Chapter 107 The Release {Kieran}

Chapter 107 The Release {Kieran}
Love rekindled, it said.

The headline of the Italian news tabloid. The one Zayn was so hesitant to show me. Now, I could see why.

The image plastered on the screen was a picture of Elizabeth, Rosie staring dreamily into the eyes of another man. Holding him tight around the waist as he clung onto her in the same manner.

The news report said the couples had been through a rough patch and were finally ready to continue from where they stopped. 

The wedding.

My teeth clenched until my jaw ached as I stared at her. The words blurred. I could not continue reading the nonsense. I was more interested in how she looked.

Her face was fully covered in makeup, and her hair…that wasn’t her hair. It was some wig. Her hair looked more angelic than the curly springs on her head.

Either way, she was gorgeous, just not in the way I was used to. A part of me tried to convince me that there was something greater behind this sudden change, this shift, but I was also well aware that it was my pride talking.

Maybe I just couldn’t accept the fact she was really two-faced and a spy. Maybe I didn’t want to believe that she actually succeeded in getting in and under my skin. In penetrating a place no one had ever reached.

She did all that so she could stare into the eyes of another man like that. 

“I don’t believe this.” I finally muttered after spending an unhealthy amount of time staring at the picture.

Zayn sighed loudly.

I tossed the iPad aggressively. It slid off my desk and landed on the floor with a slap, which I was sure was going to leave more than a crack.

“This was why I didn’t want to tell you.” Zayn muttered angrily as he marched forward to pick up the poor iPad.

“Well, he’s still seated and has not turned to the green bulky avenger yet.” Bryce, my second-best friend and brother to my wife, stated as he turned away from my transparent balcony. 

They were both looking at me. I could feel their gazes; I just wasn’t looking at any of them. I feared they would see the actual emotion I felt. So instead, I glared at the bracelet box on my desk, contemplating flipping the desk over.

“Look, he’s perfectly calm.” Said Bryce. “I came all the way from Vietnam because he’s heartbroken over a woman he was cheating on my sister with?”

I lifted my eyebrows for the briefest second. 

There it was, the main reason he came. The only reason he wasn’t pounding my face in was because he knew that would only bring me satisfaction at the moment and that wouldn’t appease him.

Unfortunately for him, I was itching for a fight.

“Your sister was disgusted by my mere presence. She didn’t want me, and that tends to complicate things.” I shot him a sidelong glance, daring him to react. “Unless you think consent is optional.”

Bryce’s grey eyes turned dark. His nose flared, a vein visible along the side of his neck. He squared his shoulders, fixing me a look of warning. 

“Careful, Bryce.” Zayn’s grating voice cut between us. “You will just be giving him what he wants.”

I rolled my eyes. “Come on. Like she hasn’t been getting it from someone else,” I drawled. “Have you seen your sister?”

Bryce clenched and unclenched his fist. “Warn yours—”

I got up, vexed and tired. “No, you listen!” 

Zayn got up too, glancing at the both of us. Waiting.

I wasn’t even just angry anymore. It was a needed conversation. Bryce and I have been friends longer than my marriage with his stepsister. 

It wasn’t like they were close. Another reason why I didn’t know she was related to him. Maybe I wouldn’t have married her.

But I was done receiving the blame for every single thing. I was grown enough to take responsibility, but I refused to be a dumping site for people to thrash their blame and guilt.

“You knew your sister was an addict, and you knew how much I have tried to help her! Have you seen her when she’s choking on her own vomit? ” 

He stayed silent.

“No,” I scoffed. “You’ve never seen her in her withdrawal stage either, have you?”

Another silence.

“We were doing so well. No, we weren’t in love, but it was safe and it was peaceful, but Ian died, and it was all my fault. I couldn't stop her anymore. She wanted me dead! She didn’t want to hear my voice, see my face or sleep next to me.”

“It doesn’t justify your cheating.”

“No, it doesn’t, but it was only an amount of time before I joined your sister and went down the rabbit hole together.” My voice lowered. I had never admitted it publicly, but there were times I had occasionally smoked just enough to not feel anything.

Bryce laughed shortly. “So now you’re blaming her.”

I laughed too, but it was bitter. “That’s the thing; I’m not blaming anyone. But if you want to come in here to point fingers, you should start with yourself. She’s only your sister when she's been offended. Where were you when she was hurting?”

Bruce stormed over.

“That’s enough.” Zayn cut between the two of us, pushing Bryce back by the chest.

I straightened my shoulders and smirked, edging him on. He was seething, barely hiding his rage.

“This back-and-forth guilt tripping won’t solve the problems we have at hand,” Zayn said.

“Problems he created!” Bryce growled, pointing his shaky finger at me as he tried to push Zayn away.

“We’ve cleaned your mess too, Bryce, so quit it!” Zayn shouted in Bryce’s face, taking us both by surprise.

Zayn hardly got angry. He was more calculative and sinister with his rage than explosive and expressive, so whenever he does explode, we know we’ve reached the limit. 

His biggest fear was turning into his dad, who was known for being aggressive, violent and abusive. Deep down Zayn had the tendency to be violent, but it took years for him to train and work on himself. 

Bryce and I would hate to break him.

We went bottle shooting instead. All along, I imagine each flying bottle as Berlo’s head before I shoot. Worked for every bottle.

By the time we were done, the sun was starting to set. The anger and the pent-up frustration had turned into sweat.

We sat by the balcony on long benches with a chilled can of beer in our hands, staring at the expansive fields ahead.

“Ahh,” Bryce released dramatically after emptying his can. Zayn and I glanced at him.

“So what now?”

I looked away because I didn’t have an answer. I couldn't even think. 
But Zayn did. 

“Gambino, the senator, is celebrating his 50th birthday at Sunset Villa here in Boston. Your Rosie and her fiancé are sure to attend.”

Of course they will. Her father was the one who helped him get the position. My beer turned bitter.

Fiancé. I didn’t buy it.

Byuve chuckled mischievously. “I say, we crash the party.”