20 Days In His Bedroom

Chapter Thirty two

I couldn't argue anymore. I really had nowhere else to go, and at least I wouldn't be afraid with Kyle around. I hoped his friend would be nice — if I could trust Kyle, maybe I could trust his friend too. Though, honestly, I didn't even remember his friend's name.

I stayed quiet through the whole ride. Kyle sat beside the driver, and I took the back seat. I wasn't sure if his friend lived in New York or somewhere else. I pulled out the phone Kyle had given me. I liked it a lot, but hadn't had the chance to use it much lately.

"You okay?" Kyle asked from the front.

I nodded.

"You bored?" he added.

"Yeah," I whispered.

"Me too," he sighed.

The driver looked puzzled when Kyle slid over to sit next to me.

"What would you like to do?" Kyle asked.

I smiled at him. "Where does your friend live?"

"In Manhattan. About forty minutes from here," he answered. "Want to listen to some music?"

"I haven't put anything on the phone yet," I said, staring out the window.

"You can use mine and find something you like," he offered, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"What will you do then?" I asked.

"Look at you," he grinned.

"Then no. Let's do something that entertains both of us," I said.

"Like what?" He scrunched his nose.

"We can just talk."

"Okay," he smiled.

"Tell me a funny story about you," I suggested, feeling a little silly but out of ideas.

"A funny story? I don't think I have any," he said. "But when I was little, I admired this girl who always sat in front of me on the bus, facing forward. Her hair was amazing. I got mad every time she got on the bus, because I never saw her face. One day, when I finally sat beside her, I found out the girl I admired for a whole week was actually a boy with long hair. That's when I felt like my life was a lie."

I burst out laughing, and he joined me.

"How old were you?"

"Six or so," he said, narrowing his eyes.

I smiled, unable to imagine him as a six-year-old but sure he must have been something special.

⸻

An hour later, we arrived at a penthouse with a big garden. It looked amazing—comfortable and expensive.

"That's my friend's place," Kyle said as he got out to grab our bags.

"Looks incredible," I said, stepping out.

We walked up the stairs; it was 7 PM. Brightly colored lamps lit up the garden, giving it a lively atmosphere. For some reason, it reminded me of my grandma's house, though much more modern and expensive.

"Twy," Kyle called.

"Yes, coming," I said, following him inside.

A young girl opened the door for us. She probably worked for Kyle's friend.

"Mr. Jennif?" she asked.

Kyle nodded. I was puzzled for a moment, then remembered his last name was Jennif.

"Welcome," she said, showing us to the living room. The penthouse was even bigger than it looked outside. I wondered what kind of business Kyle's friend had to afford this.

A young man appeared — Kyle's friend. He had bright green eyes, brown hair, light skin, and a tall build, almost as tall as Kyle.

"My friend, how are you?" he hugged Kyle tightly, and I awkwardly waited.

"But you didn't tell me who the chick is. I didn't think you were dating," he said, looking at me.

"Oh, she's not... just a friend," Kyle said, glancing at me.

"Hi," I said, forcing a smile. I didn't feel comfortable, but I kept quiet.

"I'm Jack. Not sure if Kyle told you about me, but we've been friends since 2010."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Twyla — Twy," I said.

"Nice to meet you, Twyla," he said, looking me over. Kyle noticed.

"So, what's new with your business?" Kyle asked him, trying to change the subject.

"It's going well," Jack said.

"Okay, I know you're both hungry and tired, so dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Your room's ready too."

Our room? Again? Sharing a room with Kyle? No way. Didn't he hear us say we were just friends?

"That's fine," Kyle said, rubbing Jack's shoulder.

"Come on, I'll show you your room. I know it's probably not like where you're used to, but it'll do," Jack said. Why was he talking like this? What did Kyle's family do to be this rich?

"You know I don't care about fancy stuff. Your penthouse is wonderful," Kyle said.

Jack winked at Kyle. "Your girl's sleeping with you, right?"

"No," I said before Kyle could answer. Both men looked at me.

"You really just friends, huh?" Jack asked, clearly surprised.

"Yeah," Kyle smiled. "I know it's weird, but yes."

"Kyle Jennif has a friend he doesn't sleep with?" Jack chuckled. The idea made me want to laugh and cringe at the same time.

"I don't have female friends, you know that," Kyle smiled.

"Dedra?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"You still remember?" Kyle looked away. "She came to me when I was desperate. I tried to push her away, but she was so sticky. Sorry."

Who was Dedra? Why did Kyle sleep with her?

"Yeah, she was sticky. I won't argue about that, but she was hot as hell," Jack said, sounding angry. Maybe she was his ex?

"I wouldn't argue that either," Kyle laughed. Jack laughed too.

I wanted to kill both of them.