The Realest Ever (15 page)

Kyra smiled big and bright.  “Of course I would!”

“What if your boyfriend told you not to hang around me?”

She smacked her lips.  “Please. 
If he don’t like it, he don’t have to stay with me.  I wouldn’t choose him over you.”

Donovan
’s heart glowed.  “But you just said–”

“I said I wouldn’t let my man do it,” Kyra stated.  “I never said I wouldn’t
do it myself, if I was in your position.”

“So you understand why I’m here
.”

“
Yes.  But what if your girlfriend decides to put her foot down, like I would?”

“Well, I hope she
will understand that I can’t turn my back on someone I’ve known ten times longer than I’ve known her.”

“I don’t wanna be the cause of your relationship going bad,” Kyra said.
  She wasn’t smiling now. 

“If it goes bad, I assure you you’re not the
only cause,” Donovan said as he headed to his truck.  “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Wait
.” 

Donovan looked back, and his eyes bulged
at the sight of Kyra hopping off the porch.  Her breasts were 100% real.  They had plenty of bounce to them.

Wow.

She ran up and gave him a big hug.

“Thank you
, for everything.”

Donovan thought he had things under control, but the feel of her boobs
pressed against his torso sent a jolt from his chest, down his stomach and right between his legs.  He pushed her away gently when he felt himself becoming aroused.

Why is this happening?

“Girl, get those things off me,” he joked.

“What?” Kyra said
, and then she looked down at her chest.  “Boy, shut up.”  She giggled as she pranced back to the porch. 

Donovan saw that
her body was bouncy in the front and in the back. 

“I can’t help the way God made me,” Kyra said
, and she slipped inside the house.

No
, you certainly can’t
, Donovan agreed. 
And I thank Him.  Well, not me, but some lucky guy will!

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE ALMOST ULTIMATUM

Donovan called Brianna on his way home from Kyra’s house.  She tried to reach him when he was at McDonalds, but Donovan didn’t answer.  He sent her straight to voicemail.  He was surprised Brianna only sent him two text messages since then.  The first one read: Still at practice
?
  In the second one she asked:
 
Where are you?

Brianna answered
her phone on the second ring.

“Donovan?”
  She sounded worried.

“Hey, baby.  What’s up?”

“What’s going on?” she asked.  “Where are you?  Did practice run long?”

It was 8:30 pm.  Donovan kept his team on the field as late as 7:00 pm every now and then, but
that was not the norm.  He figured he could tell Brianna,
Yes, that’s exactly where I was
, and they’d get through this day without an argument.  But Donovan didn’t want to lie.  He never liked being dishonest, especially with a girlfriend.  It was bad enough he hadn’t told Brianna about his and Kyra’s ill-fated kiss.  Donovan didn’t want to get into a pattern of telling half truths where Kyra was concerned.

He bit the bullet and said, “
I just left Kyra’s house.”

Brianna mulled that over for a
moment.  “What did you go over there for?  How long have you been there?  Why didn’t you answer your phone when I called?”

Donovan sighed.  Was this it?  His next answer
could end their relationship or lead to one of the biggest fights they ever had.  Was Kyra worth it?  Donovan answered his question before it even sank in.  Of course she was. 

“I didn’t answer when you called because I knew you’d give me the third degree, and I didn’t want to
go through that while Kyra was sitting there.  I don’t want her to know how bad things are between us; how much you don’t trust me.”

“You put your phone on silent?”

“No, I just didn’t take your call.”

“Because of her?”

“Because I didn’t want to argue in front of her, yes.”

“What’d you go over there for?
  I don’t want you going over there.”

“I had to take her some papers about some jobs I think she should apply for.”

“What jobs?”

“In the school district.”

“So now you’re trying to get her a job, so y’all can work together?  I don’t like this, Donovan.”

“No, not with me.  Just somewhere in the district.”

“And you couldn’t have
called
her and told her about those jobs?”

Donovan grunted.  He wanted to tell her to get off his damn back
.  But a part of him still felt that her curiosity was warranted.  If Brianna started to pal around with an old guy friend, Donovan figured he’d interrogate her as well – but not like this.

“Yes
I could’ve called her,” he said.  “But Kyra doesn’t have a computer.  I wanted to give her the papers so she would know the exact job titles and reference numbers and stuff.”

“You couldn’t have read that to her on the phone?”

“I suppose so.  And do you see why I didn’t answer when you called?  You think I wanted to answer all of these questions while I was with her?”

Brianna ignored his comment and pushed forward with her
inquisition.  “If you could’ve read it to her on the phone, why’d you go over there?  Why didn’t you call me
first
and tell me you wanted to go over there.”

“It would’ve took too long to read all of that.
  And I didn’t realize I needed your permission to get in my car and drive somewhere.”

Brianna ignored his sarcasm. 
“Did you want to see her?”

That question had
plenty of obvious and hidden booby traps.  Donovan didn’t want to go anywhere near it.

“I told you why I went over there
.”

“What time did you get there?”

Donovan pursed his lips.  He’d been fair and open, but she wasn’t letting up.  How much more of this did she think he would put up with?  Brianna heard him exhale roughly.

