Chapter 48

(Keegan's point of view)

I woke up feeling different. It was a good kind of different. I could still taste Brees’ lips on mine and I smiled thinking about the passionate night we had shared unexpectedly. I wanted to get up and shower before everyone woke up so I grabbed my bag and headed to the bathroom. I could see that Brees’ door was closed so she must still be asleep.

After my shower, I picked up the living room area where I had slept. I folded the blankets and carried them to the hall closet.

“Good morning my boy,” I heard my mom say, as she zipped by into the kitchen.

I knew she was headed to get coffee ready for Missy. I followed her into the kitchen.

“Hey ma, did you want me to start making breakfast?” I asked, opening the fridge.

“Sure Kee. I’m putting on coffee for Missy and she should be out to help after her shower,” my mom said.

She sat down on a stool and gave me a look. I wasn’t sure what I had done, but she had given me this look before when I was in trouble.

“What’s up ma?” I asked, as I cracked eggs into a glass bowl.

“Where were you last night? she asked.

“I was here. I didn’t leave,” I said.

“Oh I know you didn’t leave the house. But when I came to grab some Advil for my headache late last night, you weren’t on the couch,” she said, sipping her water.

She stared at me over the opaque glass. Her eyes saying they knew more than she was willing to share. I whisked the eggs and milk in a bowl, trying to avoid her stare.

“I was umm… it’s a complicated question,” I said, fumbling for the right words to say.

She put her hand on my hand, causing me to stop beating the eggs so fiercely.

“Kee, you can’t break her heart again. If you want to be with her, that’s wonderful. But you are seeing Izzy and that isn’t fair to either of them. I hope that whatever you were doing, you were being safe,” my mom said.

I nodded. I wasn’t sure what to say. I was embarrassed and relieved all at the same time.

“Missy would not be pleased if she knew you were sneaking into Brees’ bedroom at late hours like this. Please keep this under raps. At least for today. She can’t think you two are a thing when just last night you didn’t even give her your present,” she continued.

“Ma, I really do love her so much. Like it hurts to not be with her. How can you expect me to act like nothing happened when I see her today,” I asked, in disbelief.

“You will figure it out. Don’t ruin Christmas for our families. This is our first of many together Kee. You and Brees can figure this all out after this week is over and we make it through the holidays. But for now, she is just your friend. Do you understand me?” she said sternly.

I understood but I wasn’t pleased. Me having to not show my affection for Brees would be hard. My mom was correct in her reasoning that I should break things off with Isadora and I intended to do that later. She was flying out tomorrow morning to go stay with her family in Italy, so I would need to stop over there tonight after Christmas dinner.

I would just be friendly with Brees this morning and later tonight I could truly just ask her if she wants to be with me. For now however, I had to keep my composure around her.