I'm Just Curious Too: Reconciliation

Chapter 8

Time is unforgiving when you want it to be ample. I had spent more days out and about with the project and socializing that the distant hum about my mother's desire to meet about blessing her wedding had become a pulsating headache as the days moved. No response was relayed from me and it ate a hole in my stomach thinking about what she could be assuming about my behavior. My hands lifted to cover my eyes as I groaned, feeling all sorts of aches as I kept thinking.

"I know it's the weekend and all but it's eleven a.m. and not seeing you up and about is worrying," Kiel noted as he peeked into my room from the door.

I sat up on my bed, looking at him before a wave of fatigue washed over me. My mouth opened to say something but closed as I drew my legs close to me to hug my knees tightly. There was too much to talk about but at the same time, nothing could come out of me. Kiel stepped in without hesitating. He crawled onto my bed in his grey oversized t-shirt with grey sweat pants tied on to his waist with its black drawstring. His arms circled me and tightened once I was comfortably between his legs. He kissed my left temple and moved his right hand to push my hair back.

"Bibi, you need to say something or else we'll both be worried."

"No. don't be worried. I'm just a little overwhelmed. My mom wants to remarry, and I just ... I just need time."

Kiel loosened his grip and rubbed my back with his right hand as he placed his left hand on my knees. He took a deep breath and nudged my head with his.

"We all got the same hours so don't sweat it. I'm gonna be around today. Anything you wanna do together?"

I let go of my legs and looked at Kiel, him smiling back as he moved away to give me room. A part of me wanted to slack in bed all day and mope but having disturbed Kiel had me ditch both options. I looked at the window and lifted my right hand to my lips to bite the flesh at the base of my thumb as I thought. Kiel leaned back on the heels of his palms, his legs giving me a gentle squeeze to bring my focus to him.

"Dress up. We'll get take out and watch some series."

"Sorry to take you out of your way."

"Ugh Bibi, we all have our days. Remember when you helped dye my hair while I was crying over losing my dog."

"I recall doing a shitty job that you ended up redoing it on your own and teaching me techniques afterward," I reminded him, gaining a chuckle from Kiel.

He leaned in to hug me once more and patted my shoulder.

"Let's get a move on so we can pick something good to watch."

He moved off my bed and stretched, walking out of my room after. I was tired but needed the distraction. The answer would come later as Kiel had always told me – with a hundred percent turnout in accuracy – so I laid back to roll off my bed to stand. Maybe I couldn't run away this time.

...

An hour into the series and some Chinese take-out later, we were strewn over Kiel's bed. My head was on his lap as he sat against the wall that his bed was against. He had kept the grey t-shirt on but stayed in black briefs when we had returned. I did the opposite and kept on my blue shorts without a shirt, the weather being an oddly stuffy but cool one. Kiels' hand subconsciously stroked the side of my hair while he focused on the new episode. He would be absorbed in what he was watching if it was interesting and this was one of those times. I relaxed on him and stared at the screen while I thought about my mother. Knowing that Jacque was there would mean that she would know about me at this point. Jacque doesn't seem like the type to keep my sexuality a secret. However, if she knew, would she not have contacted me years ago over it? Would she even care? I had no answers as Jacque himself reacted so horribly when he found out.