Page 76 of Finding Kyler
I ease back a little, holding him at arm’s length. “Why would you be afraid?”
He extracts himself from my embrace, rubbing at his eyes with the corner of his sleeves. “The others all think I’m a joke. They don’t see me like you see me.”
“I’m sure that’s not true. If anything they’re probably jealous.”
He barks out an incredulous laugh. “Hardly!”
“You are the most levelheaded, and you seem happiest in yourself. Plus, you seem to have a good relationship with your parents, something the rest of them struggle with. You’re a great guy, Keaton. Don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.”
“Promise you’ll always feel like that?” His pleading eyes fail to mask his abject terror and I wonder what’s bothering him.
“Hey.” I hold his hand. “You will always be my favorite cousin. Nothing or no one will ever change that.”
After lunch, Keaton tries several times to get Kalvin to join us, but he continues to sulk in the privacy of his own room. Keanu is out somewhere with that model, Selena, and Kent is MIA as usual. I still haven’t figured him out, and I can count on one hand the amount of times he’s spoken to me in the last few weeks. Ky doesn’t show up either, and I don’t even want to think about what he’s getting up to, or who he’s getting up to it with.
Switching off the lights in my room later that night, I am just pulling the curtains closed when I spot Kalvin creeping across the lawn again. The clock shows it’s past eleven, and with school starting tomorrow, I’m surprised he’s sneaking out tonight. Not for the first time, I wonder what he’s up to.
A hideous thought crosses my mind—is he sneaking out to hook up with Addison? Was he giving it to me straight earlier? Or is there more to this than he’s admitted? Briefly, I consider following him. But my recent eavesdropping forays have proven how inept my skills are in that regard. Besides, I don’t think I can stomach watching another one of my cousins slobbering all over that bitch.
No. I’ll leave it for now.
But tomorrow, Kalvin will be facing my own personal version of the Spanish Inquisition.
I get up early for a swim the next morning before school. After I’ve showered and changed, I head straight for the kitchen. My stomach growls its approval. The boys have already left, and Alex is away on business, so I’ve no choice but to eat breakfast with James.
He tries to make small talk with me but I’m closed off and finding it difficult to look him in the eye. “Don’t be too nervous.” He sends me a sympathetic look. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. And you can always switch to Old Colonial if you don’t like it.”
I’m happy to let him think my unease is due to school and not the fact that I know he’s cheating on his wife. I haven’t figured out what I’m going to do with that knowledge yet, and I’d rather avoid confrontation right now. Just as I believed I was starting to get to know my uncle, I realize he’s a complete stranger to me. I wonder if this kind of behavior is normal for him—if this character trait had anything to do with my mum distancing herself from him.
I insist that Max drops me around the corner from the school, hell-bent on walking the last half a mile. There’s no way I’m rocking up in a chauffeur-driven car on my first day, or any other day for that matter. I make a mental note to ask Lana how she gets to school. Perhaps we can travel together.
I’m approaching the school, when my cell pings with a message from Ky.Thinking of you. Good luck today.
This sweet side of him has me tied up in knots. All this hot and cold behavior is playing havoc with my hormones. Shaking my head, I pocket my phone and join the crowd piling into the building.
I collected my locker combination and schedule last week so I walk straight through the main entrance door, pretending I don’t notice the curious looks being leveled my way. After a couple of wrong turns, I eventually find my locker.
Throngs of boys and girls swarm the wide corridor. Various groups are clustered around lockers, chatting and laughing. Taunts and insults are shouted at the less popular kids as they scurry down the hallway, heads hanging low, trying to look inconspicuous.
Glancing out the window, I spy a group of dodgy-looking kids congregating around a large tree out front. God only knows what they’re doing. It’s as if I’ve walked onto the set ofPretty Little Liars, and it couldn’t be more different from my last school back home. I never thought I’d ever miss Loreto or the nuns, but in this moment, I’d return to my old school in a heartbeat.
Squashing my oversentimental thoughts, I firmly remind myself that this is my new reality, and I need to get on with it. I doubt I’ll find any of this strange or shocking in a couple of days.
I’m sorting out my books when a dark shadow falls over me. Turning around, I confront a familiar face with a shocked gasp. “What areyoudoing here?”
A purplish-yellow bruise is clearly visible on his left cheek, and his right eye is swollen on one side. It’s obvious he got a thorough working over. Brad winks with his good eye, giving me an impish smile. “Sorry, didn’t get a chance to mention it. This is my school now.”
I pull a face. “Why aren’t you going to O.C.? And why didn’t you say anything the other night?”
“Iwasgoing to tell you, but then all that other crap happened.”
An image of me throwing myself at him jumps up and bites me. I wince. “Yeah, um, about that…”
The corners of his mouth lift. “It’s okay, you don’t need to explain.”
My brows shoot up. “I don’t?”
He leans against the side of my locker. “Nope. And any time you need me to make a point, work away, I’m at your disposal.” He grins and I can’t work out whether he’s on the level or plain making fun of me.
