Kya & Xavier: It's Always Been You (Life As We Know It Book 1) (29 page)

“She’s sleep Toni, what’s up?”

“Can I come up there?” her voice was
shaky and I wasn’t sure but she sounded like she was crying now or had recently
been.

“Are you okay? Where are you?”

“I’m in Ethan’s room? Can I come up
there?”

“Yeah, I’ll unlock the door, where is
he?”

“He’s not here.”

“What’s wrong, did something happen?
Are you okay?”

“I’m on my way.”

She hung up without giving me an
answer, so I unlocked my bedroom door, stepped into the living room which was
completely dark aside from the glow of the DVD player. As soon as I unlocked the
door I heard the handle and then Toni stepped inside so I flipped on the living
room light. She was dressed in yoga pants and a tshirt. She dropped her bag on
the floor next to the door, walked over to the sofa, sat down in the corner and
pulled her knees into her chest. She looked upset and I could tell that she had
been crying.

“Where’s Ky?”

“I didn’t wake her up. What’s going
on?”

“Will you get her please?”

“Are you okay, did something happen?”
Ethan was my boy but if he had done anything out of the way it was going to be
a problem.

“I just need to talk to Ky, will you
please get her?”

“I will but tell me what’s going on?
Did Ethan do something? Where did he go?”

She started crying silently but the
tears began rolling out with force.

“Toni, tell me what’s going on.”

“I messed up?”

“Messed up how?”

“Ant?”

“Please tell me you’re not still
dealing with him.”
Damn here we go I'm
exactly where I did not want to be stuck in the middle of some bullshit.

“I'm not.” She almost yelled. I
glanced at my bedroom door half expecting to see Ky even though I knew that she
could sleep through a national disaster.

“What's the problem then?”

“He's been texting and calling me and
Ethan just found out.”

“So he's been texting and calling you
but you haven't been responding?”
Come on
now.

“I was but I haven't been but he kept
blowing up my phone tonight so Ethan got pissed and asked to see my phone and I
had old messages in there and…”

She started crying again, “And what?
He didn't put his hands on you did he?”
Please
let your answer be no!

“No! He just got dressed grabbed his
keys and left. He wouldn't let me explain, he just left.”

“Do you blame him?”

“You of all people have no room to
judge.” She cut her eyes at me.

“I'm not but this is not about what I
think. Let me see.”

“See what?”

“The messages.”

She unlocked her phone scrolled
through it and then handed it to me. She had ignored most of the recent
messages but there were a lot that she had responded to during a time that I
know for sure that her and Ethan were kicking it pretty strong. Hell I see why
he got pissed. I would have too. She had clearly crossed a line with Ant that shouldn't
have been crossed if she was trying to get serious with Ethan.

“Damn Toni, this is exactly why I
didn't want you two together. Now I'm stuck right in the middle of this mess.”

“You know what forget it. Just wake
Ky up and I'll take her car home and you can bring her tomorrow. She stood up
and snatched her phone from my hand. I didn’t want to wake Ky up because I knew
that the two of them would immediately be on mission to get out of here back to
their dorm to speak in private about the situation and I wasn’t about to have
that argument with either of them about leaving so late.

“Chill out. That's why you’re in this
mess. Making stupid decisions.”

“I didn't do anything stupid.” I
could tell she was angry “I didn't cheat on him. So what I sent a few messages to
an ex. I know he's not 100% innocent either.”

“No matter what he's done or hasn't
done the most important thing is that he kept it away from you. You can guess
all you want but no girls are blowing up his phone at 3:00 in the morning so
yeah you did something stupid.”

She fell back into the corner of the
sofa, pulled her legs into her chest again and dropped her head on her knees.

“Look he has the right to be angry.
You can't expect him not to be.”

She sat silently so I kept talking “What
do you wanna do?”

“I wanna fix it.” She said muffled by
the fact that she still had her head down.

“Are you done with that dude?”

“Yes I have been for a while.” She
looked at me this time as if it would confirm her answer.

“I’ll talk to him but don't make me
regret it.”

