A Hart To Call Home

Chapter Six

Kit left the Donato house with a heavy heart that night. It was hard to see Leo's regrets and sadness displayed in front of her.

She walked inside and tossed her purse down on the counter. She wasn't surprised to find Jase on the couch playing video games. She was surprised to see a huge swollen shiner in his eye!

"Jase! What happened?"

"Got into it with Kyle last night," he mumbled, "it's fine."

"What!? The hell it is!" She burst out angrily, "I'm going to kick his sorry little ass!"

"Kit!" Jase laughed out loud.

"I'm serious! You and dad stood up for me enough with him. My turn."

"Calm down! That guy, Luca, scared him off," Jase muttered. "The whole thing was embarrassing enough. I don't need you showing up to defend me."

"Luca!?" Kit looked at her cousin with shock written on her face.

"Yeah, isn't he Andre's brother? He's a good guy," Jase leaned over and grabbed a smoke from a pack.

"He is not; give me that," she said as she snatched the cigarette from his hand.

"Kit, come on!"

"Jase, you don't need this dirty habit. Girls hate it anyway,"

"No, they don't," he shrugged that off, "They like bad guys."

"Not if they have nasty breath," she quipped quickly.

"You're so annoying," he groaned.

"I'm so right," she snapped back, "Is this about Jess?"

"She's dating that asswipe!"

"What!? She's dating Kyle!? She's only seventeen!" Kit exclaimed angrily.

Bad enough, Kyle's a cheat and liar; now he's preying on underage girls? Not just any girl but Jess? She and Jase have been attached at the hip since they were kids. Jase's feelings had started to change recently, though. He'd been working up the courage to tell her. 

"What do I do? She won't listen to me. Stone said to let it be, but I can't."

"Damn it," she muttered, "I hate to say it, but he might be right."

"I was counting on you for a better plan," Jase groaned.

"If you make her defend him, you'll push her closer to him."

"That's what Eric said," Jase let out a sigh.

"It's true, everyone tried to warn me off him, and it challenged me more," Kit recalled.

Lesson learned, though, she'd never let herself be played again.

"She'll come to you when he lets her down," Kit said quietly, "and he will."

"Then what?"

"Then you'll be there for her," Kit advised, "you won't judge her, and you won't say, I told you so. You'll comfort her."

"So I'm supposed to let her get hurt?"

"I'm sorry," Kit sighed and sat down next to him.

"I should've told her I liked her." He muttered miserably.

"You'll get your chance, Jase," she feebly promised.

"Yeah, whatever," he sulked down into the couch.

"How did Luca end up involved in all this?"

"I don't know. He was just there, I guess," Jase shrugged, "scared the shit out of Kyle. You should've seen his face."