Page 9 of I Married Kayog
I never saw myself moving. One moment, I was staring at him as blind fury surged through me, and the next, I was grabbing him by the collar and slamming his back against the wall. The horrified and stunned expression on his face reflected the shock I felt. I’d never been one to settle matters through violence, let alone over some dumb horny male’s comments. But this triggered me beyond words.
“Whoa, Kai! Chill man! It was just a joke!” Devin exclaimed, raising his palms in a surrendering gesture.
“Don’teverdisrespect her,” I snapped in a menacing tone.
“Everyone, relax,” Benedict said in a soothing voice. “Kai, let him go, Brother. He didn’t mean any offence. You know he’s a moron. Let go,” he repeated, gently tugging on my arm.
I reluctantly complied, surprised that I would even drag this for so long. Being the peaceful type, my current behavior made no sense, especially considering I indeed knew Devin said offensive things without actual malice simply because he had the dumbest sense of humor.
As soon as I took a few steps back and dropped any menacing stance, Ben turned back to Devin and smacked him in the back of the head.
“We don’t disrespect women, remember?” Ben told him harshly.
Devin scrunched his face and rubbed the back of his head, glaring at the drummer then at the rest of us as if we were being overly dramatic.
“It was just a fucking joke!” Devin exclaimed.
“Stuff the dumb jokes,” Ben replied sternly. “Don’t ruin the best concert we’ve ever had just because you can’t help saying stupid shit.”
“Fine, sorry,” he muttered.
Despite the grumpy way in which he stated his apology, his emotions clearly broadcast the sincerity of his embarrassment and remorse. I immediately felt bad for my excessive reaction. Devin genuinely wasn’t a bad person. He just never thought before he spoke. Before joining the band, he’d always hung out with the type of toxic males who sought their peers’ validation by demeaning others, especially females. He had come a long way since then but still had much work to do.
“Anyway, that Temern female is indeed very beautiful and classy,” Benedict said with a friendly smile while giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “It’s good to see you finally opening up to someone.”
I snorted and shook my head. “I’m not pursuing her.”
As one, all four of my companions recoiled.
“Why the hell not?” Devin asked. “She clearly likes you.”
“Every woman does,” Adam interjected teasingly, making the others chuckle.
“Truth!” Carter chimed in. “And you wouldn’t have written such a beautiful song about her if you didn’t feel the same.”
“We’re about to go mingle with all the influential brats out there,” Benedict said. “This is the perfect time for you to talk to her.”
“No thanks,” I said in a gentle but firm tone. “You know that I don’t do crowds.”
“But you rock them!” Adam exclaimed with the same confusion he expressed every time I fled after a concert. “The fans worship you!”
“And there’s a big label rep in attendance,” Benedict added in a hopeful voice.
I frowned and gave him a reproving look while trying to silence the guilt surging deep within.
“Ben, you’ve always known the deal. I’ve been up front from the start that I’m only here temporarily. I have no desire to have a singing career.”
“But you’re the face of the band!” Devin said with a crestfallen expression. “We’re nothing without you. People come to see Kayog, not Echoes of Madness!”
“That’s not true,” I said with conviction, even though I couldn’t deny the partial truth of his statement. “Your songs in and of themselves are magical. You guys composed the vast majority of our repertoire. There are tons of hot and charismatic singers out there who could join you and who would love to sing what you guys create. I may be the current fad but I’m very much replaceable.”
“They won’t be you,” Adam countered stubbornly.
“No, and that’s a good thing. They will be themselves with their own appeal. Remember that this is my last semester here. Now is a good time to really put the effort into finding a new lead singer. Talk to that label rep. I’m sure he has plenty of talented singers he could pair you with. Your songs and the depth of their messages are really what makes this band, not the singing bird,” I said in a gentle voice.
Ben opened his mouth to say something. I didn’t know if it would have been another argument or him ending the discussion as was his wont when it came to keeping the peace. However, a firm knock on the door interrupted him.
“Come in,” Ben called out.
