When Opportunity Knocks - 8. Chapter 8

Kyle felt like the walls were closing in on him. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? He looked at Jett and immediately Jett came over and sat next to him, wrapping his arms around him as he started to shake. The repercussions of Kim’s bomb were going to be felt for a long time, he just knew it.

As the thoughts in his brain ran amok, there was one thing that stood out. “How did you know I was adopted? I never told you and I just recently told Jett.”

“Jett didn’t say anything to me, in case you were wondering. You mentioned your birthday in one of our conversations. That and also this.” Kim got up and took a framed photo off of her mantle and handed it to Kyle before sitting down again and letting Tater climb into her lap.

He looked at the picture of a close up of three girls, arms around each other’s shoulders, the laughter on their faces forever frozen in that moment. They looked carefree and oh, so young. The girl on the right was clearly Kim, her features so much softer with youth. The girl in the middle was like a porcelain doll. Her features were delicate and her long black hair highlighted the paleness of her complexion. It was the girl on the left though, that held his attention. He looked into whiskey colored eyes that mirrored his own. He could’ve been looking at a picture of himself at the same age if he had long hair then. The resemblance was striking. He also realized why he thought Kim had looked familiar when he first met her. Megan shared a lot of her features, but they weren’t carbon copies like he and Heather seemed to be. He realized Kim must have picked up on that fact the first time they met. He remembered that she had looked shocked for a split second.

“That picture was taken about two weeks before we were kidnapped. God, I wish I could go back in time and warn them.” Kim lamented.

Kyle was still reeling, but there was a small part of his brain that was still functioning properly, “Why now? Why tell us this now?”

“Because there’s a possibility he may get out on parole. Nikki told me this weekend.” she said softly. “If he doesn’t get parole then there’s a good chance that he’ll get moved to another facility. He’s in a maximum security prison in Connecticut right now.”

Jett had been quiet up until this point, but the police officer in him came out in spades. “Wait a minute. Back up a bit. Nikki is the one you get together with every year?”

Kim lowered her gaze and Kyle had another sinking feeling about what they were going to hear.

“Yeah. About that. It’s pretty fucked up actually. After we got out of that house we were taken directly to the hospital. They separated us and that’s when the trouble started. After Heather disappeared, Nikki and I became dependent on each other. By dependent, I mean, co-dependent. When they put us in separate rooms we both panicked. Nikki’s panic attack had her blood pressure elevated to the point where they were afraid it would cause a stroke or possibly trigger labor. They wised up and put us in a room together. It was a clusterfuck right from the start. We both had psychiatric evaluations and they decided it would be in our best interests to remain hospitalized until we both delivered. Our families had no idea how to handle us and we weren’t the same little girls that they remembered. We were moved to a psych hospital.”

“What happened after you delivered your babies?” Jett dared to ask.

“My baby was adopted and Nikki’s parents came and got hers. She had a little girl and she wanted to keep her. The facility we were at started us on more intensive therapy, which meant medication that they didn’t want to start while we were pregnant. Nikki and I were still super attached to each other and our anxiety levels spiked whenever they separated us. It took a while and they tried out different medications, we were there for three months, multiple therapy sessions every day, together, individual and even group. When they eventually decided we were ready they released us to our parents as our treatment had progressed to the point where we could function without being in each other’s company, but only for a day or two. We still needed each other often. You see, after Heather died, we used sex as a tool for comforting each other. It flowed over into our lives after we were free. I was her security blanket and she was mine. Our parents didn’t understand. I don’t think anyone ever could.” Kim’s eyes clouded over as tears threatened her once more.

Kyle was still trying to wrap his head around everything and Jett, Jesus Christ, poor Jett was trying to hold everything together for both of them. “How did you end up just seeing each other once a year?” Kyle wanted to know.

