The Start of Time

Chapter 37

"So, we sort of fucked everything up by literally fucking it up."

Oh my motherfucking stars.

Have I lost my mind?

Have I died and ended up in some sick purgatory with graphic auditory hallucinations?

There is no way in hell he just said that.

Here I am just reading on the couch waiting to meet the girls for dinner when the sound waves from my boyfriend's voice casually float through the air, like he didn't just throw a verbal brick at his brother's head.

When I told Declan that we could tell everyone, I didn't expect him to just blurt it out to Chris the first moment he got, especially not like that.

It's like he took time to figure out the worst possible way to break the news to Chris and just went for it. Our casual Saturday afternoon swiftly twisting into fright night.

"Bro, what the hell are you talking about?" Chris laughs, rolling his eyes.

"Mary-Kelton."

"What?" Chris's eyes grow a half size.

"I'm just messing with you bro." Declan shoves his shoulder. "But seriously, I actually did. Talked about my feelings and even took her on one of those fancy, romantic dates you talked about."

My index finger and thumb squeeze my temples towards the center of my forehead because physical pain is much less torturous than listening to this.

I knew I should have just taken one for the team and told Chris myself because that was literally the worst way to break the news. I don't think I could have imagined any words being worse than that.

Chris looks up at me when I slip around the corner. "I think what Declan means to say is that we talked through our feelings maturely and decided to start dating. When I told you things between us were good, I really meant it. I just meant it a little differently than we portrayed. We should have told you as soon as we knew, but I was afraid. I needed to know he was really serious about this. You can blame it all on me."

"So, you're Declan's girlfriend?"

"Yeah."

"And that's why he's been acting all weird all the time."

"I mean, I guess so." I shrug, not knowing whether his level headedness is a good thing or a bad thing.

"Oh, okay." Chris says casually.

"See, MK. I told you," Declan exclaims, slapping Chris on the back playfully. "I told you that he would take it fine. I've got you. He's got Hailey. Everything's great. You were worried for nothing."

"So, you're totally okay with this?" I ask, refusing to take my eyes off of him until I've read every nonverbal signal he's desperately trying to suppress.

"Yeah, sure," he shrugs. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He turns to walk out of the room, strategically keeping his back to us.

Then comes the inevitable.

Chris's whole body jerks around facing us once again, cheeks glowing red with confusion and rage.

"Of course I'm not fucking okay with this!" He pushes Declan with his palms, pointing his finger a few inches from Declan's nose. "I warned you. I told you not to get yourself into deep shit, but you never listen."

"Chris, it's different with her."

"I don't care how fucking different you think this is. It all ends the same way, and when one of you screws it up, and by one of you, I mean you, I'm going to be forced to either pick a side or end up stuck in the middle."