Writing Prompts - 4. Prompt #105

“And just what the hell am I supposed to do with this?” Keith stared at the photo in his hand as anger coursed through his body. He was going to have to confront his boyfriend about it, that was for sure. He wasn’t sure if whoever sent the photo was trying to be cruel or be kind. Either way, it didn’t matter. He couldn’t just not say anything now that he knew.

He heard the front door of the apartment open and quickly refolded the incriminating photo and stuffed it in his pocket. Before he could say anything he needed to figure out what the best way to approach Will was.

“Keith? I’m home! Where are you?”

Keith closed his eyes at the sound of Will’s voice. He could do this, he could. It wasn’t really like he had any choice. He couldn’t just forget what he knew. Pulling himself together, he headed out to the living room.

“There you are.” Will walked over to him and pressed a gentle kiss to Keith’s lips.

Keith couldn’t bring himself to return the kiss, instead imagining whether or not Will kissed his on-the-side lover the same way. He pulled back and looked at the man he’d been living with for the past month. It all made sense now. Why Will had kept putting off their moving in together. He had probably been afraid that he’d get caught. He had been wrong, he couldn’t do this. Didn’t want to do it.

“I’ve got to go out for a bit.” Keith forced a smile to his lips and brushed past his boyfriend. He couldn’t stay in the same apartment with him right now. He needed to get away and think about what his next step was going to be. He’d given up his apartment and moved into Will’s, so he really didn’t even have anywhere that he could go.

He could always go get pissed drunk, but he needed a clear head to decide where he was going to go. He couldn’t stay with Will, he knew that. He’d never be able to trust him after such a betrayal. He slammed the door behind him and ran down the steps before pushing open the doors that led to the street. With the way he was feeling, he was almost surprised it wasn’t raining, that would definitely fit his mood of the moment.

His cell vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, only to silence it when the display read Will. He would talk to him, but not yet. Not until he’d had time to fully absorb what the picture plainly showed. Will in the arms of someone else. He wondered if he’d be so upset if it had been another man in the picture, not that he knew what difference it would make. Maybe it was the fact that he never thought Will would cheat with a woman.

His cell vibrated again, and he was just about to hit the ignore button when he noticed it was Braeden. He’d almost bet that Will had called him after he’d left, but even knowing Braeden would have questions, he couldn’t just not answer it. Not to Braeden.

“Hey Brae, what’s up?” Keith tried to keep his tone as normal as possible, but even he heard the slight catch in his words.

“I think I should be the one asking that. Will just called here looking for you.” Braeden sounded concerned, but Keith didn’t want to go into it on the phone.

“Long story. Well, maybe not so long.” He debated for only a minute before heading in the direction of Braeden’s apartment. It was a nice night for a walk and Braeden only lived about ten blocks away. “You have plans tonight?”

“Nope, just sitting down to watch a movie. Why?”

“I just…” Keith cleared his throat, “I need…” God, how hard was it to ask his buddy if he could come over? It was just a few simple words.

“Get over here Keith.” He could hear the exasperation in Braeden’s voice. “I can tell something is going on, and whatever you need, I’m here.”

“On my way.” He didn’t wait for a reply before ending the call. Thank god he had Braeden for a friend. He had been terrified that their friendship would end when he’d made a move on the slightly older man, but Braeden had been really good about the whole thing and their friendship had managed to survive.

The walk seemed to take forever, but at least it gave him time to think. He’d see if Braeden might let him stay the night at his place, just for tonight, and then tomorrow he could call in sick to work and go get all of his stuff from Will’s. Though, that still left the question of where he would go. He walked up the steps to the doors leading into the apartment complex and pressed the buzzer.

“Keith?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” Keith listened for the buzz of the door and quickly opened it and headed inside. Braeden lived on the first floor, so it was only seconds later that he was standing at his buddy’s door. He raised his hand to knock before letting it fall back to his side. He couldn’t do this. Couldn’t dump his problems on Braeden. He turned to leave, but before he could the door opened and Braeden stood there.

“Where you going?” Braeden reached out and grabbed his arm to pull him into the apartment.

Keith didn’t put up much of a fight as the door was shut behind him and he was led over to the couch. He sat and glanced around the room, smiling his first smile of the night as he saw the picture Braeden had up of the two of them together on his last birthday. He was barely aware of what was going on around him until Braeden perched himself on the coffee table in front of him.

“Will is cheating on me.” His voice came out barely a whisper.

“I’m sorry.” Braeden stared down at the hands clasped between his knees.

“What are you sorry about?” He didn’t understand. Braeden hadn’t done anything to be sorry about. It was Will.

“I wanted to tell you so many times, but you just seemed so happy.”

“Wait a minute! You knew?” Keith tried to wrap his mind around that. How could Braeden know and not tell him. Braeden had betrayed him. “I’m out of here.”

Keith lunged to his feet and hurried to the door. He couldn’t believe this. Braeden knew and kept silent. Hadn’t spoken a single damn word about what he knew. Keith shook his head in an attempt to clear it and pulled open the door. Before he could walk out it, Braeden’s hand shot past him to push the door shut.

“Keith, wait, please.” Braeden’s voice had turned husky and Keith closed his eyes, trying to block it out.

“No Brae. You should have told me.” Keith couldn’t keep the hurt out of his voice and refused to turn and face Braeden.

“You’re right. I should have. I thought you were happy with him and I didn’t want to see you hurt.” Braeden grabbed his arm and turned him until they were facing each other despite Keith’s resistance. “I confronted him with what I knew and he swore he was going to stop.”

“Well, I have a picture that says otherwise.” Keith reached into his pocket and pulled the picture out before throwing it at Braeden’s chest. He watched it fall to the ground, but Braeden didn’t even bend to pick it up. “Aren’t you going to look at it? Hey, at least you could tell me if it was the same woman you knew about!”

“I don’t need to look at it.” Braeden’s stare was quickly making him uncomfortable and Keith took a step back, only to be stopped by the door. Braeden cleared his throat before continuing. “I don’t need to look at it, because…” A deep breath. “I’m the one who took it.”

“You…” Anger turned to fury inside him and he stepped forward until he was only inches away from Braeden. “You took it?! Why the hell would you do that to me? Let me find out from a picture when you could have fucking told me! Just tell me why!”

“Because, I didn’t want to risk you thinking…” Braeden took a step backwards and Keith followed.

“You didn’t want to risk me thinking what? That you care? You have a helluva way to show it!”

“I didn’t want you to know it was me who sent the picture.” Braeden’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“Why? Why would you think that I would prefer finding out from a stranger than from you?” Keith shook his head. “Braeden, why? Just tell me.”

Braeden averted his gaze, looking everywhere but at him until Keith reached out and grabbed his arm. When Braeden finally met his eyes, the pain there made Keith take a step back.

“I didn’t want you to think I was just trying to break you guys up.”

“Why the hell would I think that? I asked you out before I ever even met Will and you turned me down. I know you don’t think of me like that.” Keith could only watch as Braeden ducked his head, once more averting his gaze rather than answering. His heart thudded in his chest so hard that Keith was afraid it would pound right out. “Brae?”

“It doesn’t matter now.” Braeden sounded so defeated as he turned away. Shock kept Keith rooted to his spot as he watched his best friend walk away from him.