Brianna's POV
"So, what did you find out?"
"You snore a lot," Javi quipped. He had spent the night after Katie's party. He was too tired to drive and I wasn't willing to let him try.
I quickly threw a strawberry at him. "Kevin?" I asked with a yawn.
"The wedding is off."
"Off?" I asked.
"Off," he said with some anger. "Turns out that Jenny had been a little too friendly with a co-worker."
"No," I nearly gasped. "Tell me she didn't."
"Sorry, no can do."
"Oh, poor Kevin."
"He'll be fine. I got it covered."
"How?"
"I'm going to get him out in the dating world. He'll be just fine. Trust me."
I couldn't believe Jenny would do such a thing to him. Kevin was a sweetheart; he'd been nothing but kind and loving to her. How could she hurt him? "If she didn't want to be with him, why didn't she just tell him? Why the hell would she cheat?" I shook my head. How could people be so heartless?
I looked up to see Javi smiling at me.
"What?"
"Just glad to see that I have nothing to worry about," he smirked.
I smiled and walked over to him, slipping into his ready arms. "No, you don't." I kissed him.
I didn't want to get my hopes up. Laying all night in his arms had me worked up enough. I ended the kiss and pressed my forehead to his.
"So, wanna take this to the bedroom?" He asked and I laughed.
"Good one."
"Wasn't a joke."
"Really?"
"Really," he nodded. His face didn't break, so I was starting to believe him.
We made it to my bedroom in a hurry, and he wasted no time pushing me down on my bed and kissing me.
"I'm sorry," he said when he broke the kiss, his mouth trailing down my neck.
"For?"
"Waiting."
I shook my head. "I understand."
"I don't know what I was waiting for. Maybe I was just afraid."
"Afraid?" I laughed.
"What?" he asked.
"That isn't a word I would use to describe you."
"What word would you use?" he asked before kissing my neck again.
My whole body responded. "Right now, I would go with breathtaking."
We both laughed, and then he kissed me. It was so heated I didn't notice we had company until I heard her voice.
"Could you please stop groping my sister?"
Katie was home. Just my luck.
Kevin's POV
I somehow knew that things would end this way. I knew that things were going well. Too well. She always had a smile. Always. I knew there had to be a reason she was so happy. I naively thought it was because of me. How stupid was I?
Whenever I closed my eyes Jenny's smile was all I could see. Instead of the smile being for me, it was because she was thinking of some other guy, or multiple guys. I wasn't sure. All I knew was that I could go the rest of my life without seeing that smile. It was a reminder of how I wasn't good enough.
I wasn't sure exactly when I stopped being enough for her. She knew from the beginning that my job had to come first. She said she understood and respected that. When did she change her mind? Was it her fault? Mine? Should I have made more of an effort to make her a priority? Or did I spend too much time with her in an attempt to overcompensate for my job?
"Kevin?"
A familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up from my desk to see Katie standing in the middle of the bullpen, looking almost lost.
"Katie?" I stood up and walked to her. "Are you okay?"
She shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "Can we talk? Maybe somewhere else?" She turned to the murder board and shivered.
I looked down at my watch. I had been zoning out for the last half hour. A break might be nice. I could mope around about my life later. God knows I had plenty of time for it.
"Sure. My lunch break is about to start. You hungry?"
She shook her head. "Maybe we could grab some coffee?" she suggested.
I nodded. It was probably for the best. Since Jenny came clean to me about her double life, I hadn't really had much of an appetite. I put on a fake smile, "Sounds great."
She looked worried. I didn't know what it was, but I wanted to help. A genuine smile appeared on my face. Katie would always come to me with problems, concerns, and good news. It made me feel really good knowing she trusted me enough to rely on me. She was growing up to be one of the sweetest and most understanding people I had ever met. Sam would be proud of her.
We went to a nearby coffee shop in case Beckett called.
"So to what do I owe this pleasure?" I asked as we sat down to at a table.
"I'm having conflicting feelings," she said after taking a drink of her coffee.
Join the club. "What's so conflicting?"
She grabbed her phone and handed it over. "Look."
I looked down at the picture of a small, empty room. "I don't get it. What's this?" I asked, still looking at the picture.
"A dorm room."
I stared at her carefully. "And?"
She sighed, "Well, I am starting college soon." A small smile appeared on her face and I noticed a smile spread across my face as well. "And, well, my friend Madison is staying in a dorm and she doesn't have a roommate yet, so she was hoping I could be her roommate, but that means that I would have to-"
"Move out," I finished.
"Exactly." She snapped her fingers. "How could I move out? You know more than most how close Brianna and I are."
I nodded. The understatement of the year award just went to the green-eyed girl sitting across from me.
"I haven't been away from her for more than a day since I was born. She has been taking care of me for the past 16 years. How do I tell her that I want to move out? I don't want to hurt her."
I nodded. I could see that conversation going two different ways. Part of me knew that Brianna wouldn't make Katie feel bad, at least not on purpose. She would want Katie to be happy. Things were complicated with these girls.
