Page 27 of Perfect Chemistry

I finally elbowed my way through the crowd and pulled Katie into my arms. “Chrissy, she never met up with Matt after Alex’s party. She was with me the whole damn night.”

Chrissy snorted at me. “You’re an idiot, you know that, Kai? While you were down state for your baseball game, she was meeting Matt in Southend!”

I went to say something more, but Katie stiffened in my arms. There was truth to what Chrissy was saying, and Katie was holding something back.

Chrissy looked vindicated when Kat didn’t respond. “See? Can’t talk now that you are caught?” She pointed at Katie.

Katie looked at Matt and sighed, “Just tell her dumb ass.”

Matt shook his head, smiling sadly. “It doesn’t matter any more, Katie. Tell her the big fucking secret.”

I felt Katie’s body shift and she chuckled, preparing to receive whatever Christine was going to throw at her.

“It wasn’t just me, Chrissy. There were three of us that day. We all met up at Southend, two devil dogs and a witness. And when it was over, we went and picked out rings.” Katie laughed.

Chrissy lunged at Katie, nails out, screaming. I already had Katie in my arms, so I turned my back and pulled Katie away from the fight. Matt jumped in and finally lost his patience.

“What the hell is wrong with you? I never fucking cheated! Why do you keep going after Katie? Huh? She’s been in love with Kai since we were 10!” He yelled at Chrissy as she struggled to free herself.

“She saw me picking out a fucking engagement ring for you and gave me advice on how best to propose. You fucking satisfied?” He screamed.

The entire area stilled and the spectators became commentators.

“He’s going to propose!”

“Um… no. Who wants to marry crazy?”

“She had been after Katie since January, for no reason.”

“January? It was Chrissy’s friend from Saint Augustine that he took to Homecoming!”

“The stalker!?”

“What stalker? Didn’t she lose interest?”

“Ha! Because of a restraining order!”

Chrissy had turned to face Matt, ignoring all of the chatter surrounding them. “You want to marry me?” She asked, seeming shocked and contrite with tears filling her eyes.

“No.” He replied, letting go of her. “I did. But marriages are built on trust and it’s obvious you don’t fucking trust me. I’ve tried, Chris. I can’t do this,” he sighed.

“Katie and I enlisted in the Marines on the same day. That was it. All of our secret meetings were about getting ready for boot camp with other enlistees and the Gunny, and Katie asking when I was going to pop the question,” he explained.

“’Cause unlike you, she was happy for us. She didn’t try to sabotage us. You have done that. I’ve known Katie my whole life, and if anything was going to happen, it would have. She’s one of my friends, whereas you are nothing to me.” The last words came out so low I almost didn’t catch them.

Chrissy’s head jerked from Katie to Matt. “What?!”

Matt had let go when she stopped trying to attack Katie through me, and now he was physically distancing himself from Chrissy. His voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking his words this time. “I’m done, Chris. I can’t keep doing this. I’m fucking exhausted, and I don’t deserve to be treated like a creep when I have never done anything to deserve it. I treat you like a queen, and you treat me like shit. Find someone else to be your punching bag.”

With that Matt turned and left his stunned ‘ex’ in the sea of classmates. Katie looked over at Chrissy and frowned. Pulling from my arms she walked over and slapped Chris across the face.

“Go after him, dumbass!” She seethed.

Chrissy’s head whipped back from the slap, and her eyes glared at my girl. Katie’s voice lowered, “Go after him. Don’t prove him right by not fighting for him. Fight for him,” she urged her.

Chrissy pushed Katie back, mumbled a quiet thank you and ran after Matt. As things settled down, Katie turned to me. Her eyes looked uncertain. I don’t know what look was on my face, but it did not reassure her. She didn’t tell me she had enlisted already.

“Kai?” Her voice was so soft and insecure.

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