CAUGHT OFF GAURD

CAUGHT OFF GUARD: CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

MAIN CHARACTER 👆🏾

KHALIL💕

I panicked, but tried to project calmness. The best I could come up with was, "Well, she knows you're here, and knows someone else is here, with three cars out there. So ya can't pretend you're not. Does she know my car, or Dave's?"

"I don't think so... but she knows my dad's a car salesman.."

"Um... I know she's seen me in my car," Dave said, obviously a little rattled as well.

The bell rang yet again. Cole showed resignation in his face as he slowly walked to the bedroom door. He turned and looked at me, "Well... I knew this was coming. She wants to know what's goin' down." He looked nervous and agitated, "Man, I don't know how to explain this."

"You want me to come with you?"

He debated with himself for a moment, then aloud, "Well... shit, I dunno. Maybe you should be there. I dunno, man."

The bell rang again and he jumped a little. "Tell you what; I'll take her in the library, and you hang out in the bar and listen. If I think it'd be a good idea for you to come in, I'll come get you. I mean, I just don't know if it would help or hurt for you to be there. Anyway, I'll go let her in."

Cole went downstairs and I suggested Dave just hang out in his room while I felt the situation out and tried to decide what to do with myself. I went out to the landing and stayed back where she couldn't see me. The landing made a bridge across the inside end of the foyer, which was two storeys tall like the whole open dining and den area, so I stood almost directly over them. I could hear her voice, all filled with concern, worry and aggravation.

The foyer was long, with the formal living room opening off of it to the right. Then the bar, library, craft room, an office, the mini gym and the master suite, were all to the left down a wide hallway after it, formal dining straight ahead, and the stairs were to the right, with the den, kitchen and all that beyond them. Cole herded her into the library. I crept down the stairs and darted into the bar.

I couldn't hear a thing, so I snuck back into the hall and stopped short of the doorway. Jaida was obviously very anxious, and chattered at a fast clip about nothing for a couple of minutes. Cole didn't say a whole word, just 'uh huh' and other grunts of agreement. All of a sudden she just asked him,

"What happened yesterday with Khalil and that other guy?"

Cole was silent for a long time.

When he finally spoke, I could barely hear him, so I crept closer to the edge of the door. "We need to talk, Jaida'." More silence, then, "I don't know how to explain all this. I don't know how to tell you everything that's happened with me... and Khalil."

"Don't you tell me it's true. Don't you even dare tell me it's true, Cole manning! Don't..."

"Well whaddya wanna hear? I need to tell you the truth, Jaida. You deserve to hear the truth." He paused a moment. "God, this is harder for me than..." Then he mumbled, "Man, Jaida, I never wanted to hurt you... I love you."

She started crying as she spoke, her voice getting louder with each word progressively, "Do you, Cole? Do you love me? Do you love that little faggot bitch, too?! ARE YOU GAY, Cole?!"