It’s all I can do not to ask the woman if she has short term memory loss. Kayla looks at me and I see the tension in her face and it pisses me off. Just as she’s about to placate the prissy bitch yet again, I decide to take control.
“I have to admit, Mrs. Haynes, I found it strange that Tommy decided not to escort Kayla to the dinner himself. But his oversight is my good luck. I guess I should be thanking you, Tommy. Though, you don’t want to leave a door like that open too many times. You might find a man has swooped in and taken her away from you. Women like Kayla are hard to find.”
I hear a few gasps around the table. Tommy is looking at me and I can’t tell if he’s upset or not. He’s been pretty withdrawn this whole night. I can’t for the life of me figure out what Kayla was thinking, hooking up with him. Kayla’s coughing catches my attention. She’s putting her glass down, obviously choking on the wine.
I put my hand on her back and pat lightly. “You okay, Buttercup?”
“Buttercup?” blurts Mrs. Haynes.
Before I can answer, Kayla has settled her coughing and speaks up, though her voice is a little tight and winded. “White’s mother gave me that nickname when I came to live with them. She had named all of her girls after flowers and she didn’t want me to feel left out.”
“So you two are… step-siblings?”
“Exactly—”
“—Not at all,” I say at the same time, talking over Kayla. Her eyes go huge in disbelief, to which I just grin.
“I’m afraid I’m back to not understanding the dynamic here.”
“Kayla belongs to our family. She’s one of us. But I don’t know of a man who could look at a woman as beautiful as her and think of her as a sister if they aren’t blood related,” I tell Mrs. Haynes, but I’m not looking at her. I’m looking at Kayla—a Kayla who looks like she wants to strangle me.
“White, will you quit joking around? I’m sorry, Mrs. Haynes. White has problems realizing he’s not always as funny as he thinks he is.”
“I see,” she responds.
“Not really. I just don’t like the idea that someone doesn’t value what he has in Kayla,” I interrupt again, looking straight at Tommy.
Tommy puts his fork down and looks me in the eye. I’ll grudgingly give him bonus points for that.
“I know her value,” he states. “It’s why I asked her to marry me. I wasn’t stupid enough to have her around for years and not notice how special she is.”
Fucking prick. I see the self-satisfied way he’s looking at me. My mother’s words come back to mind, but I shut them down. Kayla and I do not have that dynamic. I’m not having kids. I can’t give her what she wants. Besides, even thinking about Kayla like that would ruin our friendship. That absolutely can’t happen.
“I think it’s time we change the subject,” Kayla says, and her voice is filled with an unspoken warning. I want to push it, but when I see her face, I stop. I’m here to support her and maybe shine a light on what a loser Tommy Haynes is.
“I’d like to know why Kayla inspires a pissing match,” Cynthia says, rather bored.
“Cynthia,” Tommy’s mother chastises.
“What? I find it a legitimate question,” she says, looking at her nails as if she’s bored. Maybe she is. From what I know of Cynthia, if she isn’t the center of attention, she’s not interested.
“I think I’ve had enough of the family togetherness,” Tommy says, his voice tight.
“Oh, is little Tommy put out because I don’t like his little girlfriend? I’ve already warned you that if you insist on going through with this marriage, our daughter will not be allowed to stay with you. I don’t want that bitch anywhere near my child,” Cynthia says.
“I see you’re as charming as ever, Cynthia,” I say, looking at her. “Did you insist on being here tonight just to make everyone miserable?” Every time I see her I’m reminded of the hell she put my brother through. I can’t stand her.
“Fuck you, White. If it wasn’t for your brothers and that crazy mother of yours, Green and I would have been fine.”
“Gee, you don’t think it had something to do with the fact that you cheated on him with his coach and at least three other men?”
“I don’t think this is something we should be talking about tonight. Tonight is about—” Tommy starts, and I decide to turn my attention to him. It’s his fault really, the fucker should have kept quiet.
“You don’t think that’s something we should discuss? Could that be because you were one of the men she was screwing while my brother was busting his ass in the minors just so he could get called back up?”
“I think we’ve had enough…” Mrs. Haynes starts.
“White,” Kayla begins.
“I didn’t realize they were still married at the time,” Tommy defends, but if the motherfucker thinks I buy that shit, he’s crazy.
“Of course Green would never have gotten called back to the majors if he hadn’t found out his dear, sweet wife was the village bicycle and everyone around was taking turns pedaling her.”
“You bastard,” Cynthia cries.