It Takes Two

No Angel

"Where the hell do you think you're going?

He storms out of the room, dress shoes in hand, as I yell at him. I chase after him wearing little more than my underwear, all down to the stockings, and about half my weight in rage. By the time I catch up, he is in the living room calmly putting on his dress shoes as if we weren't just having an argument five minutes ago.

"Where do you think I'm going? Where were we getting ready to go before you started acting crazy?" he asks, shaking his head at me like a little smart ass.

We were getting ready to go to my sister's engagement party when his phone went off and I accidently opened a text from his ex. If it were any of his random exes, I wouldn't even have minded. But it just had to be the ex. The one who will not go away. The one who forever reappears at the worst possible moments. The one and only ex that he has that can drive me crazy.

So of course, I read the damn text. And what did it say? Can't wait to see you at the party tonight! It's been a while but I still remember how good you look in a tux...*wink wink* Who the hell invited her to the party anyway?

"Acting crazy? You say it like I don't have a reason to!"

"If you hadn't messed with my phone then you wouldn't have a reason to." He gets up and walks right past me to get to the hallway mirror. The way he's readjusting his tie so calm and precise, as if nothing I say matters, is driving me mad.

"So what Kai? Were you hoping that when we inevitably ran into her at the party that I would smile and be perfectly polite to her as she stands there in front of me and undresses you with her eyes?"

I stand directly behind him so that he can see me glaring at him in the mirror. When he doesn't say anything, I cross my arms to keep myself from throwing something. "Well?"

"No. But I was hoping that in public with people around you'd be less likely to throw a fit, much like you are doing right now." He turns around and starts buttoning his cuff links in my face.

"Oh...," I mutter, letting the word ooze off my tongue like molasses. "So you knew ahead of time, huh? You been talking to her again, haven't you? And who the fuck gave her an invitation anyway? Because my sister sure as hell didn't."

He reaches towards me, probably to put a hand on my shoulder, and then thinks twice about it. "Would you chill out please? Yes, I knew before that she was going to be at the party. She messages me every now and then but no, I don't always answer back. And she's the best man's plus one. They're dating and she thinks that they're going to get engaged soon. "He winces, immediately regretting the last few words.

"Bullshit." I spit the word out, wanting to slap him for being so up to date about her life. "Bullshit because you know that anytime she hits you up you always go running. That's why you were late coming home on Thursday, right?"

His mouth flops open, ready to start spewing more bullshit but I cut him off by getting right up in his face and poking him in the chest. "Don't you dare lie to me either because I saw her at the bakery two blocks from here on my way home so I know she was in the area."

He looks away from me, rubbing his bottom lip with the back of his index finger. "Ok, so what?"

"So what?" My voice has gone up so high it might've disturbed me, were it not for the fact that I'm too busy seeing red. "So we both know that Keisha or Felisha or whatever her name is," It's actually Teresa but he gets mad whenever I get her name wrong. "is still not over you. For all you know she made up all that shit about getting engaged just to get your attention."

"You're crazy," he says. The bastard won't even look me in the eyes.

"Am I? Because we both know I'm right. She called you up and told you that she's in town for a wedding because she's dating the best man. In fact, they're practically engaged so there's no way she was going to let him come here alone. And how could she pass up the opportunity to come see you and catch up, right?" I ask mockingly, throwing in as much sarcasm as possible. "And I bet she planned on acting so surprised when we run into each other because isn't it the biggest coincidence ever that the bride-to-be is my sister! And 'by the way Sydney you look lovely, have you gained weight?'"

He turns away from me and back to the mirror, rolling his eyes all the while. When he undoes his tie only to fix it again, I feel like exploding. "Fine then. How about you go to the party alone and go find your precious Felisha? Better yet why don't you go home with her tonight too?"

I run back into the bedroom and fling myself across the bed. Precisely two seconds pass before I remember that my makeup has already been done and can't afford to be smudged. Regardless of what drama Kai has brought on me tonight, it's still my sister's party and I still have to go. I roll over only to find him in the doorway staring at me. I look up at the ceiling and try to avoid blinking or rolling my eyes so the tears won't spill over.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"What?"

"If I up and disappeared for the night so you could call your old pall Gary over to comfort you. You could even get comfy on the couch like you did on Thursday."

I sit up so fast that the -now cold- tears tumble wildly down my cheeks. "Are you serious?" I ask, laughing despite myself. His face is as serious as a heart attack, which only makes me laugh harder. "You can't be serious!"

"Does it look to you like I'm joking?" He crosses the room in two easy strides, hands in his pocket and a look on his face that says he's daring me to say something dumb. "I saw the two of you with my own eyes, remember? The two of you looked way too comfortable for him to be just and old friend."

I try my hardest to maintain a straight face but this situation has gotten too ridiculous now. "Ok... but he's gay."

"You're shitting me," he says emotionlessly. I watch him carefully, trying to figure out if he meant it as an accusation or a statement of disbelief. His expression doesn't offer any clues.

"No, seriously. He's mostly gay."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He might date a girl every now and then depending on his mood but mostly he goes for guys. And I'll admit, we dated for like a week back in high school but that's it," I insist, noticing for the first time that I've been wringing my hands. I fold them neatly in my lap. "He was only here to keep me company and to keep me from marching over to that bakery and blowing it up with you and your ex in it. But he has zero interest in me as anything other than a friend and I'm too busy being in love with your dumb ass to think of him like that."

"Are you sure?" he asks. The doubt in his voice almost breaks my heart.

"Of course I'm sure!" The tears start running again and I brush them away angrily. "Why the hell else would I get so mad every time you let her back into your life? You think I look forward to the day when she manages to steal you back from me? And yes, maybe I did flirt with Gary in front of you on purpose but you deserved it!" Jumping off the bed suddenly, I try to get past him to get to the bathroom. He reaches out and grabs me by both shoulders.

"You're crazy you know that?" he murmurs, smiling this time as he wipes the tears away from my face. When he leans in to kiss me, I turn my cheek to him, not yet ready to play kiss-and-make-up.

"Am I?" Since he won't let me pass, I wiggle out of his grasp and sit back on the bed, arms folded.

He sighs, taking off his jacket and loosening his tie. "Ok, maybe you're right. Maybe Teresa is trying to get me back and I definitely should not have met up with her. But babe," He kneels in front of me and pats me on the knee. "You are a million times better than she ever could be and I would be a fool to lose you because of her."

"Damn right." I bite the inside of my lips as my anger slips away almost as fast as it appeared. Flattery tends to have that effect on me.

He laughs, shaking his head. "You are trouble, you know that?"

"Yeah well, you're no angel either. What do you plan on doing about her?"

He unfolds my arms gently, then kisses both wrists. "Well if you still want to go to this party with me, we can both tell her how much I love you and how much I want to be with no one else but you. And then," He pushes me gently back unto the bed then leans in and kisses me on the neck. "Then you can tell her precisely where she can shove her text messages and her coincidences and her 'let's catch up' meetings," he whispers in my ear. Ending his suggestion with a caress and a kiss.

Chuckling under my breath, I wrap my legs around his waist and pull him in closer by his tie. "Talk dirty to me, why don't you? Maybe I'll grant you a wish," I murmur before my lips meet his.

":{\aFD