“Eric, get your ass down here,” Bette calls out after motioning for me to follow her into the living room.
“Damn, woman. What’s with the Eric-ing?” E jokes, running down the stairs. The smile on his face falls the instant he spots me.
Shit!
“What’s he doing here?” The fact that he directs the question to his wife and not me is another strike against me.
“Not sure. We haven’t gotten to that yet.” Bette reaches out a hand for him to join her.
I look around for Kay but don’t see her anywhere.
“I haven’t seen anything new on your Instagram, so tell me”—E crosses his arms over his chest—“what did you do to Kay now?” The snap in his voice is expected, but the question itself confuses me.
The post he’s referring to was from two days ago, but the rings…
Those were delivered yesterday.
Kay left The Barracks suddenly…yesterday.
Wouldn’t she have told them when she got here?
Should I take it as a good thing that he was internet-stalking me instead of driving four hours to kick my ass? Or is Kay hiding somewhere waiting to see how I handle the third degree?
“You’re more concerned about me vague-booking than the rings I gave her?”
His hands clench into fists at his sides. Bette, reading her husband’s emotions flawlessly, puts an arm up when E takes a step in my direction.
“You gave Kay rings?” she asks calmly while her husband grinds his teeth.
“Yes?” I ask more than say.
Shouldn’t they know this?
“If you think you can propose—even if it’s supposed to be some grand romantic gesture to fix your colossal fuckup—without asking me for permission first, you’re insane.”
If the growly way E laid down his declaration is any indication, I guess it’s a good thing Kay hasn’t told them about the rings, or the corresponding note. I may not have actually proposed, but I did insinuate that I plan to one day.
“Why don’t we sit down?” Bette gestures to the couch, bringing E with her and draping an arm behind his back.
“Okay.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Rings—go.”
I swallow thickly, once again looking around for Kay and coming up short. This is about so much more than the rings, but they are as good a place to start as any. All my attempts have failed. I’ll take all the help I can get. I need Kay in my life.
I tell them everything, starting with the birthstone bands and Tarantino-ing back from the night I tracked her down to Carter King’s party. The two of them listen without comment, but there’s no missing the concerned looks they share when I mention the times Kay shut down.
“I know you have no reason to help me…” I mirror E’s position and meet his narrow-eyed gaze unflinchingly. “But I love your sister very much.”
My heart rate kicks up as he remains silent, not giving any hint of his feelings.
Bette looks from E to me and back again. “She loves you too.”
Hope soars like one of Trav’s beautiful spiral passes, and I latch onto it like it’s a Hail Mary to win the game. “You really think so?” Vulnerability bleeds into my tone.
“Without question.”
The breath I didn’t realize I was holding escapes in a rush, and I sag back into the couch. I’ve held on to the belief that Kay loves me, but it means something to have it confirmed by her family.
“Why are you here?” E asks.
Isn’t it obvious?
“For Kay.” I lift my hand to stroke Herkie’s head when he jumps onto the couch. Are they going to let me see her? Do I have to pass a test before I’m granted access?
“While I can respect that you wanted to have this discussion in person…” E shifts, the defensiveness of his posture easing. “Doesn’t driving all the way down here take away from the time you could spend with my sister?”
“I figured as long as I could convince you to not kick my ass when I showed up, I’d get to see Kay sooner if I was where she is.”
“Wait.” Bette holds up a hand. “You think Kay is here?” She points to the floor to indicate the house.
“Yes?”
“She’s not here.” There’s a self-satisfied curl to E’s lips that tells me he’s taking great pleasure in delivering this information.
Herkie lets out a sigh of pleasure as I absentmindedly stroke one of his ears in an attempt to digest what this could mean. If Kay isn’t here, where is she? Where else would she run off to?
I relay the telephone-esque game of details that had me driving almost four hours. A headache starts to form at the base of my skull, and I grip the back of my neck to alleviate the pressure.
“King picked Tessa up from practice yesterday?” I nod at E’s question. “This was after you sent her the birthstone bands?” I nod again. “And he said T and Savvy had to make new plans because Kay wouldn’t be around?” I’m not quite seeing the significance, but Bette sure does. She has me recount each of my gestures and Kay’s reactions.
The helplessness from witnessing Kay fall apart is so visceral that even now I feel like I’m drowning in it.
Bette sits up suddenly, her back straightening like she’s a marionette and someone pulled her string. “I know where she is.”
“Where?” My keys are already in my hand, desperate to get to her as quickly as possible.
“She’s gotta be with JT.” She turns and speaks more to E, as if searching for confirmation.
Another memory surfaces, this one of Tessa telling me something along the lines of how JT was the only one able to get through to Kay when she broke down heartbreakingly after her dad died and the bullshit Liam put her through. The color leeches out of my knuckles as I ball my hands into fists. Even an indirect thought of that asshole Parker has a wave of rage assaulting
