The Perfect Match: A New Adult Erotic Romance (Inseparable Book 2) (7 page)

“No, but I believe her now. Kendall cornered me to find out when you were getting back and I got her to admit it wasn’t Mama that called her.”

“Who else knew we were going?” Kurt asked as he thought about that day.

“Trey did. Polly told him before we got there,” Charlotte suggested quietly. “When I guessed his name, Kendall changed the subject. I think it was him.”

Kurt gripped the wheel until his knuckles were white. Polly had been on his mind almost constantly the whole two weeks out. The idea of her being with Trey haunted his dreams until he hated going to sleep. He’d spent the long, boring hours in the pilot house dreaming of his revenge.

“Kurt, are you there?” Charlotte asked.

“I’m here,” he said. “I guess I owe Mom an apology.”

“Yeah, but do it tomorrow. I just heard Mandy say that she and Kendall are staying for dinner.”

“Where the hell am I supposed to go tonight?”

“Meemee always loves to see you,” Charlotte said with a laugh and hung up.

* * *

K
urt gave Meemee a big hug when she invited him stay the night. After a hot shower, and borrowing a clean pair of sweats from his Pawpaw, Kurt went into the kitchen to visit and raid their refrigerator. He had just pulled out some leftover jambalaya when Meemee came out of the laundry room.

“I put your clothes in the dryer,
sha
,” she said. “Everything okay at home?”

“It's fine, Meemee,” he said as he spooned some jambalaya into a bowl to heat up in the microwave. She gave him a penetrating look, then reached over to touch his cheek gently.

“You been all out’a sorts since before Thanksgiving. Tell me about it, mon p’tit-garçon.”

Kurt put his bowl in the microwave then put the rest of the jambalaya back in the refrigerator. Trying to find a way to explain what had happened made him realize how absurd it would seem to her. He shook his head and turned to her with a sad smile on his face.

“I feel trapped, Meemee, even though nothing is holding me here. The girl I’d been seeing for a year went crazy, and then I ended up falling hard for a girl I barely know. The cousin I grew up with sure as hell ain’t the person I thought he was. And now I’m standing here in your kitchen trying to explain all this without sounding like I’m losing my mind.” Saying the words out loud made his chin quiver and eyes feel full.

She touched his arm and said, “Child, I knew this day was comin’ for a long time.”

His forehead wrinkled as he considered her comment. “I don’t understand.”

“Your mama used to sit at that table while you were strugglin’ in school tryin’ to figure out how to help you. When you gave up and quit school, we called my brother Charlie. You’re jus’ like him when he was your age. He helped you grow into the man I always knew you’d be, but now you’re like a houseplant gettin’ too big for its pot.”

Her words were so surprising and true that he had to put his hand over his mouth for a moment to keep control of himself. Finally he whispered, “I never knew. You been watchin’ over me all these years.”

She took his hands in both of hers and looked deeply into his eyes. “You need to get away for a while and let your heart rest. Find something to do that makes you happy. Then when you know what you
really
want, you go out there and get it, child. It’s waiting out there for you.”

The microwave beeped as the kitchen filled with the smell of his grandmother’s jambalaya. With one last squeeze she released his hands and let him go to collect himself and get his dinner. He was still thinking about what she’d said as she began putting away the dried dishes and cutlery next to the sink.

“Thank you, Meemee,” he said. “For everything.”

“I love you so much,
sha
,” she said without looking his way, but the quaver in her voice said as much as her words. “You gonna be jus’ fine. You’ll see.”

He’d just taken the last bite when his cell phone rang. When he checked the screen, he was surprised to see his Uncle Jack’s name. “Whassup, Uncle Jack?” he asked by way of answer.

“Hey Kurt, I’ve got a huge favor to ask you...”

* * *

T
he next morning, Kurt got out of his car in front of his house, grabbed his duffel full of clean clothes out of the back seat, and headed to the front door. When he stepped inside, his mother came out of the kitchen drying her hands on a dish towel.

“Where you been all night? Charlotte said you was getting back yesterday.”

“I stayed over at Meemee and Pawpaw’s last night when I saw you had guests,” he growled as the irritation he felt escaped his control.