“Nikki and I tried our best to be normal. We decided that the best thing to do was to go on with our lives and get back on track. We got our GEDs and decided to enroll in the community college. I always liked to draw and I started with some art classes. Nikki got into interior designing. While we were in the psych hospital she discovered HGTV, which was in its infancy back then. She eventually got her degree and now has her own company. She does well, it’s something that she enjoys that has no ties to the past. But, I digress. We both lived with our parents until after the trial. That was really difficult for us and we sort of regressed. We had to be near each other the entire time. Comfort, remember? Reliving those events did a number on both of us. When the trial was over and he was convicted, the judge distributed most of his assets to me and Nikki as restitution. His estate turned out to be worth a pretty penny. Each one of our babies he had sold for at least $50,000. He had invested well too. The judge set aside funds for each one of the children that had been born. The rest was divided between Nikki and me. So, Kyle, you have a trust fund that you can claim if you choose, your sister too.”

Kyle stared at her, it was the first time she referred to his sister. The only thought that kept rattling around his brain was ‘How the hell did I end up on an episode of Jerry Springer?’

“Nikki and I decided that we needed a fresh start and we had to go cold turkey in order to do that. The gradual weaning process wasn’t really working very well, so once the money was distributed I moved down here and Nikki moved to Chicago. We promised each other we would only see each other once a year, at the end of October. It’s when Heather disappeared. We always go back to Connecticut. We spend the weekend drinking and having sex, because, well, that’s all we know when we’re together. To this day we still use each other. I have never been able to have any type of relationship with anyone, male or female, because of what he did to us. I can never allow myself to trust anyone that much. Nikki, she went in the opposite direction. She took Chicago by storm when she was young. She was promiscuous, fucked any guy who came her way. Got married four times, divorced four times, each one lasting a year or two. She’s settled down a lot over the past ten years. She somehow managed to raise her daughter relatively unscathed. Jenna’s smart like her mother and she had enough smarts at a young age not to let her mother’s insecurities fuck her up. So yeah, that’s pretty much why we only get together once a year. Any more and I fear that we would slip back down that rabbit hole of codependency.”

Kyle felt Jett inhale sharply and then heard him release his breath in a loud ‘whoosh’. He felt the same. He felt as unsteady as that breath was.

Jett was raging. “Kim, that is seriously fucked up! What makes Nikki think that this guy will be paroled? In my experience, parole committees are really reluctant to release such high profile inmates. The potential for disaster is too great. Whether it’s him recommitting another crime or some vigilante taking matters into their own hands and killing him. The prison system prefers to avoid that kind of unwanted attention.”

“Yeah, I know, but Nikki’s parents have been keeping tabs on him. They’ve heard that he’s been a model prisoner, kept his nose clean and seems to be repentant. If that’s the case then I call bullshit. That man doesn't have a repentant cell in his body. We were no more than breeding livestock for him.”

Kyle felt like his head was going to explode. He needed time to process things on his own. So much had been thrust upon him in such a short amount of time and he didn’t even know where to begin to try to sort things out. He knew he had to talk to Megan, but he was afraid to ask Kim where she was at mentally, knowing that the child of hers that they hadn’t been able to track down was only a few miles away.

He stood up abruptly. “I need to go. I can’t, I-I don’t.” He couldn’t find any words.

Jett stood up and drew him in close. Kyle inhaled his scent, trying to calm himself.

“It’s going to be okay Kyle. I can’t imagine how overwhelming this is for you. Do you want to stay with me tonight?”

Kyle didn’t know what he wanted. He wanted to erase the last couple of hours, but that wasn’t possible. His relationship with Jett was still so new, he didn’t want to send the man running for the hills. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle this turn of events if the situation had been reversed and Jett was the one in his shoes instead. No one should have to deal with this kind of shit hitting the fan. One thing that Kyle did know was that he was tired. There was nothing he could do tonight and maybe, just maybe, not being alone would ease his mind.

“Yeah, I’ll stay. I don’t think I could drive anyway. I’m sorry Kim, I just can’t handle anything else right now. I need to process all of this before I can move forward,” Kyle admitted.

Kim gave him a sympathetic smile. “I get it. I really do. You know where to find me. I’m sure you’ll have more questions.”

