“Just checking on Lu,” he explains. “She’s got a friend staying over tonight.”
“How’s all that goin’? James still bein’ a prick?”
“He was at first. The weekend we moved out was completely fucked. But Lu is happier now, and things have settled down. And today”—Ky pauses, placing his hands flat on the table and drawing his shoulders back—“I met with my lawyer, who’s a badass lesbian by the way, and she said I’m getting full custody of Lu and a fifty-fifty split of our assets.”
“Well, that’s the best news I’ve heard in a while. Congrats, man. How did she get that sorted so fast?”
“Oh, you know, I had those photos of him cheating on me. But I went one step further and told James I had a video, and I’d release it to the partners at his firm if he didn’t do the right thing. Then Charlotte—my lawyer—put an investigator on the job, confirmed all the details, and let James’s lawyer go on thinking the video really existed.
“So he was cheatin’ on you? What a fuckin’ asshole.” I try to act surprised.
Ky throws his head back, laughing loudly. “YesBren, he was cheating on me. Some twenty-four-year-old named Xavier. A paralegal at his firm. They’ve been together for two years, and James used to take him to his secret apartment to hook up.”
“Fuck! Jeez Davies, you know how to pick em, don’t ya? How much are you gonna squeeze out of the bitch?”
“Charlotte says around five-point-five to six mill.”
My jaw drops. “Fuck me, Davies.”
“Love to.”
Ky smirks, his eyes dropping to my mouth, my temperature rising.
“In all seriousness, this wouldn’t be happening without you getting those photos for me. None of it. The custody, the settlement, him leaving me the fuck alone.” Ky reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “Bren, thank you. Truly.”
“Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, Davies. What photos?”
Ky kicks my shin under the table. “Jesus, ow! What the fuck was that for?”
“Bren, I know it was you. I’m just surprised you didn’t beat the shit out of him.”
I shrug my shoulders and smile. “There’s always next time.”
The server approaches with our meals and Ky unfortunately pulls his hand away. But I’m glad I’ve made a difference in his life.
“Bren, there’s something I need to tell you, and maybe you already know, but…”
Ky’s tone has me placing my burger back down on the plate before I even take the first bite. “Know what?”
“Shit, I don’t know what the situation is with you and Chris after…”
“Just spit it out,” I say, dread in my gut.
“Chris approached me about a month ago.”
All the blood seems to drain out of my body. “What the fuck? Why didn’t you tell me? Amonthago?”
“Bren, please don’t be mad. I knew you didn’t want me to contact you, and I was worried he’d seen the text I sent, so I didn’t think I should send you another and make it worse. I’m sorry.”
I try to recall Chris’s behaviour over the last four weeks. Was there anything weird about it? Did I miss something? He hasn’t mentioned Ky again since that last fight. “Well, what the fuck happened?” I ask. “What did he say? What didyousay?” Sweat trickles down my spine.
“He was waiting for me outside the gym. He asked me straight up if we were having an affair.”
I rub my forehead, trying to collect my thoughts and remain calm. I don’t know how to handle this. “And what did you say?”
“I told him no, of course. I told him he was a lucky man to have you, and he should treat you right.”
“Jesus fuckin’ Christ Kyle! So you basically told him you still have feelings for me.”