“I won't, I swear all I want is Ethan.”

“You know I got you but Ethan is my
boy too and I don't like having to make a choice so you better be sure you
really want this.”

“Zay I promise. I do.”

I'll be right back I went back in my
room to get my phone, Ky of course was still sleep. I called Ethan several times
but the calls went straight to voicemail so either his phone was off or he knew
I was calling about Toni and didn't want to deal. I knew that Ethan still crept
a little mostly with Shaunie but that was his business, I just made it clear to
keep me out of it and to respect Toni enough to keep it away from her and we'd
be cool.
I guess we'll deal with this
tomorrow.

I opened my closet, grabbed the
blanket that Ky left in my room, a pillow of my bed and went back into the
living room.

“Here.” I handed Toni the blanket and
pillow. ”He didn't answer. It's late so just chill here and I'll talk to him
tomorrow.”

“Thanks.”

“You want that light off?”

“Yeah and Zay I know you don't
believe me but I really am serious about Ethan.”

“I hope so. Don't stress I'm sure it
will be fine. He's just mad right now.”

Toni balled the pillow up under her
head and cover her body with the blanket. I turned the light off and left her
there. I thought about how I pissed I would have been if that had been me and
Ky. I know I wouldn't have the right to have any type of feelings about it
after all the situations that I had forced on her but I knew that I still would
have lost it just like Ethan did. It's funny how that double standard works.

Chapter 22

Kya Renee

“You’ve been in bed all day. Come go
to the café with me.” I sat on the edge of Toni’s bed that she had been in
since we had gotten home early this morning.

“I don’t really feel like it.”

“Come on Tee, you need to get up.”

“You can go, I don’t wanna go
anywhere.” She was lying in fetus positon on her bed hugging an oversized teddy
bear. Aside from a shower and a few trips to the bathroom, she had basically
been in the same place all day.

I kicked off my shoes and laid down
on my back next to her. “So you wanna talk about it?”

“What’s there to talk about? I just
basically ruined my relationship and for what?”

“Don’t say that. You don’t know
what’s going to happen.”

She sat up, crossed her legs and sat
the bear in her lap before she locked her arms around it and lowered her chin
on its head.

“Ky, he was so mad. You didn’t see
him. The way he looked at me.”

“You have to understand why, but I
bet he was more hurt than mad and once the hurt fades he’ll be okay. It’s not
over. It can’t be.”

“But I didn’t even do really do
anything. Yeah I sent text and made some calls but I haven’t been with him. He
just wouldn’t let me explain. He looked at me with so much hate Ky. He said he
was done.”

“Take it from someone who has been
where he is, it hurts but you get over it. It just takes time.”

She gave me the saddest look and for
the first time in a really long time, I knew and I mean I really knew that she
really cared about someone. Ethan had somehow managed to break her down and
steal her heart. Toni never really was the kind to get all emotional about any
guy but when she did, look out. She was in deep and I could tell that she had
it bad for Ethan. I sat up, scooted next to her and laid my head on her
shoulder.

“We will fix this. I promise.”

“You can’t promise that but thanks
for trying to make me feel better.”

“I can promise that. I don’t know how
but we will fix this or I’ll use my ninja skills to take out every girl that he
was every interested in so that you’re the only option he has left.”

“I hope that’s not supposed to make
me feel better.” Toni laughed.

“Well duh. I told you that I was
going to fix it one way or another. You cannot criticize my methods.”

“I love Ky.”

“If you do then you will go to the
café with me so that I won’t starve to death because all we have to eat is
yogurt and easy mac.”

“That will work just don’t mix them
together.”

“Get dressed.”

Toni and I made it to the café had
dinner headed back to the dorms and then set up in my room to watch Netflix. We
had birthday cake ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, M & M’s, popcorn and Doritos.
A lethal mixed reserved for relationship issues that Toni and I had formulated
years ago. The movies changed pending the situations but our routine was pretty
predictable. Eat until we were on the cusp of throwing up while we recited every
line of a move that we had seen a million and one times. Tonight we had Love
Jones on deck, the perfect mix of dysfunctional relationships with happy
endings. I had my favorite fleece turtle blanket while Toni snuggled under the
royal blue UNCG blanket that she had stolen from Ethan’s dorm room. We started
the movie and settled in for our girl’s night. Halfway through the movie Toni
randomly spoke, “I miss him Ky.”

