Elly & Kent - The Complete Story: Includes Books 1-3 (53 page)

I stopped at the side of the building to open my water and take my pill. The sooner the better for those little guys. Kent watched me take the pill as he walked by. He wanted to stop to talk to me, that much was obvious. Once he was in his car I waited to see him look my way and then I waved at him. He returned the wave and then seemed to fight with himself as he rolled down the window.
 

"Lunch? On me? Don't worry, just friends."

I considered it. I hadn't had breakfast since I rushed out of Bryan's place without waking anyone. And I didn't have time to go to the market before my work shift. Kent wasn't trying to seduce me with dinner, and even if he were he knew that I was having sex with Bryan now. It should be completely harmless.

I nodded, "Okay."

"C'mon then. We can go someplace close to the shop so you can go see Bryan if you want. After, I'm gonna go home. Or we can get a bite close to your house."

"Sure. Whatever works for you. I'm getting a free ride." I got into his car and buckled up. I put my purse and water between my legs.

When he worked he always wore nice polo shirts and khaki pants. He looked very presentable. "Bryan could probably use some company at the shop. We can go to the sub shop or the Greek restaurant close by my house. Your choice."

"Greek, I guess. I don't really want to bother him at work..."

"I was," Kent sighed, "just saying there's not much going on and if you want to go by and see him, you can. If you don't want to, then I'll just take you someplace close to your house."

"I just don't want to distract him, that's all. And I'll see him later."

There was a nod of his head. "Then Italian, Pizza, or Japanese since those are nearby your house?"

I glanced at Kent, taking him in. "Japanese, I guess."

"Alright." Kent drove. The air between us was awkward because of the other night. "How's the band doing?" he finally asked.

"Good. We had quite a night last night... James, our bassist, he almost got his ass kicked like ten times. He's such a flirt. It tends to get him into trouble."

Kent chuckled, "Sounds like a hell of a party."

"We played
Name That Tune
and
Strip Poker
. It was fun." I stared straight ahead.

"I'm glad you're having fun, Elly." Kent pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant.

I glanced at him. "I always have fun."

Kent nodded his head as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "I remember. It's one of the reasons I hung out with you all the time." He turned his head and stuck his tongue out at me before he got out of the car. I followed. He held the door for me to go in in front of him. It was a seat yourself restaurant, so he grabbed a few menus as we went by the stand. I seated us near the back.
 

"I haven't been here before. Have you?" I asked.

There was a nod of his head. "Their vegetable stir fry is actually really good, and the hibachi chicken. Those are the only things I tend to eat here."

"Do you eat out a lot?" I picked up the menu and looked it over briefly.

"Yeah. I hardly ever eat at home and just snack at work." Kent never picked up the menu, apparently he already knew what he wanted to eat.

"What are you going to get?"
 

"The vegetable stir-fry with white rice."
 

I tucked my legs under the seat. "That's what I was going to get. Should I get the chicken instead?"

"How about you get the vegetable stir-fry and I'll get the chicken and you can try a bite or two to see if you like it. Deal?"

"Ok." His eyes looked down to his menu on the table. "Are we still friends, Elly?"

"Are we still friends? Yeah, I guess so. Nothing has changed really." I glanced at him, pretending we were cool. His eyes were still looking down at the table.

"Will the awkwardness go away? I'm afraid to try and call you. Afraid to give you a hug. I don't want to," he paused, "be in the way."

"Welcome to my world, Kent. And no, it won't go away."

Kent closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry I put you through that. It sucks."

"It wasn't all bad. The awkwardness was worth still being involved in your life somehow."

There was another nod of his head. "I think I understand." He said softly.
 

"Remember after the store's opening night? When you got so drunk you grabbed onto Jen and told every man to back off because she was your w'man? You couldn't even say the whole word!"
 

Kent chuckled. "Yeah, I remember." There was a smile there for a moment. "Jen's friend called me the other day. Remember Miranda Walker from high school?"

"Miranda... No, what about her? Was it a booty call?"

"No. Apparently Jen did a lot of other things. Said she felt bad and heard what had happened." The smile faded.

"What are you talking about? What kinda things?"

"Apparently Jen was never really true. High school, college, after we were married. Guys, girls," he shook his head.

My jaw clenched. I looked at Kent and then looked away. How could I feel like Jen was the only wrong party? I'd made love with Kent twice when they were together.

"Apparently it wasn't just on me either. She mentioned one of your boyfriends."

"Yeah, Dave..."

"No. The one you walked in on in college. Said she told her she didn't know how you didn't know it was her. Made it easier since you didn't recognize her."

I blinked at him. "Will?" My eyes glazed over a little as I replayed the memory in my mind's eye. I let out a humorless chuckle. "Oh my god," my eyes came back to Kent. "Wh--I don't get it. Was she just some super slut or something? Or did she have a personal vendetta against me?"

"She saw how close we were. I think she just wanted to fuck that up, and even then she got bored with me and went," he tried to find the right word, "adventuring. She still held that fucking jealous card."

I shook my head and looked down at my hands. "Once we got to college we barely saw each other anymore. I was trying to give you space," Not to mention I couldn't stand to look at the two of them, it hurt too much to see them together.

"That was when she really starting straying. That trip she went on to help her mom move apparently only took a day. She was gone for three. I don't know who she did and I don't care. Sometimes it makes me not feel so bad for--" the words stopped as the waitress dropped off their drinks. Kent took a big sip of tea.

