The Seven Pieces of a Feuilleton

Chapter 8

He didn't know what had pained him more: the look on his sister's face or the sight of his girl wrapped up in his brother's arms.

The look on his sister's face, he had decided. Definitely the look on his sister's face.

"I can't believe this," she had gasped out. "Kelly, get the fuck off my husband!"

"Bren?" Dylan had moaned, blinking at her.

"No, you know what? On second thought, he's all yours. It's the fucking park all over again. Hearing about it was excruciating enough; now I have to see it? Fuck that. You two can be teenagers together all you want. I'm not going back down this route. I have a kid to consider. I have to put my child and myself first." Gasping, she clung onto Donna for support. "You want her Dylan, you can have her. I'm so tired of this shit. I'm so fucking done with both of you."

She had attempted to yank off her wedding ring. Huffing in frustration when she found difficulty in doing so, she had turned on her heel and rushed out.

"How could you? Kelly, why do you always want what you can't have? Why does it always have to be what Bren has? You hated seeing her happy so much that you decided to go after her husband? And you! Dylan! Why is my best friend never enough for you? Why do men always want more?" Donna had hissed before jogging after Brenda.

"What - what the fuck is going on? What the fuck is she talking about?" Dylan had looked down, to the head of blonde hair laying on his chest. "Kelly, why are you on me? Why the fuck are you naked?" He had tossed off the covers. "Shit, why the fuck am I naked?"

Brandon had watched his befuddlement quickly transition into horror.

"Fuck! No! Brenda!" He had jumped out of the bed, snatching at his clothes and hurrying to put them on. "Brandon, this isn't what it looks like. I swear to every higher power this isn't what it looks like."

"Leave her alone, McKay. You've done enough damage."

Brandon had tried to move to block Dylan, but he had already dashed out of the room.

"Brandon?" Kelly had cried, sitting up against the headboard. "What happened?"

"What happened is you just trashed everything that I thought we were to each other, Kel, all for another joyride with your ex. The same ex you claimed you were long over. And in the process, you trampled my sister's heart, your so-called best friend." His lungs had threatened to combust. "I loved you, Kelly. I wanted to marry you. I had the proposal all planned out. You would've loved it. But I guess you love Dylan more."

She had rushed to him, attempting to grab his arm.

"No, no I don't." He had watched the tears form in her eyes, casting a shadow over the sparkle that frequently resided therein. "Brandon, I don't know what happened. But I do know that I don't love Dylan. I love you. You're my best friend. You're my unshakeable fortress. Ask me to marry you and I'll say yes."

He had stared.

"Ask you to marry me? After you just screwed Dylan? You've got to be joking, Kelly."

"I didn't sleep with him!"

"I have eyes, Kel. The same two eyes that drink in this," he gestured to her slim figure, now clothed in a sheet, "every morning just saw my girlfriend tangled up in his arms. I hope you have a freaking amazing time with my soon-to-be ex-brother-in-law. Because this? You and I?" He had pointed between them. "Baby, we're done." He had paused. "And I'm moving out."

He had then taken the stairs two at a time, flinging open the front door to see a desperate Dylan cornering Brandon's sister against a tree.

"Bren, I love you," he had croaked out. "You know I love you. Both of you."