Colorado Game - 42. Chapter 42

CHAPTER *42*

I didn't see or hear anything from Kyle the following week, and maybe that was for the better; I didn't want to think about him.

Ross was in full romantic mode, these days, even taking time off to be together, and we spent days in bed, going even as far as blowing off the, by now, mandatory dinner with Sofia. She wasn't pleased. Ross didn't care.

At long last, though, I knew I did have to face Kyle at some point. I hadn't told Ross about it, knowing he'd blow up, not to mention that he'd probably pay his ex another visit. Little did I know that it would all blow to hell anyway.

It happened during a late afternoon; both Ross and I were at home, relaxing on the sofa, watching some sort of documentary, when the intercom rang. Ross went to the unit, hanging on the wall beside the door, and answered it. I didn't really pay attention, since it wasn't all that weird; he received papers and packages on almost a daily bases. I did look up when he pulled the door sideways, and sure enough, I saw a young man handing him a large envelope, after he signed for it.

He came back and sat down beside me again, eying the TV while opening the envelope. He pulled something out, I could see what, but whatever it was, it had some sort of effect because he inhaled sharply. He sat forward, and I heard the rustle of thick paper, one shoved behind the other. Then, when I put my hand on his back to rub it, I knew something was terribly wrong; he tensed as soon as I touched him.

"Ross?" I asked, frowning. When he didn't react, I said his name again. Then he smashed the envelope on the coffee-table, its contents spreading out in a neat row.

They were black and white pictures, five of them. I couldn't see exactly what was featured on them.

"Care to add anything to that, Mark?" he said, in a strange low voice, gesturing to the pictures.
I frowned and leaned forward.

I wish I never had done that, lean forward I mean. The sight of what was on the pictures sickened me like nothing else ever could; they featured Kyle and me in Kyle's hallway, kissing. I knew immediately when they were taken, obviously, and they had had to be lifted from security camera footage. I'd never even seen a camera in Kyle's apartment.

"Th-that is not what it looks like. I know how it looks, but it..."

"It's you and my ex kissing," he interrupted roughly, "and from the looks of it, you weren't exactly fighting him off, were you?"

"Ross, I..."

"Save it. Just save it. All this time, you promised me you had called the whole thing off. You didn't, did you?"
I slowly shook my head.

"Instead, you went further, didn't you? You started to see him behind my back, fooling around while I, idiot Ross, believed you. Believed that he was gone from our lives."

"No! That... those..." I sputtered, pointing at the pictures, "He attacked me! I pushed him off!"

"Oh really? And what's that, then?"

He picked up a particular photograph, pointing out a specific section, where it was obvious that Kyle's tongue was halfway between my lips, which were half opened.

"You're not fighting him off. In fact, I'd say you enjoyed it."

"Ross...where are you, going? Ross! Ross!"

He'd risen from the sofa, throwing me a look that had the effect of a punch straight into my gut.

"So that's what your love really means. Absolutely nothing. Sit! Down!"
I'd started to rise as well but his words hit me like a whip and I froze.

"I don't want to hear another word from you, I swear, so help me god; I'll kill you."

He stalked straight towards the stairs and ran up, taking two steps at a time. I blew out a shaky breath, and reached for the pictures, looking at them one by one.

"Bastard," I whispered at Kyle's image. "Fucking bastard. You'll pay for this..."

**********

It took Ross all of ten minutes to gather his things. I'd never forget it, for the rest of my life. He came down the stairs with his arms laden; he'd gotten any and everything he'd left here over the months. When he stepped down the last stair, he stood there, silently, watching me. The he croaked out the two words I feared the most.

"We're done."