“You don’t wanna answer my questions?” she asked.

“Who the hell
would
want this, Brianna?  I’m not in jail.  I don’t have to put up with–”

“Yes you do have to answer my questions, Donovan!  I’m letting you spend time with that, that–”

“Be real careful,” Donovan warned.

“What?”

“I don’t know what you’re about to call her, but you should be real careful.”

“What?  What the?...”  Brianna
lost it. 

Donovan heard her sniffling.  She uttered a soft wail that was
drowned in grief.  It broke Donovan’s heart to hear her like that.  He didn’t think he was a bad person.  And he didn’t think he’d done anything wrong with Kyra.  But there was no doubt he was hurting his woman.  He had a strong urge to end their relationship right now, so at least he wouldn’t cause her anymore pain.

“
Why are you so worried about her?”
Brianna cried
.  “What about
me
, Donovan?  What about your girlfriend?  Do you care anything about me?
” 

She was full-out crying now.  Her words cut like a knife.  Donovan
winced and found himself doubting his decisions.  Was he doing Brianna wrong?  Was it okay for him to care about and spend time with Kyra?  Even Kyra said she couldn’t do it, if she was in Brianna’s shoes. 

Donovan accepted that he wasn’t handling this situation well, but he
also wasn’t doing the things Brianna thought he was.  He had no intention of starting a relationship with Kyra.  And nothing he’d done for Kyra was to impress her or make her want to be more than friends.  He was attracted to Kyra, at times, but he wouldn’t make a move on her – not even if he was single.

His mind made up, Donovan knew
it was time to take a hard line with his woman.  Kyra thought Brianna would be the one to put her foot down.  But Donovan knew he had to do it himself.

“Stop crying, Brianna.  I do care about you.”

“
No you don’t!
”

“Yes I do.  But you’re
too upset to talk.  I’m going to hang up the phone.”

“
Don’t hang up on me
!”

“Brianna, if you
want to talk about this in a calm manner, I’ll try my best to explain the situation again.  But right now you’re not listening.  You’re mad, and I understand that.  I think you need time to cool down.” 

This
was how Donovan spoke to his students when they got out of line.  He didn’t think it would work on an adult, but Brianna tried to get herself together.  She stopped sniveling and gradually her breathing slowed.

“
Where are you?  Are you almost home?  I want to come over.”

“No,” Donovan said.  “I don’t want to see you tonight.”

“Wh,
why
?”

“Because I don’t like this pattern,” Donovan said.  “I don’t think you need to see me every time you get upset.”

“But I want to see you,” Brianna said.  “
I do need to see you, Donovan
!”

“It’s almost nine o’clock on a Wednesday night,”
he reminded.  “We both got work tomorrow.  You need to try to get some sleep.  And I do, too.”

“
Donovan, please
…”

“No, Brianna.  Damn!”

“Is, is she still with you?”

“Who?”

“You know who.”

Donovan took the
phone away from his face and stared at it.  He almost hung up on her.  “You’re asking if I’m taking Kyra home with me?” he growled.

After a pause Brianna said, “Are you?”

Donovan took a deep breath, realizing he needed to calm down just as much as she did.  “I’m going to hang up now,” he said.  “But for the record,
no
, I’m not taking Kyra home with me.  She’s just my friend.  And also, for the record, I’m not going to stop being her friend just because it hurts you.  You need to accept that she’s not a threat, and she’s not going away.  And you need to make a decision:  Do you still want to be with me, or not?”

“I don’t think I can do it.”

Donovan’s whole body went cold.  He had been with this woman for eight months.  Brianna was needy, but she loved him dearly.  But lately Donovan wondered if Brianna had the wrong kind of love.  Sick, obsessive love is not good for anyone.

“Why don’t you think about it and let me know tomorrow.”

“I want you to stop seeing her.”

“I can’t do that,” Donovan said.

“If you don’t stop, then I can’t be with you.”

T
here it was.  He forced her hand, and Brianna gave him the ultimatum he’d been dreading.  Donovan gave his response all the reverence it deserved, but his feelings didn’t change.

“I’m sorry to hear that.  I guess we have to break up then.”

“
No
!”

Donovan frowned.  That wasn’t one of the replies he expected.  What did she mean
no
?

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t wanna leave you,” Brianna cried.  “
I never want to lose you
!”

Donovan
exited the freeway with his eyes narrowed in confusion.  How does someone not let you break up with them?  And
never want to lose you
sounded a little psycho.

“Brianna, this ain’t working out.”

“
Please, let me come over there
,” she begged. 

“No
.  Why would…  No, Brianna.”

“Then let me think about it,”
she said.  “I don’t wanna lose you, Donovan.  Okay?”

That actually
was not okay.  Donovan felt like he was free from her tears and accusations just a few seconds ago.  Was she trying to get back with him already?  He wanted to tell her no, but there was a chance Brianna could change.  It was a long shot, but they had been together for eight months.  She deserved another chance.

“
Alright,” he said.  “I gotta go now.”

“Donovan
, wait.”

“No, Brianna.  I’m getting off the phone.
  For real this time.”

“Call me before you go to bed.”