The Next Best Thing: Part II

Twenty-Four

Tyler called Rae from Newcastle, where she met up with the guys at a party they were both invited to. As the story goes, Kira happened to be in attendance - she sought out Cameron, throwing herself onto him, basically making a fool of herself in Ty's eyes.

Apparently, a few drinks later, intoxicated Cameron couldn't control Kira, instead letting her have him. It seems the guys didn't notice what was going on until it was too late and they were getting naked.

I was amazed by these allegations against Cam and disgusted by Kira's behaviour. She was the worst kind of sewer rat that even the deadliest poison couldn't rid of.

Rae, in a fit of rage and about to have the worst emotional breakdown, called her boyfriend and tore him apart for what he'd done. I'd never seen her so angry, so miserable. She screamed at him, cried her lungs out and still managed to scare the shit out of him.

"He kept yelling, 'I didn't cheat on you, I swear I didn't!' but I knew he was lying. Tyler would never lie to me and we all know Kira is a little conniving bitch. I swear I'm going to kill her!" Rae ranted, on the verge of pulling out her hair and breaking something very valuable.

"Nobody else saw anything? Just Tyler?" I asked, surprised at Kira's sudden discretion.

Rae shook her head, her hair pulled back from her face by Min when she had been crying. She had bloodshot eyes and dark marks under them, toughening her entire look. Her mascara had run onto her white fluffy sweater, staining it with black lines I hoped for her sake would come off because that was one pricy sweater.

I truly sympathised with Rae, I did, but I couldn't believe that Cam would have knowingly cheated on her. He wasn't a saint but his loyalty threatened that of one. Not once had he cheated on Kira, no matter how much he wanted to, a believer in being faithful in whatever relationship you were in.

The Cameron Hunt I knew was insanely in love with Rae. He would kill for his baby. He would die for her. He couldn't handle not being with her at all times, always suggesting that she pick up and leave with them whenever they were going to be apart for a long time.

Rae never saw the logic behind that but she was flattered all the same, promising him to do exactly so one day in future. This had just killed the chance that they could be together again.

But why would Tyler make this up?

Min gave her sleeping pills to sedate her before she hurt herself and others around her. Her volatile nature was frightening and not to be taken lightly at a time like this.

I was getting to the bottom of this, my gut feeling telling me something else was going on. It would have made sense if she drugged him, knowing how far she'd go to get whatever she wanted. Consensual anything did not take place at that party and I needed to prove this before two of my favourite people's lives were ruined forever.

There was no point in calling Aidan or Lyle as they couldn't corroborate Cameron's story, ironic considering they always watched over each other. Tyler wouldn't pick up her phone and my only option was the man himself.

I could tell he was slowly killing himself internally, something horrible, inconceivable, destroying his life. He didn't sound like he had slept much, probably not at all, nor did he sound the least bit wasted.
He told me exactly what he'd told Rae - the pain and anguish in his voice rang clear and I believed him. I believed that he wouldn't do something like that to the one he loved, especially not after what had happened between me and Mitchell, the turmoil and heartache he bore witness to.

I now needed to know why Tyler would make this up.

Min was downstairs when I ended my call, looming over my cupcakes. At almost three months pregnant, her little baby bump was beginning to show when she wore certain clothes. In her thick cotton pyjamas, it was visible and looked right on her body.

She was a very beautiful pregnant woman, her skin glowing a lot lately since the severe bouts of morning sickness stopped. She had embraced pregnancy very well too, dedicating time to hanging out with her unborn baby. She refused to learn the sex until after she told Lyle - she opted to find out with him by her side.

Min wanted so much for him to be a part of her child's life, a hands on father no matter how much he hated the mother of his baby.

She made her baby listen to all her father's music, acquainting it with the band and what they did. She talked about him and watched videos of him, making sure that he was much a part of the pregnancy as he would have been had the situation been different.

"Your dad likes these cupcakes too because of your Aunt Zoe. I hope you like them too," she whispered softly, munching on the last remaining one. I watched her with a smile explaining how he'd fallen in love with them accidentally, starving because he'd been up all night out with her.

I remember I'd woken up to a half naked Lyle on the edge of my bed attacking my cupcakes in our dorm room. That happened a lot afterwards, resulting in me buying him his own box every time I knew he'd be over.

He made my friend so happy and I missed him around the both of us, the good old days before life sabotaged us.