She frowned and shook her head. “Why you gotta be like that, boy? Kendall sat here last night cryin’ her eyes out over you.”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Mama,” he said, stepping past her to go to his room.

“You two been together since you was kids. What could she have done to make you hate her so much now?”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

Charlotte came out of their bathroom wearing a robe and drying her hair. There was a worried frown on her face as Kurt lifted his chin to her in passing. When he got into his room, he went to the closet and pulled out the larger suitcase he kept under the hanging clothes.

“Where you going?” his mother asked in a whisper from the doorway.

“Uncle Jack called me last night. He needs some help with something, so I’m going to spend Christmas in Houston with him and Aunt Julie.”

“What?” she exclaimed. “You can’t miss Christmas! Your daddy won’t be back from that Jacksonville run until tomorrow. You’re gonna break his heart!”

Charlotte was standing behind her mother with eyes wide in horror while clearly mouthing,
You can’t leave me here alone!

The sight of her panic made Kurt turn away before his Mama saw him grin. “I’m sorry, but I already told him I’d go. And, uh, Aunt Julie wanted Charlotte to come help, too.”

“You both can’t miss Christmas,” Noëlle cried, twisting the towel in her grip.

He finished putting clothes in his suitcase and turned to go to the bathroom for his toiletries. “Mama, we ain’t missing Christmas. It’s still gonna come just the same.”

“You’ll have the house to yourselves for a couple of weeks, Mama,” Charlotte added, then mouthed,
Thank you!
over her shoulder at him.

“Wait, just wait,” Noëlle said as her face wrinkled in concentration. “I had a big holiday party planned, can you come back fo' that?”

“Is Kendall gonna be there?” Jack asked as he grabbed his shaving gear, cologne, and shampoo.

“Why won’t you just tell me what happened?” Noëlle asked with a frustrated shout that stopped him cold.

He looked up at his Mama with Charlotte behind shaking her head emphatically. “Fine, Mama, you wanna know? She was lookin' to make you a grandma so I wouldn’t break things off with her.”

“No, Kurt, she ain’t like that,” Noëlle whispered as he came to tower over her.

“Oh, yeah, she like that. First she begged me to cum in her, but never told me she stopped taking her pill. When I found out, she poked little holes in my condoms thinkin' I wouldn't notice. After I started keepin' 'em with me, I found her diggin' through the trash to get one we just used.”

“Oh my god,” she said, shaking her head as he got louder. “Oh my god!”

“That was when I’d had enough and broke things off. Is
this
what you wanted to know? Will you finally drop it now?” he shouted.

Her face crumpled as she raised her hands as if to ward off his words. “
Sha
, I’m so sorry, I had no idea.” He calmed at her words and turned back to packing his things, then after a moment he let out a long sigh.

“I need to get out of here, Mama. It ain’t you. Hell, it ain't even Kendall. I just need to get my head on straight and Uncle Jack called at the right time. Just give me a couple of weeks to figure out what the hell I’m doing. I can’t keep on this way or I’m gonna go crazy.”

She backed away as he finished packing his toiletries. When he went back in his room, he could hear a muffled conversation taking place in Charlotte’s room. Just as he finished packing, Charlotte came in wearing jeans and a t-shirt, her damp brown hair pulled back in a ponytail.

“This doesn’t have anything to do with Polly, does it?” she whispered.

Kurt winced and looked away. “I’d be lyin' if I said it don’t. Trouble is, I can’t even explain why.”

Charlotte shook her head at him, then sat next to him on the bed. “She’s got under your skin like I never seen.”

“She feels special, but Trey’s gonna mess it all up.”

“Maybe not. She’s pretty smart and I gave her a heads up about him. About both of you, actually.” That got her a quick look and a frown.

“Why you cock blockin’ me? He’s the asshole.”

“Because she’s nice and she’s my friend.” Charlotte smiled and mussed up his hair. “You know the rules about datin’ my friends!”

He rolled his eyes and said, “Shit, that was way back in high school.”

“Yeah, and Trish still won’t talk to me. That’s why I never introduced you to any of my friends at college.”

“Are you packed yet?” he asked in an exasperated tone. “I wanna get to Uncle Jack’s before dark.”

She stood with a laugh and bounced out the door.

