What are you doing?” Matthew’s head snaps toward me and his eyes widen.
“What am I doing? I can’t believe the nerve of you! I gave myself to you, Matthew. That meant something to me! Now you’re hooking up with my best fucking friend?” I’m yelling, I know I am, but I can’t calm myself.
“Kendra, no! It’s not like that!” Brianna pleads, throwing her hands that were just locked around Matthew’s up in the air like a dirty convict being taken down at gunpoint.
“Shut-up, Brianna! I have eyes. I can’t believe you’d sit there and lie to me like that. I just saw you two. I just heard you. You know what, you fucking deserve each other.” The tears I’ve been desperately holding back spill down my cheeks. I turn and run toward the exit as fast as I can manage.
“Kendra! Wait! Fuck!” I hear Matthew yell.
I can hear Brianna yelling for me to come back as I run across the parking lot to a parked cab and jump inside like I’m fleeing the scene of a crime. In a way, I am.