The Importance of Being Kept

Chapter 18. The Fight

Two hours earlier

They hadn't spoken a word to her ever since she told them she was still planning to go to New York. They said nothing to her on the entire ride back. Their quietness was eerie. Kia didn't want to start a scene by pressuring them so she wisely kept quiet too.

They got off the trolley and walked back home. The twins made her walk between them, both had a hand wrapped a little too tightly around each arm. She glanced at their stoic faces and wondered what they were thinking. They escorted her into the elevator and into their penthouse. The glass door slid closed behind them as they left her standing in the living room and went about their business as if nothing had happened. She watched Bryan pour himself a drink and Darren sit down on the couch with his Sunday newspaper.

Was this their plan? To ignore her?

"Guys, did you hear what I told you on the trolley? I still want to go to New York!"

"We heard you," Bryan said giving her a look that made her take a step back. "We just decided to ignore it."

Kia turned to Darren who was in the process of opening up his paper. "You can't just ignore me, I'm serious! Did you really think I'd work for you guys forever? This was just a temporary thing for me, a way to make more money so I could eventually go to New York one day."

Darren suddenly crushed the thick newspaper as if it was only one sheet. She stared at his hands realizing just how large and powerful they looked almost as big as her brother's. "Have we not given you everything Kia?!" he suddenly snapped at her and threw the paper on the floor.

Darren was the last person she expected to have a tantrum with her. He was usually so calm. Then again, she realized he was more like his father than Bryan whose personality took after the twins' mother. Yes, Darren did have the tendency to have those strange mood swings like his father when he was unhappy.

Kia blinked before answering. Okay, this was bad. That one question told her she was right about them. "Yes, you did give me everything, but what does this have to do with me going to New York?"

"Ungrateful brat, that is what you are Kia!" Darren glared at her. Those intelligent beautiful brown eyes of his...were...so...cold. She'd never seen him look at her that way.

"I don't understand, Kia." Bryan stood in front of her. "We gave you your dream job. We gave you our hearts. We gave you everything a person could possibly want and more and you still want to leave us and go to that god awful place?! Unbelievable!"

"Me? You're calling me unbelievable?! I didn't want to believe it, but its true, isn't it?! You did all of this so I would change my mind. You manipulated me into staying here!"

"Manipulated?" Darren stepped towards her and pulled her chin towards him to stare down at her angrily. "You have everything a woman could possibly want! Are you not happy with your life here, Kia? Are you not happy with us?"

"No! I'm not!" She yelled watching their expressions change to pure astonishment. "You're controlling me! You throw your wealth at me and make me so comfortable that I couldn't possibly want to leave."

"Well duh!" Bryan said looking at her as if she was stupid.

"You guys think you're so smart, but you're not! None of you wanted me to go to New York. You, my fathers, my brother! I bet you were all in this together weren't you?! Tell me, did my fathers put you up to this?"

"No," Darren told her coldly. "We thought of it all on our own and then told your fathers who were desperate to keep you home. They told us that if we could get you to stay, we could marry you."