* * *

N
oëlle gave them both reluctant hugs before they left, making them promise to call when they arrived. After a stop for gas before leaving town, Kurt settled into the drivers seat and let his mind wander for a while.

“So what does Uncle Jack need you for?” Charlotte asked as she played with her phone.

“Can’t say.”

She glanced over with a wrinkled forehead. “He didn’t tell you?”

“He told me,” he said with a quick grin in her direction. “I just can’t tell you.”

“Oh, very funny,” she said.

“I’m serious. It’s something he doesn’t want anyone to know about. If it comes up, tell anyone who asks we’re just in for a holiday visit.”

“Okay, James Bond,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Whatever...”

As Kurt drove, the music from the radio was punctuated with beeps from Charlotte’s phone and her sounds of amusement as she texted. He tried to ignore it, but when she actually laughed out loud, he had enough. “Spill.”

“I’m just catching up my roommates at school. I
had
planned to do things with them over the holiday break, but family comes first.”

He gave her genuine smile. “Thanks, sis. I appreciate you coming with me.”

“No problem, little brother.”

“I was born first.”

“Do you have proof?” she asked with an innocent expression, awaiting his reply. “I thought so.”

“Speaking of school, are you still seeing that short guy?”

“He wasn’t that short. And no.” Her demeanor changed the moment he brought it up.

“Sorry, I didn’t know it was a sore subject.”

“It’s not that,” she said as she stuck her phone in the door handle and rested her forehead against the glass. “Can I tell you something personal? You can’t laugh.”

“I won’t laugh,” he promised with a worried frown.

She was quiet for a long moment. “He dumped me because I wouldn’t sleep with him.”

Kurt shrugged and said, “Okay. So what? I expect you know when the time is right for you.”

“You don’t understand. I’ve never done it.”

Kurt shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Uh... Charlotte.”

“I know it’s weird just bringing it up like this, but I’m graduating in a few months. I’m literally the only person I know who still hasn’t had sex. At first I told myself I was being picky, waiting for the right guy. But Brian broke up with me last week because he didn’t want to be my first. He said it makes things too complicated.” She wiped her eyes, but kept looking out the window.

“Shit. I always assumed Pete was your first.” Pete Landry had been her high school sweetheart and had taken her to prom.

She sighed heavily and shook her head. “When we got to the hotel room after prom he tried to, but it turns out he’s gay.” Her sad chuckle broke Kurt’s heart, but the news made him gasp.

“Wait, Pete’s gay?” Kurt asked with a frown of confusion. “Shit, that explains a few things. No wonder you wanted to come to Houston with me,” Kurt said as he patted his sister’s leg. “I don’t know how much I can help, but you can always talk to me about things if you need to.” No matter how weird it was, she was his sister and he loved her.

“Thanks,” she said and blew out a long breath. “The crazy thing is after all the classes on anatomy and sexuality, I can probably answer all my own questions.”

“So what’s the problem, then. Find a nice clean guy, roll a condom on, assume the position, and enjoy the ride. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.”

She gave him a cool look. “It ain’t the mechanics I have a problem with.”

“So what is the problem?”

“I panic. I tense up. It’s the opposite of exciting to me. I feel like I’m gonna throw up.” Charlotte rubbed her face with her hands.

Kurt could sympathize with irrational fears. He said, “Look, I’m scared of heights. I can climb a ladder, but when I had to climb up the mast to secure an antenna in the middle of the gulf, I thought I was gonna die. But there is only one way to get over being afraid of something.”

“Sitting in this car, I completely agree with you. Curled up on the couch with someone I’m really into, not so much.”

“What do your friends say?” he asked.

“They say they understand, but then they spend the weekend locked in their bedrooms making the most interesting noises with their boyfriends. I’m afraid they secretly think I’m weird.” Charlotte pulled her long hair over her shoulder and picked at the ends.

“Well, I’ll give you the same advice Meemee gave me. Let your heart rest for a while. Then when you figure out what you really want, grab hold and don’t let go.”

She smiled at the words. “She’s a smart woman.”

“Yes she is,” he said as he stared down to road toward Houston. “Yes she is.”

* * *

J
ack answered the door with a grin of surprise when he saw Charlotte standing next to Kurt. “Welcome, you two! You’re just in time for dinner.”