Unknown Beginning

Part 20

The rest of the night went as well as possible with the bus ride to and from the game passing quickly now that Kenny was filling Riley in on all the positives of Tyler. Plus both James and Riley had scored and led the team to victory even if they hadn't been able to interact yet off the ice. Riley was running on a high the rest of the night after such a successful game with Jams and finally knowing Kenny's secret. Yet Riley couldn't have known that there was more to Kenny and Tyler's relationship than what Kenny had revealed.

Riley didn't know about the night Kenny and Tyler had gone to a house party and Tyler had stormed out. Kenny had been casually talking to a guy and saw Tyler from afar as he made his way over to Kenny looking furious. "I'm leaving" he had spat before turning to leave. Moving quickly after him Kenny had found him out in the street moments later and asked, concerned and confused, "What's wrong?". Tyler had then accused her of flirting and said he was stupid for being there with her. Kenny tried to explain that he was a guy she barely knew from class and they were just talking. Tyler didn't believe her though and ended up punching a stop sign in anger. Kenny didn't tell Riley that she had been shocked and afraid then. She had never experienced something like this in a relationship. In fact, the only thing even remotely close to violence she had experienced was her dad spanking her and her sister growing up. Or the two times she remembered her dad slapping her sister in the midst of the yelling matches her dad and sister had every so often. Kenny hadn't been involved in those verbal fights but was usually part of the aftermath since she was the one comforting her sister despite their five year age gap. The fights didn't happen often and only turned briefly physical those two times but Kenny did remember her dad's anger. Yelling meant hitting and fear to Kenny. And despite the infrequencies of Kenny being spanked or yelled at, she remembered growing up afraid of her dad.

But Kenny herself hadn't been spanked or yelled at since she was very young, many years ago. She had no frame of reference for this. Her parents never yelled at each other or hit things, even though they were divorced now, and her ex-boyfriend hadn't either. He barely even raised his voice, let alone hit or throw anything. Kenny didn't know what to do other than calm and comfort Tyler so that's what she did. It didn't matter they had only known each other a few weeks at that point. Kenny reassured and helped calm him and they went back to his house to spend the night together. Riley didn't know this because Kenny hadn't thought to tell her. Didn't see it as significant. And even if Kenny did, she probably still wouldn't have told Riley. She wanted Riley to like Tyler. Kenny thought she might love Tyler and she knew she could help him. Kenny was determined for Riley to see the good in him too. Even if it meant lying by omission to Riley. Or herself.