Kyle nodded and they headed back to Jett’s house via the back deck. Bruce was in his crate and Rosie barely lifted her head off of the dog bed next to him. Their twelve mile hike seemed like eons ago, but in reality, the dogs were still tired from it. Jett led Kyle to his bedroom and steered him toward the shower. It was just what he needed. The hot needles stung a little, taking his focus away from the maelstrom within his head. Jett washed his hair for him, gently kneading and massaging his scalp. It was the kindest thing any of his boyfriends had ever done for him. Jett took care of him when he wasn’t able to himself.

Exhaustion set in as Jett dried him off. He lifted each foot automatically when Jett tapped, pulling a pair of clean boxers up his legs and over his ass. He led Kyle to his bed and tucked him in, even kissing his forehead like his mom did when he was little. Kyle drifted off, his sleep uneasy.

He tossed and turned, his dreams disjointed and disturbing. The room was still dark when he bolted upright, remnants of a nightmare chasing him as he ran toward wakefulness. His heart was beating fast as he realized that he was awake, the demons of the night being pulled out of his mind like the tides receding back into the ocean. Jett stirred, but didn’t wake. Kyle silently slid out of bed, grabbed a t-shirt and pair of sweatpants that were lying folded on a chair, waiting to be put away. They were Jett’s and much too long for him. He closed the door to the bedroom softly, not wanting to wake Jett.

Rosie’s tail thumped and she hauled herself off of her cushy dog bed. Yawning widely with her tongue curling, she stretched herself in the classic downward dog position, head down, butt up in the air, then shifting her weight until she was leaning on her front paws with her back legs stretched out behind her. At the end of the stretch she padded over to him and bumped her face into his leg. He scratched behind her ears and then went to open the slider so both dogs could take care of business. It was still dark out, the sky inky, daylight not quite ready to make an appearance. The air was cold enough that he could see his breath. The dogs finished up quickly, knowing the warm beds were still waiting for them.

Kyle put on a pot of coffee as quietly as he could, taking a cup and settling down on Jett’s couch. He opened the curtains on the front window and watched silently as the inky blackness gradually faded into a dark gray which slowly lightened as the sun journeyed closer to the horizon, chasing away the darkness once again. It was a never ending cycle, an unbroken circle. If only his life could be so simple. Sunrise. Sunset. Rinse. Repeat.

As much as he didn’t want to think about it, his mind kept zeroing in on everything that Kim had told them last night. He knew that he was going to have to tell his sister and then his parents. He just had to figure out how.

Shit. The clinic. He was supposed to work later and he knew there was no way he would be able to focus on his job. It was Jett’s day off and Kyle was hoping that once he woke up they could talk about what had happened and how things were between them. Kyle had no expectations from Jett and would understand completely if he wanted to end things. Who the hell would want a boyfriend with so much baggage?

The sky beyond the window finally burst forth with reds, oranges and at last the bright yellow of the sun peeked out from the horizon. Kyle’s coffee needed to be refilled and as he was pouring another cup Jett emerged from the bedroom.

“Oh, good! You’re still here. I was afraid you had left.”

“I thought about it.”

“Why?”

Kyle was surprised by the question. “Well, why not? I’ll understand if you don’t want to see me anymore. This is pretty heavy stuff to try to process. I know I don’t want to sort it out, but you don’t have to. You don’t have to stay with me.”

“Bullshit!” Jett’s voice was forceful, making Kyle jump just a bit. “I’m not going to run at the first sign of hardship. I’m not anything like your ex, Kyle. Look, I really, really like you. If truths are coming out then I’m going to admit that I’m actually falling for you. I want to be there for you, now, and in the future. I want to see what’s ahead for us. If that means supporting you while you deal with all of this, this bullshit, well then that’s what I’ll do.”

Kyle stood stock still as Jett came over and invaded his space, placing his hands on his shoulders and resting his forehead against Kyle’s own. Jett lightly kissed the tip of his nose and whispered “We’ll do this together Kyle. Please don’t push me away.”

