The Boy's of Westbrook

~Betrayed~ Chapter V

Chapter V

"Kyra? Kyra Cross?" Rubio only waiting two heartbeats when he was greeted with a very sleepy greeting. "Hi!"

"Must you be so cheery?" It was precisely 10:43. "It's too early."

He decided not to comment. Eric was finally sitting, still in sight but the worry was still prevalent in his eyes. The worry and the stress was something Rubio himself could relate to. Like, when Rubio himself found that he was falling for another guy. What would his own father think? The man who smiled with crow feet at the edges of his eyes?

His father had a knack for looking to Rubio with something like pride. What would Rubio do if that light dimmed into nothingness?

"Sorry but you said I could call you for anything. Can I still hold you up to that?"

Rubio could hear the shuffle, she really was in bed. "I'm listening."

He told her everything.

"Alright, I'll be there in an hour."

"But," she already hung up, "I didn't tell you my address." He said the rest to the phone with no one on the other end.

Eric was getting up by then. "Thanks for listening but I have to get going."

Rubio considered putting both hands on Eric's shoulders to keep him from leaving. "You know you can stay right? I can call my dad real quick and get this sorted out."

Eric was already shaking his head while looking at the floor. "No I already got you involved. I can't get anybody else involved. This is my problem."

"Eric..."

"Thanks again Rubio. You're like the best cousin in the world." He gave a halfheartedly smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Oh yeah?" Rubio switched his weight over to the wall and tried to joke. "What happened to Veronica being the best cousin? Say, did you hear anything by any chance?"

"Uh, no." Eric looked slightly embarrassed but at least he could forget about his own problem for the time being. "My guess is that it went well. The guy she's seeing is your friend right? What's he like?"

Rubio couldn't hide the worry and Eric started to look worried himself. "Uh, can't say I'm all that comfortable with Pierre seeing her. I've known him a long time, but in all fairness, I think he's really into her. Even the girls he didn't take all that seriously, he was still a real gentlemen. He knows how to treat a girl like a lady."

"Good, she needs someone in her life that'll treat her good."

Silence.

Eric groaned, rubbed his face with both hands, suddenly looking five years older. "As I said, I better get going." He was already making his way towards the front door.

"Hey man," Rubio started, causing Eric to pause but without turning around, "we're going to get this sorted out in no time you know."

Eric's shoulders sagged, but didn't say anything. He stepped out the front door was halfway across the front lawn before Rubio could offer him a ride back. Knowing Eric, he'd want to be left alone, to walk all his frustrations away. That was yet another trait they shared.

Kyra showed up in precisely one hour. Rubio had already showered and gotten dressed. He went with a nice black button up shirt with silver buttons and baggy dark blue jeans. He'd just finished snacking on some Doritos since he figured he'd earned it. Ollie was still on his mind but that was set to the back burner for now. Right now, he felt he needed to put the needs of someone else before his own. He hoped, maybe even wished, that everything would soon sort themselves out. Until then, would he ever be able to be happy?