“Trey,” I scream, and his serious expression shows he’s most likely listing chords has me clench tight before releasing completely. Trey follows two seconds after me, and I crumple on top of him. Keeping him inside, I wait until he softens and slides out before I move off of him.
He brings me to his side and our bodies begin to calm down. “You owe me a shirt,” he jokes, and I laugh.
“We’ll go shopping tomorrow,” I tell him. Eventually, I get up and clean myself up.
Our night consists of sleeping, making love, sleeping, fucking, and sleeping. It’s the most incredible night, and I honestly feel Trey and I are exactly where we need to be. My fears of him waking up one day and wanting out this life are slowly vanishing.
The next morning, I’m sad when Trey’s not with me in bed. Hearing the shower running, I’m pretty sure where he is. Debating on joining him, I quickly nix that idea, since the bed is way too comfortable and warm to leave. Getting restless, I begin to think about packing up this room and bringing Trey’s stuff over to the house. I contemplate if Trey would want to move in with us, he’s there all the time anyway. My mind wonders from thought to thought, scenario to scenario. At least the one constant is we’re together in them.
My phone buzzes, and I reach over to the nightstand to grab it. Seeing it’s just a Facebook notification, I put my phone back down. I bite my cheek when I spy the drawer. Trey hasn’t ever said not to open it, but I know he keeps something very private in there. Crap, I’m so curious. Hearing the water still going, I slowly open the drawer. A box of condoms, a few receipts, and a book are all that occupy it. I release a relieved breath. Even though, I’m not quite sure what I thought he was hiding, I’m thankful there’s nothing much in the drawer. I pick up the book about famous architects, beginning to read about Adolf Loos when something falls out. Bending over the bed, reaching towards the floor, my fingers barely grasp the photo laying there. When I turn it around to look at it, my stomach tumbles to the depths of hell. My mouth goes dry, my heart starts racing, and the sounds of the world are muted.
The sound of the shower turning off snaps me out of my stupor, and all I can think of is getting the hell out of here. I throw the covers off of me, scrambling around the room to grab my clothes. Once I’ve thrown on my dress from last night, I’m two steps from the door when Trey appears in the bathroom doorway. His body glistening with wet droplets, a towel wrapped around his taut stomach. “Kailey? What’s wrong?” he questions, clearly concerned.
“Who is this?” I ask him while holding the picture up, already assuming the answer. My hand balled at my side, fingernails piercing my palm.
“I was going to show you at some point. It’s just I keep it—”
“Who?” I cut him off, and he steps back confused about my inquisition.
“It’s my daughter,” he cautiously divulges.
“You bastard,” I yell. “How could you? I fucking believed you loved me. You manipulative asshole.” I scream, tearing the door open and slamming it shut.
Brady skids down the stairs from their room to investigate the noise. Dex and Rob open their doors. “Are you okay, Kailey?” Brady asks.
“No, I’m not. Your roommate is fucking prick, who uses people’s hearts to gain what he wants.” By this time, Trey’s already out of the room with his towel still wrapped around him. Sadie appears next to Brady in her tank top and boxer shorts. She approaches me, and I step back. “Did you all know?” They all stare at me with confused expressions, but Sadie places her hand on my shoulder. “Can you take me home?” I ask her, and she nods, escorting me downstairs. She needs no explanation, she’s just there to help me.
Before I take the steps, I look directly at him. “Stay the hell away from her. Do you understand me?”
“Kailey, what the hell are you talking about? I’m sorry I never showed you the picture, but I don’t get why you’re so mad.”
“Do you get some sick twisted pleasure by tormenting me? All these months, all the lies. How could you do this to me?” The tears start streaming down my face even after pushing them back. “I knew it. I knew there was a reason you pursued me the way you did.”
“Kailey! Talk to me, I don’t understand? Why are you so mad I didn’t show you the picture?”
“Did you think the situation was your opening, and I was your golden ticket? If you think you’re going to get her now because Jen and Caden are dead, you’re mistaken. I’ll fight you till my last breath. Do you understand me?” I stare directly into those eyes that I once believed reflected the love he felt for me.
“Who the hell are you talking about?” he screams.
“Chloe. You gave her up Trey! Using her mother’s illness to sneak into her life through her aunt’s weakness isn’t going to get her back.” His face falls and a glaze covers his eyes. “Don’t contact us, and don’t come around.” I run down the stairs. Sadie’s mouth is completely open in astonishment. I guess she didn’t know. She follows me out.
I keep running until I get to the safe confines of her car, and Trey runs out of the house after me. Sadie attempts to push him back, telling him to give me space. The guys come out, and Dex places his hand on his chest, attempting to keep him back, but Trey pushes past him and makes it to the car, banging on the window. “I swear, I didn’t know, Kailey. I swear.” Figures he’d go the ignorant way out of it.
Flipping him off as Sadie pulls out of the driveway does little to make me feel better. Once we’re driving down the street, she places her hand on my leg. She remains silent for a few minutes until we get to a stop light. “Kailey?” Her soft voice fills the silence. “I’m not entirely sure I know what’s going on, but whatever it is, Trey was just as surprised as you right now.” Her phone buzzes, and she pulls it out. Texting someone back, she sticks it back in the center console.
“Trey had a daughter.” I decide who the hell cares about keeping his damn secret. “He gave her up for adoption when he was seventeen.”
“Is that what the fight is about?” she hesitantly asks. I’m thankful it’s Sadie with me, instead of Jessa. I’m not even sure Jessa would have let me leave the house.
“There’s no fight because we won’t be making up. It’s over. His daughter is...is...is...his daughter is Chloe,” I admit to her as much as to myself. My voice doesn’t reflect any emotion. I can almost feel the cold swirling within me.
“Oh,” she takes a deep breath and glances over at me. The rest of the ride is complete silence, except for my phone’s consistent buzzing in my purse. I know who it is, and he can go to hell.
We pull into the driveway, and I thank Sadie. “Let me come in. We can talk.” Her hand covers the keys idling in the ignition.
“No, thank you, Sadie. I need to be by myself for a while.” She gives me a huge hug, and I step out of the car to try to figure out how this happened, but not before I spot Trey’s car squealing around the corner. He slams the car into park as he and Brady get out of the doors.
“Seriously, man, you practically killed me,” Brady shouts at him, slamming his door.
Trey pays no attention, running up to me. He has a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that’s still wet from his body, and bare feet. He’s not going to use his charming ways this time. “Kailey, listen to me,” he pleads.
“NO! Get the fuck out of here,” I scream at him.
He gets down on his knees, begging me to talk to him. “Just listen to me god damn it!” he hollers back. Uncle Clyde comes out to see what the commotion is. Sadie and Brady stand by the car confused and shocked by what’s unfolding in front of their eyes.
“You gave her up once, you’ll do it again. How could you think this would be good for her? Hasn’t she lost enough? We’re better without you. She is better off without you. The best thing you did was give up being a part of her life. She doesn’t need to know her birth father was such a selfish manipulative bastard. Just leave,” I say sternly before walking past Uncle Clyde and into the house.