I hope everyone is still having fun reading. Thank you, Kiara, and NonfunctioningAdultHuman for your encouragement and taking the time to review.
I'm not too happy with this chapter. I felt it was about time for Kai to hit a point as he had been much too passive the past few chapters. I hope this comes across that way. It's definitely not my best work, but I will return to my usual wackiness the following chapter.
-x-x-x-
The Downfall
After our successful copulation, Wyatt made a beeline for his brother's room. It was located somewhat desolate, in a quiet wing next to the library. We had to ascend stone stairs to get there. It was the type of place one did not expect to be walked in on. Hence, when Wyatt was about to bust the door open, I cautiously held a hand to his wrist.
"Let's knock first."
"Why?" He asked me confused.
I kept quiet like I had promised. He would come to his own conclusion soon enough. Today, however, would not be the day. We found Bryce and Enrique sitting as far away from each other as physically possible. Enrique lounging in an office chair propped up against the wall. He had even spun it so that the back rest formed a natural barrier between them. Bryce was crouching on the windowsill, gazing longingly into the courtyard as though hoping a prince would come to whisk him away. They were barely even acknowledging each other.
It was like walking in on a funeral. Wyatt was either oblivious to the heavy mood or made a conscious effort to ignore it.
"Guys, the time has come. I'm moving out."
"Oh." Bryce said, glumly. "I was kinda hoping to have you in my corner."
"I will be. I'm joining the team. As the towel boy or Kai's cheerleader. Doesn't matter."
"It does matter a little, you do need a function." Bryce said, always the pragmatic one.
"I'll be your mascot. Nothing represents the Majestics better than nepotism."
Bryce could not argue with that.
"So, you will be staying here until then?" he asked pleadingly.
"No, I'm leaving. And you're coming with us. We can stay with Kai's dad until the next instance of the tournament." He announced. Then nudged me and hastily asked: "Right?"
I nodded. I had yet to ask my father's permission, but surely, he could not say no if we showed up at his doorstep in the middle of the night.
Bryce contemplated for a moment, then shook his head. "Thanks, but I started this so I will face it."
"That's admirable, but reckless. Give them some time to cool off, it is better for everyone that way. If you stay, they will just pick fights." I advised him.
"I'm not going to run. I have nothing to hide."
"Do you think he will mind if I crash at your dad's place too?" Enrique asked, timidly. "Only for tonight. It's going to be difficult getting a room this late. Oliver might let me stay with him at the Ritz, but he would take offense to me showing up without a warning. We might be friends, but we are not that close."
Never would I have expected to become one Enrique's most intimate confidents. He was my rival in more than one way, but over the course of just one weekend he had grown on me. I was flattered that he felt more comfortable asking me for a favour than his lifelong friend. As good as it felt to be accepted by this close-knit society, I could not allow myself to get carried away. Most likely, he did not want to explain himself to Oliver, who he probably feared would judge him. His worries were unfounded. While not gay, the little Frenchie was the most flamboyant guy I had met in my life.
"Why are you leaving now too?" Bryce protested. "Thanks everyone, great time to make a dash. Really appreciate it."
"It's not that I want to, mate. Your parents kicked me out."
"Why would they do that? Pretty sure Mom loves you more than any of her actual children."
"I second that." Wyatt agreed.
"I got a bit cocky." Enrique said, shrugging it off.
"That's not like you at all. You know just what to say to charm the adults."
"He was defending your honour." I proclaimed.
Bryce stared at him, stunned. "You did?" he finally asked.
A faint blush crept across his nose, it was of the same make and model as the one Enrique was currently flaunting.
"I got a carried away." He admitted, eyes fixed to the floor.
"He is being humble. He told them they were lucky to have you as their son." I said.
"I'm sure they didn't like that one bit. They hate being told to be grateful." Wyatt joked.
Bryce was still in shock, but he was glowing now. He peered at Enrique with a great deal of fondness. "Thank you for having my back. I value that."
Enrique flashed his million-dollar grin at him, but behind the cockiness I detected something vulnerable.
I had been gifted a front row seat to watching them fall in love. Though it was sweet to see them steal flirty glances at each other, it felt a little intrusive and voyeuristic. There was no doubt in my mind that these two would end up together.