“I know you do.”

“I mean not like miss being around
him but I miss him.”

I completely understood what she
meant. “You miss that connections because you feel like is gone right? It kind
of makes you feel out of place.”

“Exactly, it’s like I don’t know what
to do with myself. I’m used to thinking about him all day and talking to him
and that feeling that I know I’m going to see him soon. It just feels weird.”

“I know.”
And by do I know, I have had that feeling too many times before

“It’s going to be okay. He just needs
a minute.”

“But what if he never gets over it.”

“He will, you really didn’t do
anything that terrible.”

“As far as he’s concerned I did.”

“You made a stupid decision. You’re
not perfect and neither is he. He knows that. He’s just hurt right now but
that’s a good sign. It proves that he really cares because if he didn’t care he
would have been like ‘its whatever’ but at least you know you matter.”

“Yeah great, I know that he cares and
I hurt him and he might never get over it. What good is that going to do me?”

“Tee, don’t think like that. It’s
just a bump in the road. Not the end of the road.”

She laid on her side, pulled her
knees into her chest and held on to her bear for dear life. It was dark but I
could see her face from the light of the TV enough to know that the tears were
falling again. I didn’t say another word because I knew that there wasn’t
anything that I could say to make her feel better. I just moved close to her so
that she knew I was there .She had done the same for me too many times before.
It was our thing, it was us.

-----

When my alarm went off it scared me
so I jumped up. Toni was still asleep balled up in Ethan’s UNCG blanket hugging
her bear. My alarm apparently didn’t faze her because she didn’t budge. I
crawled to the end of her bed, slid off of it and collected all of our trash
from our girl’s night. I dumped the dishes in the sink before I went into my
bathroom and turned on my shower. After a few minutes the bathroom was filled
with steam so I grabbed a towel, shut the door and stepped in. The water was so
hot that it burned my skin but it felt good. I hadn’t heard from Xavier other
than him telling me that he hadn’t talked to Ethan about Toni yet and him
reminding me that Leigh’s all-star game was this weekend.
Man I need this situation to get fixed and ASAP.

I stepped out of my bathroom and
caught a chill. My room felt so much colder after having been under that
steaming hot water so I dressed quickly. When I was done I checked my image in
the full length mirror on the back of my door to make sure everything was on
point. Charcoal leggings, Navy Chucks, and AE hoodie. I picked up my phone to
check the weather
crap high of 52 today
I opened my closet and searched for a hat and settled on a navy and gray
knitted one and then found the matching scarf before I shut my closet door.

Breakfast
I
left my room and walked into the kitchen and opened the cabinet to find
something quick to eat.
Pop tarts and
granola bars Hmmm
I grabbed a granola bar and shut the cabinet and started
the single cup coffee maker so that I wouldn’t have to stop by the café. Once
it started brewing I went back in my room to make sure my book bag was packed.
After I shoved all of my books into it I grabbed my phone, keys and scarf
before I shout off my light and locked my door. I dumped my book bag on the
sofa and placed my keys and phone on the counter while I poured my coffee into
one of our reusable coffee cups, overloaded it with cream and sugar and then
secured the lid on it. Ready or not, it was time to leave.
Let us pray.

Four hours later, I was back in my
dorm and had survived another day of classes. Toni wasn’t there when I got back
so I assumed she made it to class okay which I figured was a good sign because
as of last night she didn’t have the motivation to do anything productive after
her situation with Ethan. It was time for a quick nap and then study time. I
kicked off my Chucks, one landed in the center of the floor while the other one
I had no visual of. I plugged my phone in, draped my turtle blanket over my
body, closed my eyes and the second I felt myself my phone started vibrating.
Dang it.

“Hey you.” I said, it was Xavier

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to take a nap.”

“I’ll let you go.”