I looked up to him. "Not feel so bad for what?" Did Kent have another girl? Someone I didn't know about?

Kent shook his head. "I can't," his cheeks were starting to show a blush.

I frowned at him, "You can't what?"

Kent's hand squeezed the glass of tea on the table. "Tell me, Elly. What would you have done if I had whispered your name?"

He couldn't look at me. I felt the air leave my lungs, felt the color begin to fill my cheeks as I moved between shock and anger. "You..." I could barely hear my own voice as the implication of what he was saying moved through my mind.

"Do you hate me? Do you hate that I woke up with that going on, and then I figured out it was real? I almost whispered your name." Kent shook his head and sighed as he pushed the sweet tea away from him on the table.

I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't. I couldn't get any words out, his confession choked me. I ran away from the table before my tears blinded me.
 

I was pacing by the outdoor fountain in the little paved area between the Japanese restaurant and the movie theater when Kent walked slowly towards me. When he was a few feet away he spoke calmly. "Elly."

I looked at him and shook my head, a frown on my face. "Don't you fucking dare..."

"That has been weighing on me for a long time. I couldn't hold it in anymore." He held my water bottle in his hand. "I understand if you don't want to see me. I understand if you hate me, just know that I realize what I should have done." He set my water bottle down on the fountain but it was the furthest thing from my mind when I exploded.

"What you
should
have done?! That's just... That's great, Kent. What
should
you have done? Told your best friend the truth all those years ago?! That you're a fucking liar? I came back the next morning and you acted like nothing had happened when you knew--You
knew
how I felt about you? What had happened between us? And you just... You just went on. But how can I be surprised really when you fucked me two nights before you got married to her. Did you remember that in the morning too?" I didn't give him a chance to answer me, "Of course, you did. Did you feel pity for me? Is that why you did it? Poor little Elly, can't find a man... Just..." I put my hand up and then shook my head, I couldn't look at him. "I don't want to talk about this. It was a mistake. Both of those times were a huge mistake." I stepped away again, heading in the opposite direction of my apartment.

I felt Kent grab my wrist, stopping me. "No. They were not mistakes. I had just slept with my friend even though I was dating someone else. I felt crushed. It was my fault. I made you a cheater and not stopping it made me no better than Jen. That night of the bachelor party. That was the best night of my whole life. I've had lots of those with you, but that was up until we started playing the video games. All I remember are flashes here and there, but those didn't come until much later. Years later. Candles. Kisses. I was drunk, but when I got up I had realized something had happened. Again, I'd failed. I was getting married in two days and I'd just seduced my best friend, again! I know it was me. You can hold your alcohol so much better than I can."

"Spare me." I spit at him, pulling my wrist away from his grip. "I don't want to hear about how sorry I should feel for you because you couldn't keep your dick in your pants."

His shoulders fell, he shook his head and closed his eyes. "I spent too long fighting with Jen over the bullshit, over the lies. I don't want to do that with you."

"Great. Then let's not. Let's just go back to the way it was, let's just pretend this never happened and that shit never happened. Let's just have a fake friendship, a surface one. A happy-go-lucky friendship that isn't really a friendship at all. That works for me." I pasted on that smile that didn't reach my eyes, which were surely hideous from my tears mixing with my mascara. "See you at Thanksgiving, Kent. Maybe before then."

I walked away from him.

Chapter Seventy-Two

It had taken me a long time to get myself out of bed the morning of Thanksgiving. I was not looking forward to putting a happy face on for the better part of an afternoon. I'd booked the band a gig just so I'd have a valid excuse to leave early in case things didn't go well.
 

A sense of dread filled me as I stepped up to Mrs. Lytle's doorstep. I opened the door and stepped inside. The house was filled with the savory smells of the large bird in the oven and roasting vegetables. I followed the source of the smell and found myself in the kitchen. Our mothers were in there, discussing the next recipe they were working on. I looked around but didn't see Kent.
 

They caught sight of me and came forward, hugging me tightly at the same time. "Elly! Come in and stay awhile," my mom said, motioning to my shoes.

"Sorry. I was just so drawn in by the delicious smells." I kissed them both on the cheek and then made my way back to the front door. As I removed my last shoe, the door opened behind me and a large gust of cold air rushed over my ass, making me shiver.

I stood up and saw Kent behind me, his eyes fixed firmly on my ass. "See something you like?" He opened his mouth to respond but I held up my hand to stop him. "Never mind. Don't answer that. Take your shoes and stuff off or you'll get yelled at like I just did." Before he could say anything I went into the kitchen, searching for a bottle of wine. I was going to need something to get me through this awkwardness.
 

There was a red already open on the counter. I poured two glasses and smiled as I sipped at one. "Kent and I will be in the living room. Let us know if you need any help with anything." I blocked his way as he came towards the kitchen and held one of the glasses up to him. "For you. Come pretend to watch TV with me." He followed without a word, sitting down beside me on the loveseat. I took another sip, grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels until I found the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
 

"Elly, I feel really bad ab--" I cut him off before he could go further down that road.

"I'm not here to talk about that. If you mention it again I'm going to make myself throw up in the bathroom and go home." I looked at him and slapped on a smile. "Just pretend we're happy sitting here together. And don't talk about that."

He sighed and turned his attention back to the TV. "What the hell is that?"
 

A cartoonish male figure with brown hair dressed in red and white floated down the street. I pointed to the title beneath the figure: "It's the Elf on the Shelf."

"What the hell is
that?"
His eyebrows were pinched together as he tried to decode it.