Had Wyatt and I acted equally goofy and oblivious when we first developed feelings for each other? Is that how Takao had been able to tell.
"Hey, it's no biggie. You're my brother from another mother. And I love you. No homo." Enrique cackled, then hastily added "Not that there is anything wrong with being one."
Bryce's expression hardened instantly.
"Yeah, same to you." He said unenthusiastically.
Enrique that imbecile! What was he doing squandering a perfect opportunity like this?
"Will you be joining us now?" Wyatt urged.
"It would be spineless." He said stubbornly.
"It's not all about flaunting your manliness to people." I reprimanded him. "Sometimes it takes more strength to resist a fight."
That finally got through his thick skull, though maybe he just didn't have any more fight in him. We were putting him in a bad position. He could either join us or feel entirely alone.
"You're right." He said half-heartedly.
-x-x-x-
Dad was a little rattled when we all showed up at his doorstep.
"I better go inform the receptionist, before they assume I'm collaborating with Uncle Jeffrey." He joked.
I was disturbed that he did not add the obligatory "no relation". I sure hoped there was no deeper meaning to it. Jeffrey could very well have spawned into existence from the same Eldrich abomination my grandfather had. After all, it was impossible to imagine my grandpa as a kid. I did my best to picture him bowing to authority figures rather than be the one to boss them around but despite my best efforts, it did not compute.
I could not help but notice Bryce and Enrique eying the hotel room critically. It was no suite by any means, probably a few grades below what they were used to. It stung to see even Wyatt looking disappointed. I knew he was used to luxury, lived all his life in the fanciest mansions and travelled to the most expensive hotels. Hopefully he would still deem me worth the trade.
"No offense but why are you here? I thought the mixer went well." Dad asked.
I studied him attentively. He was dressed in a button-up, and had his hair slicked back. By his standards he was looking put-together.
"Did you have other plans?" I retorted.
"I can cancel them."
Aha! So much for him coming all this way just to take care of me.
"So, you talked to Wyatt's parents, I take it?" I inquired. "Must have been early in the night. Things went South at dinner."
He winked. "No, I've got a secret contact."
"It's not Uncle Jeffrey, is it?"
"God no. What happened with the parents?"
He was deflecting. I was not going to let him get off that easily. Had he just given me a name I would not have thought twice of it, but he was acting sus. There was something he did not want me to know.
"Who is your contact?" I persisted.
"Just someone from school. Nobody important."
"Why are you acting sketchy?"
He forced a laugh. "I'm not. If you must know, it's an ex."
"Is that who you were planning on meeting tonight?"
"Yeah, that's allowed, isn't it?" He was twitching, running his hand through his hair obsessively.
I crossed my arms.
"I thought you are seeing Judy."
"Kinda." He scratched the back of his head, like he always did when he was hiding something. "Tonight was not going to be a date." He insisted. "Trust me, it's not something I wish to rekindle."
Trusting him was all I could do right now. With this, the identity of my mom, and his fatherly love for me. He was lucky I did not want to breach either of these topics in front of my friends.
Friends.
How strange it felt to call them that, yet the word was appropriate. I'd like to think I had been entrusted with enough private details about them to qualify as their friend.
"Mind if I take a bath?" Bryce interrupted. "I really appreciate you letting us stay here, sir, but I could use a moment to myself. I need to think some stuff over."
"Take all the time you need, kid." Dad said cheerfully, smiling at him understandingly.
"Hey, Mister Kai's Dad, do you have any cigs?" Enrique asked rudely.
My father dug into his pockets "Here, I'll give you a tenner if you grab me a pack from the convenience store. You even get to keep the change."
Enrique looked down at the crumpled bill as though he took personal offense to being presented with anything that had less than two zeros on it.
He pressed out a forced "Thanks." then went on his merry way.
"Wait up." Wyatt called after him.
He placed a hand to my cheek and planted a brief kiss, right on my mouth. "You've got this." He assured me and smiled encouragingly. I nodded. He kissed both my cheeks, in the same way French people did when they said goodbye, then trailed after Enrique.