"You want to move out?" I asked, making sure that she actually wanted this.
She nodded, looking sad. "I think it's time to try something new." She shifted in her seat. "I love Brianna so much, but I think moving away could be good for the both of us."
"I was thinking the same thing. You guys have a very co-dependent relationship."
She nodded. "Do you think Bri would understand?"
That was a good question. "I think the bottom line is that Brianna will want you to be happy," I said. "She will want you to do whatever it is that you want. Brianna has been taking care of you practically her whole life. You have always been her main priority. She has given up a lot to make sure you had the best life. So, in a way, she would be hurting herself if she were to make this hard on you. I think once she processes it, she will be able to accept it."
"Really? You don't think she will get lonely?"
"Of course I am sure. She has Javi too, you know? He will keep her busy." We both shook away the uncomfortable images of my best friend and her sister. Good going Kev. Get this back on track. "She knows you deserve to have your own life, just don't be surprised if she has a hard time letting go at first."
She smiled and bit her lip. "Thanks Kev. I mean it. You have actually made me feel better about this. You're really great."
I forced another smile. If I was so great, then how come I felt so low?
"When are you going to talk to Bri?"
"Not sure. Maybe within the next few days."
I nodded. "Well if you don't want to go it alone, I'll be more than happy to offer my support." I knew how nervous she was going to be.
"I wouldn't expect less from you," she smiled. "I should get going. I'll text you later, okay?"
I nodded as she got up and left. Once she was gone, I was faced again with the realization that I was alone.
Brianna's POV
I knew that things would have to change; we would have to go our own ways. I just never thought it would come so quickly or hurt so bad. I couldn't hold onto her though. I needed to let her go and experience things, be with her friends, have fun, and basically let her live her own life.
I knew she was afraid when she told me about it. I think that's why I was so strong and understanding with her. I wasn't her parent, but I certainly knew why parents cried when their kids went off to college. It was scary. Anything could happen to her, and it didn't matter how smart she was. I just needed to have faith in her. She would do great. I would just have to face the facts: I needed to start living my own life. The thought made me sick.
That's why I was on my way to go see Javi. Maybe he could help with this weight that I felt on my chest. Maybe talking to him about it would help.
Once I reached his door, I went to knock, but a memory of him presented itself.
'Here's a key. If you can't just walk in, use it. You are my girl now. No knockin.'
I smiled remembering the glee I felt when he referred to me as his girl. I was such a dork.
I licked my lips and opened his door. I knew he gave orders to just walk in, but I still felt wrong doing it. I opened the door and peeked my head in. The apartment was clean. Not surprisingly, but I was used to living in a messy place. Thanks to Katie, that would be changing soon. I frowned, thinking about living alone, but I didn't want Javi to be greeted with a frown, so I put on a small smile.
I heard Javi's laugh coming from the kitchen. I hoped to sneak up on him. He was almost always doing it to me.
When I reached the kitchen I was more than a little surprised that he was standing next to Lanie. What was she doing here? I lightly bit my lip. For some reason I felt stupid for being here. Like maybe I should just leave. Nobody had noticed me yet, so I could easily escape. I couldn't stop wondering why Lanie was here. I definitely needed to leave.
I slowly backed up, hoping they wouldn't see. I almost had freedom until I hit my leg on something and toppled over. I let out a small shriek as I fell. I didn't even have enough time to stand up before Javi and Lanie came rushing into the living room.
"Bri? Are you okay?" Javi reached a hand out to me. I waved it away.
"I'm fine. I'm just clumsy." I shook off the weird feeling and got up.
"I'm sorry, Bri," Lanie said. Why was she sorry? "I should have moved my stuff against the wall. Are you sure you're alright?"
I nodded. "Certainly not the worst fall I've taken," I said while watching her move a suitcase and some bags against the wall. Why was her stuff here?
"So you are probably wondering," Javi started. I looked up to him and raised my eyebrows. "Lanie is having her apartment fumigated, so she needed somewhere to stay for awhile."
I nodded and lightly smiled, even though I was feeling very strange about that news. "That was nice of you." I kept the smile on my face.
"You okay with it?" He asked right in front of Lanie. What was I supposed to say? 'Get your ex out of your apartment now'?
I nodded. "Of course."
He nodded with me, but I knew he sensed something. "So what are you here for?" he asked as Lanie left us alone.
"I just..." I racked my brain, trying to come up with anything. "I wanted to stop by before I went to work."
He took a quick look around. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"
"What, Lanie?"
He nodded.
"It's your apartment Javi." I let out a small laugh. "I don't make your decisions for you."
He nodded, and I still had the feeling that he knew I wasn't okay with it. When Lanie returned to the room, I felt like it was time to go.
"Well, I guess I should get to work." I gave Lanie a quick look. "I'll call you later, okay?" I directed to Javi, who simply nodded. He bent down and gave me a kiss.
"Be careful," he whispered in my ear.
I wanted to say the same to him, but that would be a little too much, so I just nodded and left. Once I closed his door behind me, I sighed.
Jealousy was a bitch.
