Everybody Knows But Me

*ERIC*

“Kacie… I thought you weren’t going to be back until late tonight,” he said barely above a whisper.

She held my gaze as she responded to Walt.

“They sent me home early.”

“Answer the question Kacie.”

She fumbled to put the keys in her pocket.

“What Eric? What?”

“Why the fuck do you have a key to Walt’s house, Kacie?”

“Why do you think Eric?”

Suddenly everything started to fall into place. The shoes, the purse, the blanket. My mind wasn’t playing tricks on me. I knew those items.

“You said you found an apartment. Why did you lie?”

“Eric, I—“

“We wanted to tell you.”

At that point every bone in me wanted to grab him by the throat and sling him across the room. My fists balled at my sides.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP WALT! We’ve been friends for years and I don’t even have a key. She sells you a sob story and you give her one? You don’t even know her!”

“He knows enough.”

“Oh yeah? Does he know why you’re really here and what you’re going to do as soon as Josh comes back?”

Her body stiffened at the mention of his name.

“What is he talking about, Kacie?”

“Nothing.” She walked forward and closed the distance between us. “He’s just projecting.”

That was like a punch to the gut. She had hella audacity.

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Walt crossed the room to stand near Kacie like a fucking dog. He tried to place his hand on her shoulder. She jerked it away.

His face twisted from the offense. I caught that.

My eyes went back to Kacie’s.

“You did the same thing with that trick walking around there.”

Before my mind could catch up with my body, my fist flew up. I drew it back before it swung.

I paused.

“That’s the mother of my child.”

“What about us, Eric? Huh? We were there first and you abandoned us for someone you only knew for two seconds.”

“Come on, Kace. I think that’s enough.” Walt interjected.

I held my hand up.

“No, let her finish. Tell me how you really feel.”

Her face trembled and her eyes were turning red.

“You were all we had.”

That did it. The anger faded and another feeling took over. Not sympathy or sadness. Something I truly didn’t expect to feel for her. I was disgusted.

I swallowed hard as hell.

“Fuck you Kacie. You still lied to me.”

That once soft and crumbled face turned hard and spiteful.

“Eric, you’re a—“

Before she could get it out, there was a scream coming from the back room.

“Look what you two have done.” said Walt.

Without a second thought in mind I brushed past Kacie and ran to Kayla.

There in the corner by the door was a little girl curled up in a ball rocking back and forth to self soothe.

I knelt down and rubbed my fingers through her hair. When she calmed down enough to stop rocking, I helped her to her feet.

“You okay sour patch?”

She nodded wiping her eyes.

“Go pack your bag. You’re coming with me.”

She moved as if the weight of the house was on her shoulders.

I couldn’t bear to watch, so I helped gather her things.

Once she put on her shoes, she trailed me to the door. Kacie stepped in front of me with furrowed eyebrows and frown lines.

“What do you think you’re doing? You can’t take her!”

“I can and I will!”

“She’s my child!”

“You don’t act like it.”

She cut her eyes at me.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re such a piece of shit Kacie! You won’t even answer the phone when her school calls. They called me to get her. Did you even know she was suspended?”

She relaxed her shoulders and covered her mouth.

“I didn’t…”

“Of course you didn’t. I bet you didn’t know she’s been getting bullied either.”

She blinked rapidly as she processed everything I said.

“I thought…” she said softly.

“That’s the problem Kace, you don’t.”

I firmly held onto Kayla’s hand as we walked out of the house.

Just behind me were rapid footsteps.

I kept walking.

“Brother!” Walt pleaded.

“Fuck you too, Walt!”

I helped Kayla into the car and sped off.

I tried to keep from going too fast since Kayla was with me. However, my foot became heavier as I thought about everything that just transpired.

“Uncle. Uncle.”

I didn’t respond.

“Uncle, slow down.”

I held the steering wheel like it owed me money.

She didn’t even have to lie.

And Walt of all people? I mean he’s a pretty decent guy, but he doesn’t seem to realize he’s just a pawn to her, like the rest of us.

“Can you play some music?”

I turned the radio up.

During the entire ride, Kayla’s little voice became background noise. My thoughts were louder. All I could hear was ‘that trick’ repeatedly.

Once we made it to the condo, Kayla perked up when she saw Jamira. Everyone does.

She has a smile like summer and her personality pulls you in before you can even consent.

But even that wasn’t enough to calm me down in the moment. She tried to talk. I wasn’t feeling it.

I only scratched the surface during the conversation and went to take a shower.

I let the water do what a conversation couldn’t.

Instead of going straight to sleep like I intended, I just laid there, staring back at the ceiling that somehow felt like it was slowly falling.

My phone buzzed.

I looked and saw I had four missed calls from Walt and three messages.

I’m sorry you had to find out this way.

Can we talk?

Eric, bro pick up the phone.

All went unanswered.

Normally I’d make Jamira’s body my playground to ease the rest of my tension. I didn’t have it in me to do that.

Eventually I did go to sleep.

When I woke up, I heard faint voices outside my door.

I looked over to see Jamira wasn’t in bed.

I checked my phone and the time was 12:46.

She’d normally be asleep.

Maybe the baby just woke her up.

When I opened the door she was on the couch with Ayana and Kayla sound asleep next to them.

Jamira’s eyes shot up instantly. She had something in her hand that she quickly tucked in the corner of the couch.

“I didn’t realize you had company.”

“Yeah… I was going to tell you when you got up. Ayana needs somewhere to stay for a couple of days and I told her she could stay here.”

I didn’t have a problem with Ayana by any means. However, this was not the time to have people over. She never once asked me about it.

My teeth were starting to grind. Slightly.

“Baby, come to bed.”

She looked at me for a second and said, “Okay.”

I turned around and closed the door, but not completely. There was just enough space to fit my hand through.

They started talking again.

This time I could hear them clearly.

“What the hell was that?”

“What?”

“Behind the pillow, Mira? Really?”

“It made sense.”

“To who? I hope you know he saw you.”

“No, I hid it.”

“Girl, he absolutely saw your ass.”

She was right, I did.