Kady

 

Tonight’s our last night together in Rome. Even with Gavin coming off a game-winning high, there is a solemn and desperate weight clinging to us.

In hopes of adding some levity to the night, he asked me if I was okay going out to celebrate the team’s win with his teammates and of course I agreed. While I wait for him to shower, change and conduct his post-game interviews, I decide to FaceTime Izzy, to confirm our plans for meeting up in Madrid tomorrow

The connection inside the arena is lousy, so I hang outside the player entrance next to the building. The phone is dark and beeps a few times as I wait for Izzy to answer. It’s fuzzy and dark until she answers and her face fills the frame. She answers with a smile and a smoke-tinged voice.

“Hey Kady-Lady. How’s my girl?”

Although Iz and I have only known each other since last August, it feels like she’s my other half. Kylah may be my birth twin, but Izzy mirrors me in personality and style. With the exception that Iz possesses even wilder tendencies than me.

This entire crazy European trip, without plans or itinerary, was her hair-brained idea. She is a fly-by-the-seat-of-her -pants girl and never allows a lack of planning to get in her way. She does whatever the hell she pleases, when she pleases, consequences be damned.

“Hi, Iz. It’s good to see your stupid face,” I joke, blowing her kiss over the phone. “How’s Madrid? Are you still with what’s his name?”

When she went galivanting off with the Danish band members we met a week ago – was it really only a week ago? – I didn’t expect her to stay with him very long. Her track record with men is even more varied than mine. She’s easily interested, but once she’s had her fill, she is soon bored.

Izzy’s face crinkles in disgust. “Ew, God no. Stefan was a horribly lazy lover. Didn’t try to get me off once. He was always high, playing on his guitar or looking at other women. However, I did have some fun with the drummer, Peitro. Now that boy can do some amazing things with his talented fingers.” She wiggles hers in front of the phone to state her case.

Her laughter is laced with carnal naughtiness and I move away from the arena door as a guy steps out and around me on the sidewalk, his eyes lighting up with mischief over what he heard. I stifle a giggle.

My eyes return to the phone and I see Izzy light up a cigarette and blow the smoke away from her phone. That’s the one thing that bothers me about Izzy. She smokes like a chimney. No matter how many conversations we’ve had about the environment, pre-mature wrinkles and cancer caused by second-hand smoke, she is staunchly set against quitting. It’s been only worse in Europe, where it seems everyone and their mother smokes.

“You’re saying you let him beat on your drum kit?” I chuckle.

She cackles, blowing more smoke, her lips curving in a languid smile. “Oh darling, you have no idea. Had he not had a girlfriend, I may have stuck around a little while longer.”

My brows raise in question. “What? Are you serious? Isadora…that’s so uncool. You know that’s what started all that smack talk about me when I was seeing Aidan.”

Her smile fades as she takes another drag. It’s obvious she remembers the unfair accusations hurled my way over what happened between me and Aidan.

“Speaking of which, have you heard anything about that recently?”

I shake my head, closing my eyes to shut out the storm of negative thoughts that have plagued me for weeks over what happened. What I thought would blow over after it became public knowledge that I had an affair with my TA, it only grew bigger when we all learned he is engaged. Engaged to a woman pursuing her PhD at Penn State.

I was just as stunned as everyone else. Never in a million years would I have slept with a guy who had a girlfriend, much less a fiancée. He never mentioned anything about her and I was in the dark about his love life. Once everyone else found out, my reputation as a homewrecker was already conceived by those who enjoyed shit-stirring.

Izzy gives me a sympathetic look. “Listen, babe. You are not at fault in that situation and you and I know it. Aidan kept everyone in the dark about his long-distance fiancée. She can keep her philandering man and you can hold your head high. Don’t you listen to those assholes.”

I wish it were that easy. I lost a lot of friends who suddenly turned against me when they learned about his “relationship” status and looked down at me like I was a stained-blue-dress-wearing Monica. 

Thankfully, this trip, along with Izzy’s shoulder to lean on, has helped me take my mind off the horrible names I’ve been called in the last few months. Spending time on this trip and getting to know Gavin has eased my fragile state-of-mind. The whole aftermath has just been a solid reminder that I can’t control how other people view me or what they think of me. I can only be my authentic self. I don’t think of myself the way those judgmental people do, and that’s all that matters.

