"Behind Closed Doors"

Secrets Ain't Safe

Chapter 5:

Kayla stood outside Devin's apartment building, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at the front door. It felt like every time she showed up here, a part of her disappeared. She hated this. Hated how small she felt. How trapped. But she knew if she didn't come, things would get worse.

She took a deep breath, walked up the steps, and knocked. Devin opened the door almost immediately, standing there with a half-smirk like he had already won.

"You had me waitin', Kay. You good?" he said, stepping back to let her inside.

Kayla nodded, walking past him and feeling the familiar tension in the air. She had to play it cool, like everything was fine, but inside, she was screaming. She sat down on the couch, trying to calm herself down as Devin grabbed a drink from the kitchen.

"Why you always tryna dodge me?" Devin asked, sitting down beside her and handing her a glass. "We supposed to be good, but lately, you been actin' funny."

Kayla forced a smile, not wanting to start a fight. "I ain't dodgin' you. I just got a lot on my plate right now. School, work... I'm tryin' to balance it all."

Devin stared at her for a long moment, his eyes narrowing. "You better not be lyin' to me, Kay. I'm tired of the games. I told you, I don't like feelin' like I gotta chase you all the time."

Kayla's heart raced, but she kept her voice steady. "I'm not playin' games. I'm just busy. I told you that."

He leaned closer, his eyes hard. "You better be tellin' the truth. 'Cause if you out here messin' with somebody else, we gon' have a problem."

Kayla swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing this conversation was a dead end. No matter what she said, it wouldn't be enough for him. It never was.

The next day, Kayla found herself sitting in her car outside Lena's apartment, debating whether or not to go inside. Lena had been calling her all morning, asking if she wanted to grab lunch, but Kayla wasn't sure she could keep lying to her. It was getting too hard to fake it.

She finally worked up the nerve and went inside, finding Lena sprawled out on the couch, flipping through channels on the TV.

"Girl, what took you so long?" Lena asked, laughing. "I thought you forgot about me."

Kayla forced a smile, dropping her bag on the floor. "Nah, just been runnin' around."

Lena glanced over at her, her smile fading a bit as she studied Kayla's face. "You look tired. You sure you good?"

Kayla hesitated, feeling that familiar tension rising in her chest. She wanted to tell her. She needed to tell someone. But every time she thought about it, her stomach twisted in fear. What would happen if Lena knew? What would Devin do?

"I'm fine," Kayla said quietly, sitting down next to her. "Just been stressed, that's all."

Lena wasn't buying it. "Stressed? Or is it somethin' else? You been actin' real different lately. Is it that dude?"

Kayla froze, her heart racing. She could feel Lena's eyes on her, waiting for an answer, but the words were stuck in her throat. She couldn't tell her. Not like this.

"Nah," Kayla lied, shaking her head. "It's just school and work. You know how it is."

Lena didn't say anything for a while, just kept staring at her. "Aight, if you say so. But I'm here, Kay. You ain't gotta hold back with me. I can tell somethin' is off."

Kayla's chest tightened, and she quickly changed the subject, not wanting to dive deeper into it. "You hungry? We still grabbin' lunch or what?"

Lena gave her a look but eventually let it go. "Yeah, let's roll. I need some food in my system."

Later that night, after dropping Lena off and heading back home, Kayla sat in her room, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked the same, but she didn't feel like herself anymore. Devin had taken so much from her—her confidence, her voice, her peace. And now, it felt like he was taking her from her friends and family, too.

Her phone buzzed again, and she already knew who it was.

Devin: Where you at? You ain't hit me up all day.

She sighed, feeling that familiar sense of dread wash over her. She couldn't keep living like this, lying to everyone around her, pretending everything was fine. But how could she escape without making things worse?

She picked up her phone and texted back.

Kayla: I'm home. Just got in.

A minute passed before his response came through.

Devin: Aight. I'm comin' thru later. Be ready.

Kayla's stomach dropped. She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to be anywhere near him. But saying no wasn't an option anymore. She had lost that power the moment she let him take over her life.

She sat down on the edge of her bed, feeling the weight of everything crash down on her. She needed to get out, but every time she thought about it, the fear of what Devin might do kept her frozen in place.

How much longer could she keep this secret?