“What do YOU want?” Kevin folds his arms, blocking the doorway of his house.
“I need to see Brian,” I tell him.
“Well Brian doesn’t need to see you.”
“Please Kevin,” I whisper. “I know I don’t deserve him but I need to make him see…”
“See what? That you took advantage of him?!” Kevin starts to yell. “I just don’t BELIEVE you Jade! He loved you SO much, why couldn’t that have been enough for you?!”
“It’s ok Kevin,” Brian appears behind him.
“I was just telling Jade to leave.”
“Thanks but I can do that myself,” Brian tells him and then squeezes his arm lightly. “Really, I’m ok.”
“Ok. I’ll be inside,” Kevin sighs and walks back inside without looking back at me.
“Thank you,” I look at Brian who leans against the doorway.
“For what?”
“Seeing me.”
“Oh, I just felt like a little entertainment,” he shrugs. “So go on Jade – tell me how much you love me again. And how JC was just a mistake and how you laughed when I married you.”
“I didn’t. I DO love you,” I tell him, tears filling my eyes. “And I am so sorry. I know that means nothing and I wish so hard that I could go back and change everything…”
“But you can’t. And I’m glad you did it – cos now I see you for what you really are and you don’t deserve me. You never did but I was just too dumb to see it. Well not anymore. So thank you Jade. Have a good life. I’d tell you to be happy but I’m not quite there yet,” he gives me a cold look and starts to shut the door but I put my body in the way, stopping him.
“Brian please!” I start to cry. “Can’t we talk about this? It happened seven months ago! So much has happened since then. We got MARRIED and I have been SO happy with you. In our entire relationship, I’ve only ever been tempted once and that was JC. Have you never been tempted?”
“Well actually, I HAVE,” he says. “Several times. One time I even kissed her. In fact, if Marcus hadn’t come along when he did I woulda done more than just kiss her.”
“Oh,” I mutter quietly, feeling like he just shot me through my heart.
“Yes, oh,” he laughs. “So, I guess I never was quite the pathetic lil guy you thought I was.”
“I never thought you were that! Brian, you would never have cheated on me and I know it. You’re just not like that. You’re too good.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” he shrugs. “I guess we’ll never know now. Bye Jade.”
“Brian…”
“I have nothing to say to you anymore. You’re not my wife,” he says and I move back. He shuts the door firmly and I walk away.
Brian leans heavily against the door, listening to Jade’s car start up and then drive away. He rubs his eyes and sighs. She was right – he would never cheat on her. He’s just not the type. He would just feel so guilty afterwards and end up confessing all. He runs his hands through his hair and straightens up. She’s so beautiful. And when she had started to cry, all he had wanted to do was take her in his arms. But she has hurt him to bad and, as much as he wants to, he can’t see a way back from that.
“You ok bro?” Kevin walks out of the kitchen.
“Not really.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not as sorry as I am,” Brian sighs. “How do I get through this?”
“I don’t know but you WILL get through it. I have faith in you.”
“I wish I did. The only thing I had faith in was Jade and now I’ve lost her.”
“Have you? You don’t think, after a little space, you can forgive her?” Kevin walks over to stand by him.
“I really don’t know. Do you think you could?”
“Probably. If it was Kris, I would hate her and try my damnedest to hurt her… But then, I would forgive her. I love her too much not to.”
“I know that I love her and I want so bad to forgive her… I just don’t know that I can,” Brian says sadly. “I mean, after the whole JC thing – every time I felt jealous or a little insecure, I used to think about the fact that she chose me over him, so she must love me. But I can’t do that now cos she didn’t choose me!”
“She DID choose you though,” Kevin says. “She coulda gone after JC so easily, or called him or somethin’. But she didn’t – she stayed with you. And ever since then, you guys have seemed rock solid.”
“SEEMED is about right,” Brian mutters and then shrugs. “I’m tired of thinking about this shit.”
“Wanna go play golf?” Kevin suggests. “Take ya mind off of it.”
“Okies.”