Izzy stomps out the butt of her cigarette and picks up a wine glass. “So, what’s going on, Kady-lady? When will you be here so we can explore Madrid together? I think you might like my cousin, Antonio. He’s my mom’s second cousin or something like that. I have no idea what that makes him to me. He’s hot as fuck, and single to boot, but it would be creepy if I tried to make a move on him. Don’t you think? But you…you could definitely get it on without any creepiness factor.”

A week ago, I would have been giddy over the prospect of a hot Spanish dude to hook-up with. But now, I have no interest. It’s such a strange and foreign revelation to only have one guy in my sights.

Now, the only guy I want is Gavin. So much so that my stomach muscles tighten and I feel a little queasy at the thought of finding someone else.

Izzy’s voice shakes my worry. “Hey, what’s going on with you? You suddenly look panicked. Like you’re going to puke. Are you sick or something?”

Sick? No, not physically. But maybe this is the definition of lovesick. My heart feels pinched, my chest constricted like someone tied a rope around it and is squeezing hard, cutting off my airways. Is this what it’s come to? I’ve finally lost myself over a guy?

Waving my hand in the air to dismiss her concern, I avoid her eyes and look away from the phone.

“I’m fine,” I lie. “And yeah, I can’t wait to see you and meet your hottie cousin. Sounds great.”

It’s then that a large arm grabs me around my waist and I’m pulled into a firm, muscular body. My heart flutters at the contact and I have to clear my throat when he places a kiss on the top of my head. I can smell the fresh clean scent of his shampoo and the spiciness of his cologne.

“Ahem…are you going to introduce me?”

To anyone else, Izzy sounds like a pissed off and annoyed Brooklyn girl, but I know she’s not. That’s just her usual friendly demeanor.

I tilt the phone up toward Gavin so I can capture him in the frame.

“Hey,” he lights up with his sexy smirk, lifting a brow at Iz. “I’m Gavin. You must be Izzy?”

She smiles coyly and wiggles her fingers in front of her screen.

“Why yes I am. Hello Gavin. And might I say you are freaking hot,” she coos, and then tsks at me. “Kady-Lady didn’t tell me what a hot player she got her claws into. Now I know why she’s reluctant to leave.”

My face blushes warm at her statement. It’s not from embarrassment, but annoyance. For some reason, the way she paints me as a man-eater, getting my claws into him, is unsettling. That’s not what I’ve done and I don’t want Gavin to think that, either.

“Shut it, Iz.” I hiss out, my tone harsh with petulance.

Unfazed, she quirks a perfectly sculpted brow and snorts.

“Oh, I see how it is.”

“No, you don’t,” I argue back.

This is ridiculous. I’m being ridiculous. I’m getting upset over nothing. This is so completely unlike me.

As if Gavin recognizes my irritation, he kisses me on the cheek and moves to speak in my ear. Low and sexy. He slides his hand behind me, out of site of the camera, and grabs my ass cheek, squeezing it hard.

“We may need to stop by the hotel before we go out tonight,” he whispers. “I think my Kitty needs to get her claws into something to take the edge off.”

Oh, so true.

“Gotta go, Iz. We’re heading out with some of Gavin’s teammates. I’ll text you tomorrow when I’m at the airport and will let you know when to pick me up.”

She winks salaciously.

“You bet, hun. Have fun tonight. And don’t do anything…oh wait…scratch that. I hope you do everything I would do! Ciao, babes.”

She disconnects on a giggle and I slide my phone into my purse, as Gavin wraps an arm around my shoulder to lead us away from the building.

“Izzy is exactly as you described her to me. But who’s Antonio?”

My body stiffens and I swivel to face him. He wears a smile, but I can see something behind his eyes that looks like concern.

“Nobody. Just her cousin.”

I lift onto my tiptoes and sling my arms around his neck, pulling his lips to mine.

“Now, what were you saying about my claws?”

I dig my fingernails into his neck and he laughs.

“Mm…meow.”