Twenty For A Dozen

18 || One Step At A Time

18 || One Step At A Time

         It was soul sucking. To be around him, to go birthday after birthday in the same room, but come home in separate cars. Many times Kira caught herself looking over at the passenger seat of her truck and sighing at the empty spot. No more blue-eyed, brown-haired, Spanish-filled car rides to and from work.

         Kira sighed as she stared at herself in the ladies' washroom mirror. She looked completely washed out, and it wasn't just the lighting.

         The small smattering of blush she wore was because Monique had been... convincingly threatening enough while telling Kira that West wasn't the only man in the world to impress and bestowing many oh-young-lady-you-will-not-leave-the-house-in-those-shoes lectures.

         It was affecting her even when she was at the office and away from West and his new best friend Martin. She was still finding it hard to believe he remembered 'Weasley's name, too.

         "When did I become this way, Monique? How did I start looking forward to seeing him every day? And now it... Sucks." She sighed and leaned against the wall which had two hand dryers attached to it. She felt another strong headache coming on, and regretted the sudden loss of appetite she had recently been feeling.

         "I can't put my mind to anything, when I used to work so well before. And I doubt we were even in a serious relationship," she continued.

         "Don't say that!" Monique chided her. "But that guy even made you start drinking, huh? Does that mean you'll join me when we go wine taste-testing before the wedding?"

         Her sympathetic look was met with a flat grimace from Kira, and Monique sheepishly raised her hands. "Sorry! A girl can hope. And you know what, I think it's time for you to come out of the funk you're in. You need to do it. Right now."

         She gulped. "Like, right now right now?"

         "Right now, right now."

         "But... Just because I said we weren't serious doesn't mean I'm going to have sex with anyone, Monique!"

         There was only a clatter as the eyeshadow slipped from the shorter girl's hand into the public bathroom sink. "What? No, Kira, goodness! I mean do the other it!"

         "The... Oh, the it."

         "Yes," she stretched the last syllable. "The it."

         So Kira did it. Or, she did the it.

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         Kira crept up behind the high counter. Their entrance was smooth, and of course they didn't look creepy at all as the crept along a wall that separated her and Monique from the boys they were spying - no, observing - on. Observing on? Kira hated her brain for giving into West Withdrawals.

         She could feel strangers giving her blatant stares, but by then she had reached a table that was obscure enough to see but not be seen. Monique heaved a huge sigh of relief as she smoothed her skirt and folded her hands on the table.

         Kira rubbed her fingers together nervously but managed a shaky smile. Her heart thumped wildly. "This is what they need. I'm just here to see it go through," she said, but then quieted as the waiter approached.

         "What can I get you ladies?" he asked, and as Monique rattled off their usual lunch orders, Kira strained her ears so she could hear what West was saying to Lee two tables over. While she could easily tell what words Lee was saying simply by reading his lips or his bodily expressions, she could only see the back of West's head. And what a wonderful back-of-a-head it was, if only it wasn't attached to him.

         Her thoughts were beginning to border on murderous so she quickly put her full focus on twirling a strand of her hair and waiting for their milkshakes to arrive.

         "Maybe we shouldn't have sat so far away," Monique mused.

         "Maybe," Kira hummed in reply. She kept watching the boys, her heart aching and dropping with every awkward little silence and tense smile. They were both so similar and different, with their tense strong shoulders and the faces of those who hadn't seen it all.

         She kept watching, and then, something unexpected happened."Wait, no, this isn't good!"

         Monique whipped around and craned her neck to see what Kira was groaning about. "What? What happened?"

         "Lee doesn't look too happy," Kira said. "But... I think it's not about his job stuff. They already figured that stuff out not five minutes after they got here."

         Her friend's cheeks hollowed as she sucked on her straw and her eyes widened at Kira's words. "What? Thank god, but how?"

         "West managed to convince Lee that he was hired based on merit not his recommendation."

         Monique stared at her in wonder. "How do you know that?"

         "I'm just good. Now hush and let me figure out what is making my brother mad again."

         She focused. Perpetually pale cheeks rising in color. Mouth in a flat, pissed off line. Eyes murderous, the kind Lee got when...

         "Oh, no," Kira thumped the heel of her palm against her forehead.

         "Now what?"

         "West told him! I can't believe that guy!"

         "Told Lee what?"

         "About us."

         "Us, as in you and him?" Monique's eyes were wide saucers.

         "Yup."

         "I literally don't know if you actually know if you're just making this stuff up, Kira..."

         The waiter returned with their food and Kira took a bite of her poutine, her eyes still glued to the two men. The evidence was all there. West wasn't the wringing his hands type, but he was very calm and shrugging his shoulders in that cocky, not guilty, annoying -

         "Snap out of it!" Monique snapped her fingers as she said the words.

         Heaving a huge sigh, Kira leaned back in her seat. "He didn't make my life much easier. Oh my god how am I supposed to talk to Lee now? But let's be real, he totally suspected it, and he practically already told me he knew," she tried to console herself as she watched Lee.

         "Well then, what are you so worried about? Besides, it's not like Lee will know that you know that he told West himself... Damn, that's confusing."

         "There's a difference between knowing something and purposely saying it!"

         "Did West know that Lee knew?"

         "Well... No..."

         "Then shut up and continue to listen."

         Kira obeyed.

         "We might be cool... But from now on you better stay away from my sister," Lee was saying, just loud enough that even Monique heard him and winced.

         "Is he leaving?" she asked
         
         "Yeah, he is."

         They ate their lunch in silence after that, and when West left without seeing the two girls as well, a weight was lifted off their shoulders.

         "I dedicate this cheesecake to the bring-the-bromance-is-back plan for being a success!" Monique cheered. "Thank god we're not calling it an it anymore."

         She had to crack a smile, but her own worries clouded her mind. Monique noticed her fidgeting in the leather seat that was hot from the mid-July sun.

         "Hey, it'll be okay. You can't fix everything-"

         Kira winced as the words hit home.

         "-all at once. Give it time. You did your part for them, now it's up to you what you want with those two boys."

         "I know, but recently... It's been so awkward between me and West. You were so right, we were based on a deal and nothing more. I'll hold my end of it up, I guess. But he's leaving, too. God, what have I gotten myself into?" Banging her head on the table did her no good and a salt-and-pepper shaker knocked her forehead.

         After a pitiful pat on the back of her friend, Monique finished the last bit of her lunch and stood up. "Come on. We're done for today, don't you think?"

         There wasn't much she could do, but take it slow, Kira thought to herself as she nodded and followed in her friend's footsteps. She let a rare summer afternoon breeze drift across her face and close her eyes.

         She would take it slow - one step at a time.

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sup my lil homies, here's another part for you wonderful people and hopefully more to come as nanowrimo is in the air!!! only 5 more chapters to go!!!

deds go to @wattpad bc what the heck, they're awesome, and for the fab sticker that they, along with @Cadbury, have put on this story's cover :)))

to all you wonderful people, have a great long weekend and hope y'all had a fab march break (i know i did omg can someone say MIST MIST MISTMISTMIST MIST MIST MISTMISTMIST MIST MIST MISTMISTMIST EVERYBODAAAAY! ya ok ill check out now

deuces,

ayesha