Page 44 of Sliding into Love
-KM
Well shit.
How in the world can I spin this? There's no one else that we know with the initials KM, and lying to Bellamy in this state isn't possible. My brother is definitely going to pick up if I'm trying to be evasive. At the same time, I can't really tell him that I got this entire huge care package on Christmas Day from a man I had sworn to loathe and now work with.
Although we do work together. A care package isn't an unheard-of thing between co-workers. I've seen people do it in the offices I've managed. Speaking of which, I need to do a follow-up with them soon. I've been so wrapped up in baseball I've been letting my other businesses coast. It's never good to leave them to themselves for too long.
"Well?" Bellamy asks, waving his hand in my direction. "Are you gonna tell me, or do I have to take it from you to see for myself?"
I roll my eyes. "It's from Kenneth. He sent it because we had been working on a project, and I told him I didn't feel well earlier."
"You were texting Kenneth Meyer today? On Christmas?" My brother asks, voice filled with disbelief.
"Yes? Is that such an odd thing?"
"It really is! Why would you need to contact him on Christmas? Everything could wait. It's one day."
I throw my hands up, letting myself fall back onto the bed as dramatically as possible. "What do you want me to say? I like to work. It's a good distraction instead of shitting my brains out."
Bellamy winces and turns his head away. "Yeah, sorry. Austin got a little sick earlier himself. As much as I don't want to wish anything bad on anyone else, I'm kind of happy the guy got a taste of his own medicine."
"Oh yeah?" I question.
"Yeah. Carmen told him he was no longer allowed to make those concoctions, and he definitely couldn't use anyone in the family as a test dummy. You should have seen her, man. She had the baby strapped to her boob breastfeeding, and baby Lee was running in circles around his dad who was barfing into a paper bag in the kitchen. Epic."
I snort, picturing what he's saying. Carmen is fierce. The woman can do anything she puts her mind to, which is why she has two young kids and a husband who knows that she doesn't play about anything. She also has a thriving career, but that's a whole different subject.
I aspire to be as epic as my sister is. As epic as all my siblings are, really. I was born into a good bunch.
Rolling my head to the side, I look at Bellamy. I let down my guard a bit so he can see how I'm really feeling. "I can't explain it to you, big brother. What I can say is that Kenneth Meyer is turning out to not be the biggest asshole in the world. Part ofme wonders if a lot of my hatred for him stems from how much I couldn't stand his best friend Clark instead. Maybe guilty by association."
Bellamy's hands move to his hips. He nods slowly, as if he's processing the information. "That could make sense. Clark deserved an ass-whooping, and a whole lotta therapy to get through his emotional baggage. I just don't have a good feeling about all this. Call me paranoid. I don't want to see you get hurt when this is over."
"When this is over?"
He nods. "I mean when Kenneth no longer works with the team, and you're left to pick up whatever pieces he leaves behind. You don't need to be wondering if all is well or if he's trying to manipulate you and hurt the situation. Granted, I would take him to court and sue his ass for everything the Meyer family is worth if he did do anything shady."
I shake my head as I discreetly tuck the envelope and letter underneath my pillow. Bellamy doesn't need to know how I'm going to examine every single word of every sentence on it once he's gone. The food will have to wait until I do a thorough deep dive into what Kenneth really means.
"I don't think he's trying to manipulate me," I say after a moment. "I think that circumstances are odd, and the fact that we have a history makes things difficult but not impossible. It's not the end of the world. What it boils down to is that I'm taking over running the team, and he's leaving. It's in his best interest to be honest up front."
"You're damn right it is," he interrupts.
"Yes, it is," I continue. "So whatever high school bullshit idea you have in your head, you can let go. I am able to take care of myself now. I'm not that scared teenager who's unsure about themselves and their place in the world."
Bellamy's arms drop to the sides as he gives me a soft smile. "No, you're not. I love you, Royce. You are an amazing sibling, and I'm honored to have you in my life. It's part of the reason I worry so much. I can't imagine?—"
I cut him off, knowing where this train of thought is going. "You don't have to worry about anything like that. I'm in therapy. I've worked on my issues, and I know exactly who to contact if I’m in one of those dark moments."
He swallows thickly, nodding. I hate that my family has to worry about this. Hate that it's even a topic of discussion. As a teen, I thought I could be strong enough to handle the bullying on my own. I wasn't, and after hurting myself badly enough to end up in the hospital, they discovered the truth.
Thinking back to that time, it's no wonder Bellamy is worried now about Kenneth and everything.
I push myself up off the bed and walk around until I'm in front of him. He towers over me, especially considering I'm not wearing any shoes. I step onto his toes, much like I did when I was a kid, and wrap my arms around his middle.
"I love you, Bell," I say, voice soft.
"I love you too, Royce." I feel him press a kiss to the top of my head, then he smooths down my hair and steps away.