Kyle tilted his head up and Jett pressed his lips against his, the kiss soft and yet it held so much promise. Kyle never had anyone offer to support him so unconditionally before. Such a welcome change. He returned Jett’s kiss with just as much promise. There was no way to predict what was going to happen, but he was happy that Jett was willing to go through it with him. They stayed like that for a few minutes, arms wrapped around each other and lips gently fused, Kyle drawing strength from what Jett freely offered.

Jett pulled away, brushing a strand of hair away from Kyle’s face, “Let’s get some breakfast and figure out a game plan, OK?”

Kyle nodded and reached for another cup to pour some coffee for Jett. Neither man was really hungry, but Jett made a couple of omelets and Kyle dropped some bread in the toaster for them. While the food was cooking Kyle sent a text to his office manager and the other vets that he worked with and asked if they would cover for him for the day. Anything that couldn’t be covered would be rescheduled.

Jett plated the omelets and Kyle handed him two pieces of buttered toast. “So where do you want to go from here?” Jett asked as he placed half of his omelet between the two pieces of toast Kyle had given him, making an egg sandwich out of it.

Kyle watched him take a huge bite, smiling at the way he ate. “I think I need to talk to Megan first. I can’t even imagine how she’s going to react. Is it just me or did it seem like Kim was avoiding mentioning Megan? I mean, she only referred to her as ‘the baby’ and at the end she said ‘your sister’. I got the feeling that Kim doesn’t want to acknowledge Megan at all.”

“I thought it was kind of weird too, but keep in mind, Kim just figured this out recently. She was blindsided by something from her past literally jumping into her present. Something that she thought was long buried in her past. I’m sure it’s been a shock to her, one she’s not sure how to handle.”

“You’re probably right. I don’t want Megan to get the wrong idea. It seems like Kim wants to leave the past right where it belongs. I just don’t get a warm fuzzy feeling about those two having any type of relationship.” Kyle said more to himself than to Jett.

“Hmm, I kinda feel that too. What worries me is the fact that this Dr. Baby Broker might get moved. I really don’t think parole will ever be granted, but stranger things have happened. I’m going to see what kind of information I can find out, you know, in an “official” capacity,” Jett’s eyebrow shot up, letting Kyle know that Jett would do whatever he could to help, daring Kyle to challenge him.

“I’ve got a bad taste in my mouth over this whole thing. I can’t help feeling like I’m driving down a steep hill with no brakes and there’s a massive drop off at the end. I guess I’m just stressing over telling Megan and my parents,” he let out a big breath. “They have a lot more explaining to do.”

“When do you want to tell your sister?” Jett asked him.

“No time like the present. If I call her this early she’ll know I’m serious.” Kyle replied. “I’ll see if she can meet me at my house. Um, would you come with me?”

Jett’s smile was all he needed to be reassured. “Sure.”

Kyle grabbed his phone and hit his sister’s contact. She wasn’t too happy about being woken up, but quickly realized that he was serious about needing to speak with her. She agreed to meet him at his house in an hour.

Jett helped him clean up their breakfast mess and they gathered both dogs and got them buckled in for the short ride. Kyle led them inside his cozy home. He turned the heat up a couple of degrees as it had cooled off quite a bit and he had been gone all weekend. He put on another pot of coffee, knowing his sister would need it.

Megan arrived shortly after the coffee was done. She let herself in and Kyle heard her clearly, “This had better be good O’ brother of mine.” She stopped short when she caught sight of Jett standing next to him. “Oh, you didn’t mention you had company.” she shot at him with a look that was a cross between annoyance and curiosity.

“Megan, Jett. Jett, Megan,” Kyle kept the introduction simple.

“Hi Megan, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Hi,” she said in return, before turning her attention to Kyle and smiled. “So this is the new boyfriend huh?” She smiled.

“Yup.” Kyle couldn’t help but smile back. His sister had always been his sturdiest supporter, a position that was quickly being usurped by Jett. “Grab your coffee and sit down. You’re not going to believe the shit I have to tell you.”

“What the hell Kyle? You’re sort of scaring me here. What’s going on?” she said, her smile gone, replaced with a look of concern at the tone of her brother’s voice.