“Too late, I’m up now.”

“I wish I could come join you but
I’ve got practice in like forty-five minutes.”

“Just skip it. I’m the better
option.”

“True, but coach would kill me and I
wouldn’t be able to play Friday.”

“I’m cool with that.”

“So you want me to suffer?”

“No but if it means I get more time
with you then I think I can live with it.”

“Selfish, selfish, selfish.” He
laughed.

“Am not.”

“Yes you are but it’s all good. If I
were you, I would want all of me all the time too.”

“Cocky, cocky, cocky.” I said
sarcastically

“I told you, I’m not cocky, just
confident.”

“Same thing.”

“Whatever.” He laughed again “Have
you talked to Leigh yet?”

“No, what’s up?”

“Please call her, she’s been blowing up
my phone about this weekend. The team gets here Saturday morning, but she wants
to stay with you Friday night so she wants you to come get her.”

I thought about the fact that he had
a game on Friday and wouldn’t be able to make the hour drive there and back to
pick her up.

“I’ll call her.” I held my phone away
from my face long enough to check the time. “What time does she get out of
school?”

“Three fifteen.”

“I should be able to get her. I only
have a lab on Friday so I think I can get there and back in time for your
game.”

“Can Toni go with you, I don’t really
want you going by yourself?”

“I’ll check father, but if not, I’ll
be fine. I’ve done it a million times.”

“Funny Ky. I’m serious tough just check
and let me know.”

“I will.”
I swear you’re worse than my parents sometimes.

“We’ve got a team meeting tonight at
8:00 but it shouldn’t last long so I can be there by like nine I think.”

“Do you want me to just come there?”

“That’s up to you.”

“I don’t mind.”

“You sure, you’ve been here a lot and
I can come after the meeting.”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay well I’ll make sure Chaz is
here.”

I’m not five but okay
“Alright, you do realize that I’m in my dorm by myself, all
the time.”

“You don’t live in an athletic dorm
full of dumb ass guys who only use their brains about ten percent of the time
and jail is not an option for me right now so I will make sure Chaz is here
when you get here.”
I couldn’t argue with
that so I let it go, he was right

All I said was, “Okay.”

“I’ve gotta go, Love you.”

“Love you more.”

I placed my phone back on my
nightstand and got comfy again. I smiled at when I thought about how protective
Zay was with me. It was a little much sometimes but I couldn’t really complain
because I knew it meant that he cared. He always made me feel safe and I
wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world.

Xavier Lee

I leaned on the frame of Chaz’s door
while he was pecking away at the keyboard of his computer with his chubby
oversized fingers totally violating the keys. It looked awkward and I felt
sorry for his laptop as he struggled to find each letter. I was positive that
he had skipped keyboarding in high school.

“What’s up Chaz, you gonna be around
here later?”

“Not sure what ya need?”

“I have a team meeting at 8:00 and Ky
is staying tonight. I don’t really want her here alone, so if you don’t mind
hanging out here until I get back, I’d appreciate it.”

“Yeah, that’s cool.”

“You need anything, you straight?” I
thought about the fact that Chaz didn’t have a car and he was on scholarship
but his parent’s usually made sure he had a steady flow of cash when they had
it to spare.

“Nah, I’m good but thanks.”

“You know if you need anything, I got
you. Just ask.”

“What I need is to finish annotating
this poem but I can’t type worth shit.”

“That, I can’t help with but I’ll pay
somebody to do it for you.” I said and laughed. I was pretty decent at typing
but I barely could make it through my own assignments so I damn sure wasn’t
about to do anyone else’s.

“I might have to take you up on
that.” He said before he began violating the keys on his laptop again. I left
him there pounding the keys and cussing.

I went back to my room grabbed my
practice bag, locked my door and headed towards the elevator. The dorms were
unusually loud for this time of day. I could hear TV’s blasting and several
radios playing so I stopped by Jason’s room just before I reached the elevator.

“What’s up Jas, you don’t have
conditioning today.” Jason was one of the first string wide receivers and they
trained year round like we did usually during the same times so I figured
something was going on.