Page 16 of Evil Villain (The Royal Court)

Nathan and I turned our backs to Kyle and Brayden and made our way back to the parking lot of the park. We climbed into Kyle’s car, this time with Nathan in the driver’s seat and me in the passenger’s, and then Nathan started up the car.

“Question. Why did you say we’d be alone for an hour? Your house is only like fifteen minutes from here,” I asked.

Nathan looped his hand over the back of the passenger’s seat in order to back up. “Yeah. I was hoping we could just cruise and talk for a bit? I won’t put us in the disgustingly awkward situation of sitting in a room face to face or anything. This way the road can be a nice buffer.”

“Oh. Sure.”

Nathan pulled out of the parking lot, but instead of turning right, which was how we would get to the highway to head back to his house, he turned left. I recognized it as the direction one could go to take the backstreets towards North Postings. It was how I got home every day when I was still living with Ciara. The backstreets into North Postings instead of the highway were about a 20 minute trip, and then taking the highway from North to South Postings would be about 30 minutes, bringing us close to that hour.

Once we were well on our way, Nathan cleared his throat. “So… Thank you, for being willing to talk to me. I know there’s some things that I have to say, I just haven’t had the courage to say it.”

“I know. I wanna say some stuff too,” I replied.

“It’s weird, right? It doesn’t feel like we’re exes, but all that nastiness is still there. Not hostility, just muck. I know that’s mostly my fault, but you know, Cherri. I think you’re pretty amazing. You’re strong and smart and funny, and even in the midst of all this shit, you refused to break. I broke several times. I don’t know how you do it.” It shocked me to hear a stream of such positive, genuine compliments coming out of Nathan’s mouth. He didn’t even seem like the same man that I’d dated for four years. “Sorry. Did I start off too strong?” he asked when I didn’t respond.

I shook my head. “No, I just… You’re different. No offense, but the only time you used to compliment me like that was when you wanted something from me. You’re so, I don’t know, genuine and down to earth all of a sudden. I honestly think that’s why being around you guys is making me so uncomfortable. You’re totally different people.”

“So’re you,” Nathan responded.

I watched the blur of colors pass outside the window. “Well yeah. It’s this feeling, deep in my gut, that if you all were the people you are now and I was the person I am now, back when we all met, we wouldn’t be friends at all. It’s hard. Like I’m forcing it.”

“I mean, you’re probably right,” Nathan said. “But I think that’s true for all of us, not just you versus The Royal Court. I mean, you saw Kyle and Brayden back there. Part of the pull for me with Brayden was that he’d do whatever I wanted. He’s a whole person now. I feel like I’m just now getting to know him.”

“What is that about?” I asked. “Are they…?”

Nathan blew out a sigh. “Yeah. Kind of.”

“Really?” I turned to look at Nathan, shocked. “Okay. I’m sorry if I go a little gossipy right now, but fuck, I did not see that coming. Who started it? What happened? How? I didn’t even know either of them, ya know, swung that way.”

“I think the general consensus at this point is that Kyle is pansexual and Brayden is gay, but not out. I actually couldn’t say for sure who started what. I was going through all of my own shit with my mom dying and my dad cutting out, Deon disappearing. Plus I was trying to navigate this really weird relationship with Nikita. I didn’t think we were even going to make it. While all that was going on, one day I show up and I notice they’re giving each other these looks and Kyle is talking about how often the two of them talk and see each other. It was clear out of the blue. Then when prom came, Kyle asked Brayden to be his date.”

My jaw dropped and I hated that I cost myself seeing that. “Seriously?!”

“Yeah. At first it seemed like it was just a joke. We were talking about going as a big group or as pairs, and Brayden got kind of snippy because, you know, Nikki and me. Alistair and Avery. Jaxon and Colette. All couples, so even if we went as a group, it’d be obvious what was going on. Kyle up and asks him to be his date. We kind of laughed it off at first, but Brayden didn’t think it was a joke ever and gotreallyupset about it. When he stormed away from the table we could all see it, Kyle was shattered, like he’d just been rejected. I asked him about it later that day, but he wouldn’t say much. It was Avery who told me she thought Kyle was pan, but didn’t think he liked Brayden. Kyle later told Nikki that wasn’t true.”

“Why would you guys think he didn’t like him if he asked him to prom?” I asked.

Nathan’s face got a little more sullen. “Turns out, Brayden was in love with me.”

I went silent with shock as hundreds of tiny moments clicked into place. Random fits of what could only be described as jealousy, and any time Brayden would get all too excited to hang out with Nathan. It never clicked with me because I never even considered Brayden in that way, but once I thought about it, it occurred to me that I never once saw him date or even look at a girl.

“Wow,” I murmured. “You know, that actually makes so much sense.”

“Yeah. Nikki said the same thing. I had no clue. It wasn’t until just last week that Nikita even told me that. I guess Kyle realized it and tried to serve as something of a distraction and ended up catching feelings.”

“Aw. That’s kind of cute actually.”

“I think so. They’re good for each other, but it seems like, whether out of guilt or something else, Brayden just won’t put his wall down. I hope it works out for them though.”

“Me too.”

Silence filled the car for a few seconds before Nathan started up again. “Cherri, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for… what happened. In that bathroom. I…” His hands strangled the steering wheel. “I have nightmares about it. Fuck, I shouldn’t even be saying something like that to you. I’m not the victim, but I hate that I hurt you. Maybe I didn’t have feelings for you like the way I did for Nikita, but you were there for me. Always.” I was surprised when tears filled the corners of his eyes. “Losing you felt like losing a part of myself and I didn’t know how to reconcile that with the fact that therewasa woman I was really in love with, or the fact that I’d hurt you so badly, and never really treated you like a person.”

There were tears in my eyes before I could stop them. “Nathan.”

“Sometimes, I have these dreams, that Deon is back and the four of us do like brunches and shit.” He laughed as a few tears slid down his face. “I love you, Cherri. I really do. You’re like family to me. Not being able to just talk to you last semester killed me so much more than I was even willing to accept myself. I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry and make it up to you somehow. Not that something like that can ever be made up. Even Nikki struggled with it. Knowing what I’d done to you. It was only after Sicily told her that you don’t blame me that we made it. You’re the reason I get to be with the woman that I love, because your depth for forgiveness is so much more than it should be.” He took a quick moment to glance over at me. “Thank you.” Then his eyes were right back on the road.

“Fuck!” I snapped. “You made me cry, you dick.”

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