Kyle
“Kyle, I swear I don’t want to get involved in your personal business, but what the hell is up with you and Tiffany?”
Damn it. It had been a month now since Tiff and I had been meeting late at night, and nobody had asked any questions—which was fine with me—until now.
Groaning and frustrated, I placed my pen on the drawing table. Turning around to face Levi, now an engaged man, I waited a few more seconds to explain. “There’s nothing between us. We’re both fucked up and not looking for anything more. We have fun, and the sex is great. We’re good with that. That’s all. I don’t even know her last name, or how old she is—and I really don’t care.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “That’s cold, man. What if she gets attached? She is a woman after all.”
I started laughing. “She won’t. Trust me.” Tiffany had a block of ice in her chest, not a heart.
“According to Nix and Bekka, she might.”
“No, man. Tiff never stays over at my place, and she kicks me out of hers every single time. If she does ever start to feel something, I’ll end this arrangement and never see her again. Relationships aren’t for me. They are way too demanding and I’m not interested.”
“K,” he whispered, and I returned to my drawing. “Don’t be like that. You’re still young. You don’t have to put barriers up in your life.”
He didn’t know shit.
“You don’t understand, Levi. What would you do if you were in my shoes? One second you’re walking along with your fiancée, all happy and shit, and the next second she’s down on the ground, bleeding and dying.”
The emotions spreading on his face said it all. He didn’t want to think about losing Nix. “Please don’t, Kyle. I don’t know how it feels, I can only imagine how awful it really is. I love Nix with everything I am and can’t imagine my life without her.”
“I felt that way about Cassidy, I still do. Except, she’s not here anymore.” The words were making me sick to my stomach.
“We never talk about it, Kyle. I’m here if you want—”
“You know what happened, there’s nothing left to be said. Life sucks. She shouldn’t have died that day. Our life was great and we had our future planned. I had the fairy tale, and lost it. Consider me grown up, and now, well, now I’m just breathing.”
He let a frustrated groan echo in the shop. “I hate that she’s gone, too, K. She made you happy. All those years you guys were together, you smiled, you laughed, and you wanted a better life where you were happy.”
Levi said the last word so loud it startled me.
“I’ve watched you faking all of these in recent years. When you smile or laugh, it’s fake. I’m sick and tired of watching you drink every other night to forget and numb everything out. You’re a good man, Kyle Layne, and you deserve better than the life you live now.”
“Shut up, Levi. You don’t know shit.” The nerve of him to act like he knows me. He didn’t know me at all. “I’m out of here.” The chair fell backward when I got up, but I didn’t give a damn. Grabbing my hoodie, I kicked the door open and got the hell out of the shop.
Angry, my hands turned into fists while my pulse skyrocketed. I had no idea where to go or what to do with myself. Tyler was probably with Bekka and the club still closed for the day. I could always hang out with the guys at Lucky 13. For years now it had been my place to go whenever I needed some space to think. They knew me well, and always had the vodka bottle ready.
“I’m sick and tired of watching you drink every other night to forget and numb everything out.”
It pissed me off that my best friend had been such an ass to me. How could he? Why? I didn’t understand; Levi always had my back.
Walking to Lucky 13 allowed me time to relax. My mind wandered between Cassidy and Tiffany. I loved Cassidy with all my heart, and I didn’t love Tiff, but we were having a good time together. We were on the same page.
“Hey, Kyle.” Presley’s voice resonated in between the buildings on each side of the streets. “How are you doing? Are you going to Lucky?”
We shook hands and kept on walking in direction of the bar.
“I’m okay, and yes, I’m headed to Lucky. You?”
“Yeah. Got an empty schedule for the day, so might as well hang out with my brother.”
“Still happy being a photographer? Do you miss tattooing?”
“To me, they’re kind of the same thing. And I still tattoo, but my main focus is on photography. Business is going great and I get to travel a lot.”
“I don’t have time for that. I did just move into a loft, though. That’s about all the traveling I’ve done in the past ten years.” I laughed as I held the door to the bar.
We entered the establishment, where a soft rhythm and blues melody played in the background.
“You should, man. Seriously, the world has so much to offer.”
I laughed again. “Yeah, maybe I will.”
Presley was passionate, an artist. I would love to see life through his eyes once. I was certain the colors were ten times more vivid, and every sound more melodious. There was something about him. Was I an artist? Arts, drawing, and tattooing were all things I loved in life, but I was no Van Gogh, like Presley. I knew my job well and always pushed myself to learn new things, but Presley had something magical.
We had a couple of beers together. Josh, his brother, joined us and we talked enough to distract me from what was still livid in the back of my mind. Levi and his big mouth.
“So, you have a girlfriend now or what?” Presley slammed his fist on my shoulder.
“Nah, I don’t have time for that. I’m way too busy.”
“Bullshit,” Joshua said as he approached, his bottle of beer to his lips. “You have commitment issues.”
Chuckling, I thought to myself, If only that were my only problem.
“Nah, it’s just a matter of time,” Presley added. “The right girl will come along someday.”
“What about you guys?” I wanted to turn the attention back to them. If this discussion ended in a bad way, I didn’t know where else to go. One disastrous conversation a day, por favor!
“I found someone, and it’s pretty damn serious.” Presley’s smile told me the girl meant the world to him. From what I’d heard, he hadn’t had it easy before, so he deserved a break.
“Still with my girl!” Josh boasted.
Lifting my drink up in the air, I said, “Let’s drink to that.”
They didn’t bring up my single status again. I thanked them for that. We talked about sports and the tattoo conventions happening in the next couple of months.
Leaving the bar tipsy, my mind had calmed down at last. Joshua and Presley had cheered me up, and my day was better by the time I headed home. The walk to my loft seemed longer than usual, and I started whistling a song. It took me a minute to realize it was Cassidy’s favorite song.
The peace of mind was disturbed by my phone. Curious, I checked the screen to see the caller was Levi. I hesitated, then didn’t pick up. I needed more time. Levi had called numerous times and left several messages. He should have known better. After all these years, he knew that when we argued about my past or how I handled my life, I required some time to let it go. I wouldn’t say I was spiteful, but when it concerned my own private life, it always hurt more when I had to defend myself.
For the next several days, the shop was on the quiet side. Levi was respecting my privacy and letting me handle my life without passing judgment. Our friendship had always been strong; this situation wouldn’t leave a mark.