Page 22 of Confessions of Pain

Chapter 7

Music was blaring and there was some porn, girl on girl, playing on the big screen television sitting on a black dresser. Empty cans of soda pop, packages of cookies, and melting ice cream containers were scattered on the floor and nightstands. The clothes he’d been wearing at the plant the day before had been tossed on the floor and were entwined with the clothes of his bed partner. I swallowed back a growl of confused anger. Lying in the center of the king-sized bed, in the wrong direction, was Kelsey, wearing only a pair of sexy boxer briefs, and…a woman, wearing some skimpy panties and some kind of sports bra.

What the fuck? Kelsey was gay. He wasn’t bisexual and I knew that for sure. He was gay.

Or was he? Did I even know him really? Hell, was he even gay? Had my so-called “rape” turned him straight? My hand gripped the door frame until my knuckles turned ash white. No, I hadn’t been prepared for this. Anything butthis. Was he married? Was this woman, as tall as Kelsey but incredibly thin with hardly any womanly curves, the one who ended up with the heart I used to cherish so damned much?

The cozy porch with the colorful throw pillows crept back into my mind. I hadn’t seen much, but there had definitely been hints of a woman’s touch in the few parts I had seen of Kelsey’s house. My mind screamed that I was wrong, horribly mistaken, but the harsh reality of what I was seeing kept telling me there was no mistake. Kelsey was in bed with a woman. Naked. Well, practically naked. His tanned skin was a stark conflict to the woman’s paler flesh. Both their bodies were lean, almost too thin, but definitely toned with athletic muscle. Kelsey’s blond hair, much darker than it had been when we were younger, was closer to a caramel color and tangled wildly all around his face. The woman’s hair, inky black, had to hang to her trim waist, because there was enough of it to wrap around the both of them, blocking my view of the man I used to love. From where I stood, I could see her dark lashes, long but not nearly as long as Kelsey’s, resting innocently against her alabaster skin. She looked so fucking happy. So peaceful.

I hated her.

Kelsey was on his side, one leg drawn up and thrown over the woman’s slim legs, and an arm wrapped around her, his hand resting against her flat stomach. His position gave me a beautiful view of his perfect bubble ass and I knew I should look away…but I didn’t dare. This could very well be the last time I saw the ass I used to own, so I kept looking.

The skin-tight boxer briefs and the thick leather bracelets around his wrists decorated his body beautifully. I hadn’t liked the bracelets at first and I guess that was because they were yet another thing about Kelsey that seemed different—something I didn’t know about. Now, as my eyes feasted on the snug jewelry, I had to admit they were sexier than fuck. Being the pervert that I was, I imagined them as cuff restraints instead of jewelry. I could tie him down, ravish his body until he was forced to admit that he belonged to me. I would make him beg me for forgiveness. I would fuck him so hard…so good…that he would beg me to stay with him.

And then I would walk away.

“Gabriel? What are you doing here?”

Kelsey’s voice, rough from sleep and whatever the fuck else he’d done last night, interrupted my fantasy. I jerked, surprised that he’d woken up and I hadn’t known it, hadn’t heard him make the slightest sound. The realization that I’d been caught ogling him and hiswhateverin their bed, caused a blush to start to creep up my neck. I combated that embarrassment with anger and resentment.

“You’re late for work,” I barked. The blush deepened, because I was ashamed that was the fucking best retort I could come up with.

Kelsey glanced worriedly at the woman in his arms and then, as if realizing for the first time that he and his lover were practically naked in bed with me standing there, he reached over and grabbed the sheet to cover her up. Then he gently untangled himself for their limb-lock and eased himself up and away from her.

“I’m pretty sure you fired me, so I’m not late. Let’s talk somewhere else,” he added as he scooted to the edge of the bed.

He’d looked sleepy for a split second, but now his blue eyes were alert and wide awake as they looked at me and then they would skitter back in her direction. Ah, he was scared. How cute. He didn’t want her to know anything. Hell, she probably didn’t even know he used to be gay. Fuck that shit, I wasn’t going anywhere. He hadn’t made it easy on me all those years ago, so I damned well wouldn’t make it easy on him now.

“Nah, I’m good right where I am. Nice view, by the way.” I squinted and then frowned. “Weird though, my eyesight must be getting bad. It looks a lot like you’re in bed with a woman and we both know that isn’t what you really like. What’s up with that, Kels?” I kept looking at her and added, “She’s cute and all, but I hardly think she’s gorgeous enough to turn a gay man straight.” I knew I was being an ass but couldn’t seem to gather the strength up to care or be the least bit ashamed.

He frowned. “What?”

“Who is she, Kels? Your wife? Girlfriend? One-night hookup?” I knew she wasn’t a hookup—they looked way too comfortable together. No, this wasn’t the first time they’d fallen asleep in each other’s arms.

His frown deepened. “You think she’s my wife? Seriously, Gabriel? Why the fuck would you, of all people, think that?”

“Because we’re in bed together, Kelsey,” the woman’s voice interrupted.

Her eyes were still closed, but clearly, she was wide awake.

“He thinks I’m your wife, girlfriend, or one-night hookup because we are in bed together. Clearly, he’s a dumb fuck who doesn’t know you very well.” She peeked one eye open. “And you have about three seconds to tell me that he’s not who I think he is before I am out of this bed and ready to kick his ass. Three seconds to tell me that this is nottheGabriel.”

The conversation between Kelsey and his bedmate had me about as confused as the fact that I was still sporting a boner in my slacks. Seeing Kelsey in bed with anybody, much less a woman, should have deflated the traitorous monster called my dick, but apparently, he didn’t get the memo about proper responses for bitter betrayals.

“Stop it, Evie. You aren’t kicking anybody’s ass,” Kelsey argued.

“One.”

“Seriously, Evie, stop it. You’re embarrassing both of us.”

“Two.”

This time, she sat up in the bed and met his gaze eye for eye. Barely contained fury rolled off her in waves. She actually trembled every few seconds.

“Give me a few minutes, okay? Go grab your shower. I’ll be fine.”

When she started shaking her head in a firm negative direction, he added a soft, “Please, Evie.”

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