“You think it’s Jade?” Kevin asked, full of hope. He was desperate to talk to her. He wanted to sit her down and let her know he made a mistake and that she was the woman he loved and wanted--even needed--to be with for the rest of his life. How could I have never realized any of this before now? Following Nick to the door, Kevin’s heart skipped a beat when he saw her give Nick a hug.
“What are you doing here?” Nick asked nervously as he peeled himself from her grip.
Kevin froze when he heard response. “He kicked me out, Nick. Can I stay here?”
“Umm, well...” Nick stuttered.
“What’s--what are you doing here?” Alexia screeched at Kevin.
“I think you should answer your own question,” Kevin replied in a hate-filled voice. Glaring at both Nick and Alexia, he said, “You two seem awfully friendly for two people who supposedly despised each other.”
“Two people can’t be friends, Kevin? You were friends with that bitch Jade and you were probably fucking her too. I know she wanted you. I’m not stupid, Kevin.”
“Nick, when did you and Alexia get so close? I mean, last I heard, you were calling her a no-good whore. What happened?” Kevin questioned, raising his thick eyebrows.
Alexia’s face flushed and she turned to look at Nick. “A no-good whore?” she asked, the hurt evident in her voice and in her eyes. “But , I thought...what...what happened to all the times you told me...” she trailed off.
“Told you what?” Kevin asked, looking back and forth between the two. When she didn’t answer, he replied, “I asked you a question. What has Nick been telling you, Alexia?”
Looking up from her hands, Alexia stared coldly into Kevin’s eyes. “The same thing you’re so desperate to tell Jade. The same meaningless shit you used to say to me. He told me that he loved me, Kevin!” Turning her attention to Nick, she asked, “Did you say it the same way he did, Nick? Is that it? You never really loved me or the baby?”
“No!” he spoke for the first time. “I do...every time I’ve ever told you I loved you, I’ve meant it. And, I love my baby. I’m so tired of hiding my love for you and my baby...”
Hearing the truth, Kevin turned and walked out the door. He wasn’t hurt or mad because Nick had ‘taken’ Alexia, he hated being lied to. And because Alexia and Nick had lied, Kevin had pushed Jade--his best friend and the woman he loved--as far away as he could. He cringed as he remembered the way he had treated her. I made everybody hate me. All Kevin knew was that he had to tell Jade the truth and he had to apologize--again. Maybe it’s not too late.
**THE SAME TIME**
“Hello?” Jade answered her cell phone while trying to keep her car on the road and in her lane. She had never been good at driving while talking on the phone.
“Where are you?” Meredith asked.
“On my way home. I thought I might stop by and see Brian.”
“He’s out of town with Leighanne isn’t he?”
“Hey, Meredith, I’ll call you when I get home...you know I don’t like using the phone in the car. I’ll talk to ya later.”
Before Meredith could protest, jade had pushed the ‘end’ button and then the ‘power’ button. Pulling to a stop in the driveway, she cut the engine and sat for a minute. She pulled out the key Brian and Nick had given her and made her way to the door. She never in her life expected to see Alexia standing in the doorway, wearing one of Nick’s shirts. “What are you doing here?”
Alexia only snickered and sat her cup on a nearby table. “I guess you didn’t expect to see me, huh? Well, Nick and I finally decided to go public with our relationship. Why hide it any longer? Especially since we’re gonna have a baby.”
“Wh-what?” Jade asked, stunned. Alexia and Nick? That’s impossible...Alexia is having Kevin’s baby.”
As if reading Jade’s mind, Alexia sighed and stated, “Yep, this isn’t Kevin’s baby. I’ve been seeing Nick for a very long time and we decided we shouldn’t hide it any more. What’s the point if we love each other? Besides, Kevin and I were the picture perfect couple...that’s the only thing he was ever good for....making me look good. Well, he was good for one other thing,” she smirked.
“But--”
“Face it Jade...I had both of them first. Both of them...and there’s nothing you can do about it,” she said, sounding more cruel than Jade ever remembered.
Looking up, Jade noticed Nick a few feet behind Alexia. It was obvious that he had just walked in and it was also obvious that he had a look of pity in his eyes. What’s wrong with me? Jade plastered an extremely fake smile on her face and turned toward the door. She suddenly found herself reliving dinner before the Black and Blue 10 hour tour. She could feel both of them staring, a mixture of pity and hatred. Without turning around, she said softly, “Congratulations.”
When she got to the front door she felt a hand on her arm and heard Nick say, “Jade, I’m sorry.”
Looking at his hand, she coldly pushed it away. “Don’t touch me, look at me, talk to me, anything. I don’t care what you do, but don’t try and offer your pity as fake friendship because I sure as hell don’t want either.” With that, she walked out the door for the last time. “I hope y’all make each other happy.”