Under The Same Roof

The keys stopped jingling outside the door.

A second later, the lock turned.

I frowned.

Walt wasn’t expecting anybody.

At least he hadn’t said he was.

The door opened, and Kacie walked in looking down at her phone.

I stared at her.

She hadn’t noticed me yet. She pushed the door closed behind her, dropped her purse onto the little table by the wall, and locked it again like she’d done that shit a hundred times.

Then she looked up.

Her whole body stopped.

“Eric?”

I didn’t answer.

My eyes dropped to the keys still hanging from her fingers.

Kacie followed my stare.

For a second, neither one of us said shit.

Then she closed her hand around them.

And there it was.

That feeling again.

That little voice in the back of my head that had been getting louder every damn day.

I looked from the keys to my sister.

“Why the fuck you got a key to Walt’s house?”

….

*KACIE*

Ever since the move, Walt has been nothing short of helpful. It’s been a long week since we moved it and he makes sure we’re comfortable.

He cooks, makes sure my favorite food is always available and reads to Kayla on nights that I can’t.

Those nights have become more frequent now that I’ve been picking up extra shifts at work to build my savings.

There I was mapping out the routes for the truck drivers and in struts Molly with her nose always in the air. She acts as if she’d been handed the reins of the company. Her attitude is just like her breath. It stinks.

“Kacie, be a dear and stay until ten tonight.”

“Can’t you find someone else to do it?”

“Well I would do it, but I have some business to attend.”

Pushing back from my desk my gaze drifted towards her.

She reapplied her makeup in the compact mirror she pulled out of her bra.

At first I didn’t think much of it until Jonathan walked in. He sat down. She leaned over, tucking her hair behind her ear.

I kept my eyes open. They leaned closer.

He grinned as she whispered under her breath.

They looked back at me.

My intuition that had been speaking was now screaming that something was up.

She glared at me.

They got up and walked towards the door.

Her hand still on the doorknob, she turned and said, “thanks for picking up that extra shift.”

“I hope she chokes on his dick.” I mumbled to myself.

Already exhausted from the last double I’d done, I sat there rethinking every decision that led me to this damn job in the first place.

Suddenly my phone rang. It was Kayla’s school. As if I didn’t have enough to deal with. They’d been calling all week asking if I could come get Kayla. I kept telling them I can’t just get off work like that and I’d talk to her.

The talks became more frequent and her behavior has gotten worse. At this point they’re just going to have to figure it out.

The school called again and once more after I sent the first two to voicemail. When I thought that was over, I got another phone call.

I stared at the phone.

My palms began to sweat and my stomach turned in knots.

“Hello?”

“When can I see my daughter?”

“When you get yourself together, Josh!”

“Y…you… you can’t… you can’t keep her from me.”

That all too familiar stammer he had poked its ugly head through once again. The same one that he had when he stayed out way too late with his boys or every time he lost his job and tried to hide it.

“Are you high again?”

Instead of an answer there was rustling and muffled voices on the other end. I wasn’t completely sure why I didn’t hang up but I sat and listened. Carefully.

After about six minutes he hung up.

No apology.

No explanation.

Nothing.

I gripped the pen on my desk so hard it broke. Ink spilled everywhere.

I texted Walt and let him know I wouldn’t be there on time to put Kayla to sleep. This was getting ridiculous.

As I sat motionless in my chair, my phone rang again. This time it was Eric. I sent it straight to voicemail. I wasn’t ready to talk to him yet. He still doesn’t know I lied and I know when he finds out that’ll be another thing to argue about.

He sent a text but I refused to open it.

Instead I threw the phone in the drawer of the desk and got back to work.

An hour in, Ingrid came in. The look on her face made it seem as if my presence offended her. She looked at her watch and back at me.

“Why are you here?”

“Molly said to stay until ten.”

“You just pulled a double. You can’t do another one so soon.”

“But—“

“That goes against labor laws. Go home.”

I waited to see if I was being pranked. She just got agitated.

“What are you waiting for? Go! I’ll find someone else to finish up here.”

She didn’t have to tell me twice. I quickly gathered my belongings and ran out of there before she realized how short staffed we were. Thank God for HR.

The ride back to Walt’s was fairly quick. I couldn’t wait to see Kayla after two weeks of not being able to.

I pulled into the driveway and saw that silver Porsche I knew too well.

I bit the inside of my cheek while contemplating backing right back out.

Why the hell is he here?

….

*WALT*

Eric and I have always been super close. There were never any secrets between us. I believe that’s how we managed to keep our friendship intact.

There are still things about him that no one else knows. They never will if I can help it.

On the other hand, Kacie has been the girl of my dreams since the day she went camping with us when we were teenagers and she had to watch us.

We were playing down in the lake, trying to catch some fish, when Kacie dove in and got one. The way she gutted that fish afterwards told me everything I needed to know.

That country ass girl was the one for me.

I’ve been trying to get her to notice me ever since.

So her being here for the past week has made me excited in ways I never expected.

She’s honest, fun, and even vents to me from time to time. I’m happy to help.

The thing is, I wasn’t sure how long I could keep up the lie. I’d been conflicted from the start. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do.

Was I supposed to tell my best friend and miss the opportunity I’d been waiting for or was I supposed to save face for her and risk the trust of the one person who has always had my back?

Because I struggled with trying to keep her secret, I became distant and uneasy every time he came around as if that didn’t make things worse.

Honestly it was eating away at me every day I chose not to tell him.

I could almost bet he noticed. He even called me out on it. Still, that wasn’t the moment I knew I messed up.

That moment came when the key unlocked the door.