Kyle sat at the kitchen table and Jett and Megan followed his lead. There was no easy way to do this but to jump right in with both feet and hope the water was deep enough. It took a while, but between him and Jett, they managed to tell Kim’s story to Megan. It was a hard conversation to have. There were tears, outbursts of rage and several hard whacks to his table. Megan had always been expressive and there seemed to be no end to how she expressed her reactions to various parts of Kim’s story.

“So you’re telling me my birth mother lives less than ten miles from me and my birth father is a psychopathic kidnapping baby selling rapist? Jesus fucking Christ on a goddamn pogo stick Kyle!” Megan shouted, more tears sliding down her face.

Kyle looked at Jett who could do no more than offer his silent support. “Megs, I know it’s a lot. But you’ve gotta calm down. We can’t change the facts, we just need to figure out what to do from here. I need you Megs. I need you to help me figure this out.”

Kyle got up and pulled Megan into his arms. Her shoulders shook with her sobs. He squeezed her tight, his own tears threatening to spill over. Jett enveloped them both until Megan finally calmed down.

“Ky, what the fuck were Mom and Dad thinking?” Megan’s eyes reflected her confusion.

“I don’t know, but it’s clear that we have to confront them,” Kyle let her go and they all sat back down at the table. Megan grabbed a box of tissues off the counter and blew her nose loudly.

“So, um, what is Kim like?” she asked hesitantly.

“I think I’ll leave that one to Jett. He knows her much better than I do,” Kyle gave Jett a slight smile.

“I’ve been friends with Kim for a little over a year, ever since I moved into my house. She’s become like an older sister to me.” Jett said. It drove deep the fact that Kim had been so young when Kyle and Megan were born. The age difference was only thirteen years.

“She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I knew that she’s been battling some demons, but I had no idea how horrific they really were. Wish that there was some way I could take away some of her pain. She’s only recently started opening up a little more.” Jett gave Megan a little shrug. “I'm not sure what else I could tell you.”

Kyle looked at Megan, he knew that questions were spinning around in her head probably just as fast as they were spinning around his. He didn’t want his sister to get hurt, but somehow he didn’t think there was any way around it. Kim didn’t seem to want anything to do with Megan.

“Do you think I could meet her?” Megan’s voice was soft, full of uncertainty.

“We can ask. I wouldn’t get your hopes up though. I get the feeling that Kim wants to keep much of her past behind her,” Kyle told her and then looked at Jett who nodded in agreement.

“Megan, from what I know of Kim, it might just take her a little time to process the knowledge that the one child of hers who was missing, that she had no idea what happened to, suddenly surfaces. She may change her mind. I think the only reason that she’s willing to talk to Kyle is because she didn’t know who he was when they met. She had a suspicion, but she was able to get to know him first before she confirmed that he was Heather’s child. I’ll talk to her and see what I can do. Okay?” Jett’s eyes were full of concern for both Megan and Kyle.

Kyle took a steadying breath before asking, “So, what do we do about Mom and Dad?”

“Do we have to do anything? I’m so mad at them right now. Can we just sit on this for a couple of days until we wrap our heads around it a little bit more?

“I think that’s a great idea. I just don’t have the energy, either physically or mentally to deal with that shit. I really need to think about what to say to them,” Kyle’s brain was already mentally contemplating how to deal with the issue of his parents.

“I’m gonna go home and try to clear my head. Let me know what you find out when you talk to Kim, okay Jett? I’m glad I finally got to meet you. I just wish it had been under different circumstances.”

“I know, me too. And don’t worry, I’ll take care of Kyle. You just take care of yourself and call either of us if you need anything. I’ll have Kyle text you my number,” Jett assured her.

Kyle walked his sister out and watched as she carefully backed out of his driveway. He turned back inside, closed and locked the door. Immediately Jett’s arms were around him, which he was eternally grateful for. He needed the strength to draw on and somehow just knew that the man who was holding him tightly had just permanently etched himself onto his heart. He rather liked that idea and knew that he was really going to need Jett’s support for the days ahead.