Steve headed outside, leaving Kim and Kayla alone. An awkward silence filled the room as the sisters stared at each other. Kayla could see the anger burning in Kim's eyes and trying to explain Steve's actions would probably be an exercise in futility. Still, Kim deserved to know the full story, even if it was unlikely to change her mind.

Before Kayla could speak, Kim broke the silence first. "I need to go check on my children," Kim said icily. "If you need something . . . well, I guess you know where everything is now, don't you?"

Kayla flinched at her sister's pointed remark, but let it pass. "Kim," she said, trying to keep a neutral tone to her voice. "I know you're angry, but I think we need to talk."

"Talk?" Kim scoffed. "You mean you want to defend Steve again, right? Tell me how he wasn't trying to ruin Shane's life." Kim glared at her sister. "I really have no interest in hearing your lies again."

Kayla took a deep breath, trying to control her own rising anger. She knew that if the positions were reversed, she would be just as angry as Kim was now. But if Kim was going to be angry, it should be based on what really happened, not on what Kim assumed was the truth.

"I didn't lie to you, Kim." Kayla said calmly, but firmly. "At least not intentionally."

Kim looked at Kayla in surprise. "You didn't lie to me? You told me that Steve didn't talk to Jack. Are you telling me that wasn't a lie?"

"I didn't know Steve was the one who talked to Jack when I talked to you," Kayla explained. "What I told you was the truth. I asked Steve and he said he didn't tell Jack anything."

"So Steve lied to you," Kim said angrily. "That should have been obvious from the start. Yet you're still defending him." Kim rolled her eyes. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Steve's been mad at Shane since he got back, and you've stood by and done nothing. He doesn't care who he hurts. . . . I guess you don't either."

"That's not true," Kayla said defensively.

"Yes, it is," Kim insisted. "Even now, when Steve lied to you and everyone else, you're still standing by him. When is enough enough?"

"He didn't intentionally lie to me!" Kayla snapped at Kim. "He didn't remember talking to Jack when I asked him about it. He didn't even realize it until he found a recording Jack had made of their conversation."

Kim stared at Kayla for a moment. When she finally spoke, her voice was softer, although the angry edge remained. "How did that happen, Kayla? Why didn't Steve remember?"

Kayla took a deep breath and told Kim about how Steve had gone to the Cheating Heart, how Jimmy had called Kayla, how Kayla had called Jack, and how Jack had eventually brought a nearly unconscious Steve home.

"When he woke up the next morning, he didn't even remember seeing Jack at the bar. I don't think either of us thought of that night when we saw the article, simply because Steve was in no condition to talk to anyone that night." Kayla sighed. "At least . . . it seemed that way."

"So Steve was drunk and didn't remember." Kim shrugged, her tone still cold. "It doesn't change the fact that Steve talked to Jack. He was angry at Shane and gave the story to a reporter. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Steve was trying to hurt Shane."

"I know that's how it looks, Kim," Kayla said as she ran her hand across her forehead. "I even wondered if Steve had told Jack because he wanted Jack to print the story. But Jack admitted that Steve told him he couldn't tell anyone." Kayla looked at Kim, hoping she would understand. "Steve made a mistake, but he wasn't trying to sabotage Shane."

Kim turned away from Kayla as if she was considering what Kayla had told her. Then she turned back, the anger in her eyes replaced by coldness. "Maybe that's true. But the reason why it happened doesn't really matter now does it? Shane's still facing serious charges, and it's all because Steve broke his word and told Jack the whole story."

Kayla was silent. She had known that it was unlikely that Kim would change her opinion after hearing the truth, but at least it was out in the open and maybe, with time, it might make a difference.

"I know it doesn't change the reality of what Shane's facing," Kayla eventually said. "But Steve's going to do everything he can to fix this. I think that's one of the things he wanted to talk to Shane about. He really does want to help."

"Yeah, well, Shane doesn't want my help." Kim and Kayla both turned their heads as Steve walked in the door. "He seems to think he's better off being a martyr for the ISA than fighting for his own life."

"What?" Kim and Kayla said in unison.

"You heard me." Steve shrugged. "Even though the ISA's hanging him out to dry, Shane's playing loyal soldier."

"Why would he do that?" Kayla asked, confused.

"I don't know, baby," Steve replied. "And right now, I don't really care. I've got other things to worry about."

Kayla's eyes widened in surprise at the anger in Steve's voice. "What's going on, Steve?" she asked, knowing this was about more than Shane's rejection of Steve's help.

"You want to tell her?" Steve asked, turning to Kim. "You want to tell your sister how you and Shane have been lying to us all this time?"

Kim's eyes blazed at Steve's accusation. "I don't know what you are talking about. The only person who's been lying around here is you."

Kayla looked back and forth from her husband to her sister, wondering what was going on. She turned back to Steve as he said, "That's not quite true, and you know it, Kim. You never told me why you were so eager to get into my head."

"I was trying to help you," Kim said, sarcastically adding, "You obviously needed it."

"What did Shane and Kim keep from us?" Kayla asked, ignoring Kim's insult. "What did Shane tell you?"

Steve looked at Kayla. "Apparently the ISA was not just going to leave me to die in that hellhole. After Shane got me out, they wanted to lock me up somewhere so they could find out what I knew about Alamain's operation."

"What?" Kayla was shocked.

"Oh, it gets better, Sweetness." Steve turned back to Kim. "The ISA didn't think I was 'recovering' quickly enough and has been threatening to take me away. And your sister and Donovan knew all about it. Didn't you, Kim?"

Kayla turned back to her sister, her own anger threatening to take control now. "How could you keep something like that from us?"

"I knew Shane would protect Steve," Kim said defiantly. "For you and Stephanie if for no other reason." She turned to Steve. "And Shane and I both knew that you'd never talk to me if you knew about the ISA's threat."

"You had no right to make that decision for me," Steve snarled. "I trusted you. I thought you wanted to help me, not help the ISA get information."

"Shane and I trusted you, so I guess we were all wrong," Kim said, sharply. Then, her voice softened. "And I did want to help. I would've helped even if the ISA wasn't involved." She fell silent and then added, bitterly, "But you don't have to worry about me trying to get any more information from you. You'll have to find somebody else willing to 'get into your head' from here on out."

"I'm already one step ahead of you, Kim." Steve said dismissively. "I need somebody I can trust."

Kayla stood silently as the emotions swirled inside of her. She had no idea how things had gotten so crazy with the four of them. All she knew was that she did not want to spend one more minute in Shane's house.

"I think we should go," she said quietly to Steve.

"I think you're right, Sweetness." Steve walked to Kayla and put his arm around her. Together, they walked out the door without so much as a goodbye.