Scars (Sequel to Cuts) - Kellic // boyxboy

Chapter Twenty-Five

Kellin

"He's cheating on me."

"He's what?" Jenna says alarmed.

I dunk a fry into the small pot of ketchup on my plate and swirl it around.

"Cheating on me." I repeat tiredly, abandoning my fry as I lose my appetite.

"No, I heard you. But what?" she says leaning across the diner table.

I look up at her and she's looking back at me with an expression of pure shock.

"I'm sure of it." I mumble.

"What makes you so sure? Did you...catch him?"

I shake my head.

"I just know. There's no other explanation. He disappears sometimes, won't tell me where he's been, he's been distant, off, we haven't..." I trail off.

"Haven't what?" she asks.

"You know." I mumble.

"Oh," she realizes.

"Have you and Tay ever just stopped having sex?" I ask her, still grasping at straws of explanation, despite my near certainty that Vic is cheating on me.

"When her grandma died we didn't for a while." she admits. "Maybe he's still grieving his uncle."

Even she doesn't seem sure of her suggestion.

"Doesn't makes sense. We were doing it on our honeymoon just fine. And when we got home, everything was still fine. Then one day it just stopped." I explain, scanning the menu to distract myself.

"Vic would never cheat on you, Kells. You know him. He's not that kind of guy. And he has wanted you forever. There has to be something else going on." she says assuredly.

My stomach twinges as I consider one other possibility that has crossed my mind. But I'd honestly rather believe that Vic's cheating on me.

"What is it?" Jenna asks.

I'm momentarily confused at how she knows I'm bothered until I notice the sting of a tear on my cheek. I quickly wipe it away.

"He's been off since he saw Carter. What if," I take a deep breath. "What if Carter told him things, you know, went into detail, and now Vic is repulsed by me." I say shakily.

Jenna grabs my hand from across the table, squeezing it gently.

"Kellin, that's not it." she says softly.

"I tried to initiate something and he literally had to go throw up Jenna!" I cry. "He doesn't even sleep next to me anymore."

"Kellin, whatever is going on with Vic, it's not because of what Carter did to you. He would never put that on you, you know that. You're not thinking rationally, hun."

I take her word for it. I probably am being irrational.

I nod, admitting defeat. So Vic's cheating on me. Wonderful.

I look up from the menu I was barely looking at to begin with and see Jenna deep in thought. She's probably as lost as I am about this whole situation.

She looks to me frowning, like she's had a thought she doesn't like.

"What?" I ask, urging her to spill her brain.

"You don't think Carter could have hurt Vic, do you? You said he's been off since he saw Carter." she asks.

The thought makes me sick, even though I'm sure it's not true.

"I don't think so." I say softly. "I asked Vic and he said nothing happened. I think I would have been able to tell if he was lying."

She nods, seeming a little relieved herself.

She eats some pasta, seeming stressed and I feel bad for piling all this on her, but I know she doesn't mind.

"Maybe he just hates me." I sigh.

"Why would he hate you?" Jenna says looking at me like I'm stupid.

"I've been hard on him lately, Jen. Maybe I drove him away." I admit.

"Hard on him how?"

I pick up another fry and place it in the ketchup next to the other one with no intention to eat either of them.

"I've been snappy, I've yelled. I'm starting to remind myself parents." I say shamefully.

"I'm sure he knows you don't mean it." Jenna urges.

"You don't see the look in his eyes. He looks like an injured puppy." I sniff, wiping a tear that falls down my face.

"It's probably just your medication balancing out, Kells. Your emotions are going to be out of whack for a while but it'll fix itself. I'm sure Vic understands that." she says.

I meet her gaze hesitantly.

"He doesn't know." I flinch.

"He doesn't know what?" Jenna says confused.

"That I'm taking medication. He doesn't know. I didn't tell him." I explain.

"Jesus fuck, Kellin. What is it with you two and keeping things from each other? I have never known two people who love each other so much but communicate so poorly." she huffs.

Her words sting a little but I brush it off.

"He doesn't need to know. Not yet. I'll tell him. It just doesn't seem like a good time." I explain. "He probably wouldn't care anyway. He's too busy fucking whatever his name is."

Jenna rolls her eyes at me.

"I refuse to believe he'd ever waste his time with someone else. The way he looks at you, the way he has always looked at you, says it all. He's madly in love with you. Something's off, I don't doubt that, but it's not his love for you. That will never change."

I want to believe her, but it seems impossible right now. I just feel so deflated and defeated.

"Do you want me to talk to him? I'll be subtle. Just try and gauge what's going on in his head." she suggests.

"Couldn't hurt." I mumble, forcing a small smile.

She squeezes my hand again, silently reassuring me, and it works a little. I feel so much better after talking this through with Jenna. Making getting a therapist isn't such a crazy idea after all. 

"Every couple has their ups and downs, Kell. Your relationship is still so fresh and it was a massive shift from platonic to romantic. You're still learning how to love each other. Don't put so much pressure on yourselves." Jenna explains.

Her words are less than encouraging though. It was so easy for Vic and I to love each other before when we were friends, why doesn't it work in a relationship setting? What if we're just not meant to be?