Outside the girls were in the car where I guess Josh had told them to stay before following me inside. I needed to know what the fuck had gone on here today, why she was in another man’s house when I thought she was spending the day with her dad. But I knew my head was too hot to confront her just then. Instead I went over to her truck where Josh was bending over checking out her tires. “What happened?”
“The fucker punched her tire so she couldn’t get away. Ah ah ah ah no way slugger you’re not going back in there. I told Carrie to call a tow truck before I came in so they should be here soon. Let’s get the girls home and away from here and then we’ll decide what to do next.”
“What the fuck was she doing here Joshua? Why the fuck would she lie to me?”
“Not here bro, let’s chill until we reach the house.”
“Fine but if she betrayed me she’s fucked.”
“Don’t go there bro, remember my shit? remember telling me to get all the facts before I lose my head? I didn’t listen and almost lost my girl. Don’t make the same fucking mistake, you don’t have to be that much of a fucking Steele.” I knew he was trying to lighten the situation but I wasn’t feeling it. I’d been through too much already and was even now going through hell trying to bring her peace. What reason could she have for being here when she was supposed to be somewhere else? And if it were innocent why hadn’t she told me about it or called me when shit turned ugly? The questions in my head just served to feed my anger and as soon as the tow truck showed up and was taken care of I passed off Josh’s wife to him and pulled Kadyn up front with me.
“Matthew…”
“You don’t talk, don’t say shit to me until I’m not driving.” I drove her home in complete silence while she sat there stiff as a board staring out the window. I knew she was scared and she fucking well should be. Things were going so well and she had to go pull this shit; was my life destined to be fucked, what the fuck had she been doing with him? I’m sure she knew from my reaction whenever his name was even mentioned that I didn’t like this guy and she should’ve known without me saying it that I didn’t want her anywhere near his ass.
When we pulled into the garage Josh gave me the ‘be cool’ look as I led her inside. Mom started to say something as we walked in but I guess the air was thick with whatever the fuck I was feeling because she cut herself off in midsentence and just looked from one to the other of us before I pulled Kadyn up the stairs behind me. As soon as we were behind closed doors I turned to her.
“Talk.” I tried not to be too menacing always conscious of her plight, so I stood back a ways from her with my arms folded waiting for her explanation.
“Dan called while I was at dad’s, he said it was important. I didn’t think anything of it when he said he had a problem and could I come over for an hour or so.”
“What problem?”
“He didn’t say and I didn’t ask. He’s never done anything like this before so I didn’t think there was anything to worry about. I knew his mom would be home or I never would’ve gone over there alone.”
“What happened when you got there?”
“He um, he started asking me all these questions about you, us, things like that.” She was getting nervous, wringing her hands and looking all around the room to avoid my eyes.
“What sort of questions.” My voice was clipped, cold but it had to be as I was barely restraining myself.
“You know, like if we were together and stuff like that. I told him yes but I still didn’t understand what was going on. Then he grabbed me and I pushed him away and asked him what he thought he was doing. I didn’t want to make a scene, didn’t want to scream and yell for his mom and dad to hear because I still thought I could handle the situation.”
“Where were you having this conversation?” her eyes widened and she swallowed.
“In his room.” I was across the room standing in front of her before she’d finished the words.
“What the fuck were you doing in his room Kadyn?” I could strangle her for being that fucking stupid. She tried backing away from me but I pulled her in. “Don’t even try it; you can’t be that fucking naïve, now tell me why I shouldn’t go upside your head for going to some other dudes house and ending up in his bedroom alone?”