Twice As Shy

Chapter 6

"Iron Man is too better than Green Lantern!"

"No! No, he isn't. He doesn't even have superpowers."

"Having superpowers doesn't make Green Lantern better, it makes him a cheater, JESS!"

Reese and I have been listening to Mike and Jess go back and forth ever since we left the movie theater. You'd think that they would have run out of steam on the 30 minute ride back to the house....You'd think wrong.

Reese leans over and turns up the radio, effectively drowning them out, but her motives aren't great either.

"So, what are you going to do about my brother?" she asks me for the twenty-eighth time.

"I don't know Reese, and just because you give me 10 minutes between repeating your question, doesn't mean that I'm going to have some divine epiphany," I respond, getting really agitated.

On one hand, it feels really wonderful to not have to keep this secret from my best friend anymore. However, I never expected how enthusiastic she'd be about it. I mean, if I found out that my best friend had slept with my brother over 3 years ago, and hadn't told me, I'd be pissed and disgusted.

I'm still half-disgusted with Reese and Ryan as it is. They are always touching and kissing and stuff. It's just awful.

"Pay attention to me," Reese says, smacking me on the arm.

The very same arm that she's been pinching and slapping since yesterday.

Now, I like to think that I'm a very safe and cautious driver, but I can't help but to take my eyes off the road for a millisecond.

I give Reese my best dangerous look. " You've got one more time to injure me Reese, and I promise that you'll regret it. Test me, if you want to."

Holding her hands up, Reese sits back in her seat and just looks at me expectantly.

(Sigh) "Reese, there's nothing to do. Kyle doesn't owe me anything; he already apologized, and I forgave him. That's the end of it. We're both past it."

"Well, I don't know who fed you that load of crap, but let me tell you what I know. Last night, I was grilling you... hard. I knew you weren't comfortable, but that wasn't what was important in that moment. But Kyle saw that you were uncomfortable, too. He intervened on your behalf. On his face, there was regret, apology, and concern. I can guarantee you none of that was for me. He cares. I bet he cares a lot. You just have to make him see it."

For next five minutes that it take to get back to the house, we sit in in silence and I mull over what she said. Is it possible that Kyle does care for me? No, that's not the right question. I know he cares. He's not a completely horrible person. But does he want me the way that I wanted him back then? The way that, if I'm being completely honest, I still want him? Is it possible?

I make the turn onto Reese's street. As we approach the house, I notice a blue car in their driveway. I notice Mary's blue car in their driveway, and I notice Kyle and Mary making out against it.

Pulling in behind Mary's car, I turn to Reese, who is currently murdering her brother with her eyes. "Like I said, we're past it."

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Kyle's POV

Why did God make women to be so exhausting? I'm having problems with my best friend over the women in our lives. Last night, I really wanted to finish my conversation with Mags, but Ryan was all pissed off, which made me pissed off. By the time, I finished talking with Ryan, who let me say is being a real dick, I just wasn't in a good place to talk to Megan.

After the whole situation with Charice and Megan, Ryan felt the need to pull aside and let me know AGAIN that he doesn't want me messing with Maggie's head.

" Kyle, you're not good for her."

"Kyle, you were sitting too close to her."

Oh, and my personal favorite. "We both know that you aren't serious about her. So, why don't you just let it go?"

For a best friend, Ryan doesn't seem to have the best opinion of me. And it just sucks more because I can't really blame him. If the roles were reversed, I'd probably be acting the same way. But where does he get off telling me what my feelings are? That I'm not serious about Maggie, when I've never been more serious about anything (other that football) in my life.

Yeah, it's been 3 years. Maybe I should have tried getting Maggie alone and apologizing before, but better late than never. Right? I don't want to hurt her. I've just grown up in the last couple of years, and I want what I should have had a long time ago. I want Maggie.

She's really special. I can't even begin to describe how I felt when I saw her yesterday, when I came to get our siblings. Megan has always had this quiet, reserved, contained beauty about her. But, damn, the girl has really grown up over the last couple of years. I mean, that ass. It's the stuff that wet dreams are made of. Of course, it's more than that, but I had to say it.

I saw Maggie with the sun brightening her eyes, and her hair swinging about her shoulders. I hadn't even known that she'd cut her hair. The smile that she had for the kids reminded me of the way she used to laugh at my jokes, when we weren't fighting. When I took her waist in my hands, because let's face it, I couldn't not touch her, my fingertips brushed against the skin in between her shirt and bottoms. I had forgotten exactly how soft her skin is. I can feel my heart beating just  thinking about her.

I've never felt that awe or desire to just be around Mary, the way I do with Megan. That's a whole other thing too. Crazy, ass females, man.

I came outside to get the mail, after the girls left with the kids. I'd been staying out of the way all morning, giving them time to have girl talk or whatever it is girls do together. But yeah, I went outside, and while I was out there, Mary drove up in her car.

I hadn't even told her that I was home, yet. When we talked yesterday, I just gave her the usual "I miss you too. Can't wait to see you," spiel.

The girl got out the car and practically attacked me, trying to get me to take her in the house, and handle business, you know. I tried, I really did, to keep her off of me. Since I've decided to really give Maggie a go, I know I have to cut Mary off. I just haven't figured out how yet.  Anyway, just as I'm getting Mary to settle down and get off my dick, Maggie and Reese pull up. I know how it must have looked, but Reese just looked mad as hell, while Maggie pretended that I didn't exist, walking right past me and Mary without speaking.

I know she cared though, she has to.

Ahem. "Babe, aren't you excited to see me? When did you get home? Do you want to go out tonight? You can stay at my place, if you want," Mary gushes, while I'm trying to figure out how to fix this.

"When Ryan called me and gave me the idea to surprise you, I was hoping that I'd get here before you. No matter though, we can pick up where we left off now.

"Wait. Back up! You said, Ryan told you to come over here?" That dick!

"Well, no. He didn't tell me to come, but we both thought that it would be a nice surprise. What's wrong?"

Taking her by the shoulders, I gently move her away from me and push away from the car. "Nothing is wrong. I just need to catch up with him about something." I give her a quick kiss on the cheek, and head for the house.

Ryan has gone too far. I don't care how close we are. He doesn't have the right to interfere in my life and business like this. I see the living room curtains flutter closed, as I pull my phone out of my pocket.

I finally make it to the front door, and hear Mary drive off. Opening the door, Maggie is the first person I see. And let me tell you exactly what I see. Pain. Jealousy. Resolve.

Opening up the messenger on my phone I shoot out a text message.

Dude, you're a dead man for this