My dad had been doing his best to look away. I did not peg him as the homophobic type like Wyatt and Bryce's parents. He never shamed me for anything, even after he had found me wandering around a club aimlessly, crusted in cum, but I could tell that he did not enjoy watching me act adult.
Now that we were all alone, he sat down on his bed and gestured me to do the same.
"Alright, Kiki, tell me what happened?"
"I might have gotten Wyatt disowned. I don't think he cares. At least I hope he doesn't. We don't need their money anyway. He is sick and tired of them holding it over him, and I agree. These garden parties and brunches, that is not us."
Dad looked as though he regretted ever asking. He seemed tired, like he was done with dealing with my drama.
"No harm in being more independent but don't write them off just yet. Life is hard all on your own, both of you are blessed to have parents that can support you. Not everyone can afford to jet-set around the world with their boyfriend."
"Financial and mental support are not the same thing, Dad." I said, defending Wyatt. "Not everyone is as comfortable milking their trust fund as you are."
"Hey, I swallowed my pride for your sake." He said and nudged me gently. "Ungrateful little brat."
"Was that before or after you stuck me with Grandpa?"
He looked a little hurt.
"I only wanted what's best for you. I wasn't fit to take care of you."
"Because you went to an asylum?"
"Huh?"
"Just something I heard at the party." I knew better than to implicate Bryce.
He chuckled and flicked his wrist dismissively. "There were all sorts of rumours going around when you were born, don't buy into them."
"Like that my mom is not really my mom?"
That seemed to have struck a nerve. His artificial smile changed into a frown. He looked deflated. As though someone had sucked all the joy out of him. He wasn't even being defensive, he just looked deeply saddened.
"I'm not going to take you for a fool. Yes, your grandfather decided it was best to lie on your birth certificate. I was opposed to it at the time but now that I am older, I agree it was the right choice. Your mother is not somebody I want in your life. Or mine for that matter."
"Yours? Did you keep her away from me on purpose?"
All this time I had hated my mother for abandoning me. No birthday cards, no phone calls, nothing. Like she had vanished from this Earth. She even made my dad look like the caring, responsible parent. Being a kid, I could only come to one conclusion, since I was the common denominator, the problem had to be me. I had outdone myself, trained hard so I would excel at beyblading, and make these two people, who had not wanted me in their lives in the first place, proud of me. Hoping that it would make them love me.
"Technically..." He drew it out. "Yes. Right after you were born, Father arranged for a no-contact order to be put in place. I was protested it too, at first. But he was right. She has gotten cocky when he went to prison. I am meeting with a lawyer to get it renewed."
All this time, I had hated her, when the person I should have hated was him.
"You monster!" I yelled. "How dare you? How dare you make that decision for me?"
"I dare because I am your father. This is my responsibility. It will be your decision to make in two years' time. But in the meantime, you will have to trust me."
"By then you will have denied me 18 years of having a mother."
How could I ever forgive him or Grandpa? The two people I was supposed to trust the most in life had betrayed my goodwill. Even if she was no saint, making me believe that she had abandoned me had only served to give me a complex.
"Your mother was not a good person, kiddo. She did some things that she should have gone to prison for, but she traded her legal maternity rights for a chance to stay free. That was the deal Father made with her. I'm sorry to tell you this, I really am. The full truth gets worse, and I really don't think it would do you well to know." He reached his arms out, wanting to hug me, but I flinched, shoving him away from me.
"I firmly believe it is better if you never know the full story. It only gets worse from here on." He claimed.
"What crime could have been so atrocious that even grandfather would condemn it?"
He sighed.
"At your age you probably won't understand. I sure didn't. But your grandfather could see right away, he decided it's not safe for you to be around her."
"The same grandfather that put me in the abbey and didn't care when I ran with a street gang?"
"It's a different kind of danger. More psychological than physical."
"I don't understand. Stop being so cryptic and just tell me. You owe it to me."
He shook his head adamantly.
"No, I don't want you thinking less of yourself because of what happened."
"Of myself? Currently I'm thinking less of you."
His eyes were watering, he pathetically wiped his tears away.
