Right in Front of You

35. Bastards and Rumors

Yes. Of course Kay wanted to spend Christmas with Kyle at the ranch. In her perfect daydream, Sophie would come over too, and it would be her, Kyle, Sophie and Max and Joey and Kelly and they'd play Carcassone in front of the fire, listen to music and eat Sophie's fantastic food.

In reality, the situation was much more complicated. She'd never spent Christmas anywhere but at home and since this was the first year without William, she doubted she could go anywhere. The thought of her brother shattered her heart, but it somehow made her want to be home even less.

It wouldn't be the same without him. Her parents had been so sad and moody since he disappeared, even if they kept hoping he would be back. Kay had lost hope, but still thought about him fairly often and wished he was still alive, even if away from them.

She'd learned to live with the pain. Live with hers. All she wanted was to be happy. And being with her friends for Christmas would do that. So she would try. The worst her mom could do was say no.

Still, as she entered the kitchen and saw her mother reading a magazine, her mouth turned down in a frown, apprehension caught hold of her. Kay sat down in front of her and waited to be acknowledged.

"What?" her mom asked, not raising her eyes.

"I was thinking," Kay started, trying to sound joyful. "Kelly and a few friends are spending Christmas together and they asked me to come along."

Her mother's eyes shot from the magazine to her, narrowed in dislike. "Really now? And who are these friends?"

Kay swallowed. She'd never had many friends. Except for Kelly and Angie, a childhood friend from Arizona, she'd never been as close to anyone as she was with Kyle. "Um, Joey Wilkes and..."

She was spared saying Kyle's name by her mother huffing. "You know what Kelly's mother told me? That she wants her nowhere near that Joey Wilkes. And I agree. You have both changed a lot ever since Kelly has been dating that boy. It's sweet of you to try to cover for your friend, but you're doing Kelly no favors."

"Oh, Mom, that's silly and not fair. You should see Joey and Kelly together. They're so in love--"

"You know what else I've heard?" her mom cut her off. "That this Joey Wilkes hangs out a lot with that Tanner boy. They're even in a band together or some nonsense."

"Well, yes, they are, but--"

"If Kelly spends time with Wilkes and you spend time with them, I'm pretty sure the Tanner boy is also involved." She dropped the magazine and stared at Kay intently across the table. "I want you nowhere near that boy."

This wasn't unexpected, but it still annoyed her. "Why not?"

"Beside the fact that he put your Donnie in the hospital?"

Ugh. Donnie again. Why did everything have to be about Donnie? "He just immobilized Donnie to get him away from me and you know that. Trust me, if Kyle wanted to hurt Donnie, he'd have been sent home in a matchbox."

She realized her mistake the moment the words were out. But after hanging out so much with Kyle, she'd become used to speaking her mind.

That sort of thing didn't go well with her mother. Cassandra narrowed her eyes, looking ready to breathe fire out her nostrils. "Yes, I have heard he is violent. And yet, you defend him. Do you even know who he is? The rumors surrounding him?" She leaned across the table with a look not unlike Erin's when faced with juicy gossip.

Kay hated that look and wanted to tell her mother that she didn't care about some stupid rumors, that she knew Kyle, but she didn't even get to open her mouth.