"I prefer that over the alternative."
Suddenly everything clicked. He was going to meet my mom tonight! To reinforce the restraining order. She had been at the mixer, so she had probably violated it. My Mom had to be someone who approached me there.
If my mother lived here, there was a good chance I was Swiss. If so, my whole identity had been a lie.
"Am I even Russian?" I asked, hoping I could narrow down the list of candidates.
Unfortunately, he caught on to what I was doing. "Of course, you are, son, I'm Russian, so you are too."
I crossed my arms. This was more frustrated than anything.
"Really now? You can't even give me this?"
"You're too damn clever, Kiki. I don't want you figuring it out and approaching her." He said cheerfully.
"Will you tell me when I'm 18 then?"
"I don't know. I think it would do you better not to know."
"Why fess up then? Why tell me this much?"
"I don't want you to know the truth, but I also don't want to continue lying at you."
I snorted. How selfish of him.
"So, it was for your sake then? So, you can walk through life not feeling guilty? You know what, this middle ground is worse than either option on their own! You can't just tease this mystery and then leave it up to my own imagination."
"You might be right about that, actually." He admitted. "Sorry, kiddo."
"I hate you!" I yelled.
"I deserve that."
"Yeah, you do, stop being so fucking docile. At least be upset about it."
His disposition did not change, he was slouched on the bed, looking pitiful.
"Kai, let's talk about this some other time." He urged me.
"I'm leaving."
"Where are you going?" There was little protest in his voice, which only served to enrage me.
"I'm coming back." I worried the others might look down on me when I told them I did not even know who I was. "Or maybe I won't. I'm not going to tell you, cause it's better for you that way."
"Real mature."
"I'm allowed to be immature, I'm 16!" I shouted.
-x-x-x-
I excited the lobby onto a busy street. It was way past midnight and pitch black, but everything was illuminated by stylish streetlamps. I quickly spotted Wyatt and Enrique sitting at the edge of the fortress wall, smoking and having a blast. Great, just what I needed to see to feel even more rejected: my husband getting cosy with his ex, again!
"Kai! Hold up." Wyatt yelled once he noticed me. He ran across the road ignoring the swarm of taxis that were honking at him.
"Go away." I spat back at him. I did not feel I could trust him with the shameful truth about my origin. Not right now, after I had seen him look so happy with him again.
"Kai, what's wrong?"
"Not now, Wyatt."
He didn't allow me to shake him off.
"Not now!" I reiterated, the sharp tone in my voice scared me.
I felt my anger boil. I needed him to leave before I said or did anything that would hurt him.
But Wyatt did not let go of my hand. "Kai, he said gently. "You can tell me. I will listen."
"Did you just marry me to make him jealous?" I blurted out.
"What? Of course not." He shrieked. Then added a fleeting "I love you."
"Why are you always hanging out with him then?"
"You're acting crazy. I was trying to give you time to have that talk with your dad."
"I don't mean just now, and you know it! You have spent more time with him than me."
"Okay. You might have a point. There was a lot left unresolved between Ricky and I, but we have said what needed to be said and now we are able to move on, as friends."
He tried to pull me into a hug, but I instinctively retreated. Thanks Dad. I had just gotten used to trusting people and he had ruined it.
"Did you ever do more than talking?" I pushed. No idea why I was doing this to myself. I had to be some sort of masochist.
"It was mostly talking."
"Mostly?"
He was stumbling over his words.
"There was one kiss. But he initiated it. And it didn't last for long, I swear."
No.
It couldn't be. Not this.
My whole life was a lie, every person around me who claimed to love me was a liar, and they were all taking the piss. Probably laughing behind my back at how easy it was to trick me. How stupid I was for sticking with them.
"Kai." Wyatt probed, carefully. He squeezed my hand, I immediately jerked it out of his grip.
"You need to leave me alone."
"Kai, please don't do this." Tears were welling up in his eyes. "I did not want to kiss him. It felt wrong. All it did was reinforce how I feel about you. I don't want a future with him, I want to be by your side."
I shook my head violently. No. I could not deal with this right now. I ran away, no destination in mind, just down an alley, leaving him to sob at the side of the road.