I GUESS WE'D NEVER REALLY KNOW
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
KIERAN
Ever since the day I stopped her from bullying Tatum, I don’t know what ideas she got from my action, but it clearly wasn’t what I was thinking. I did not protect her or save her. She was merely in the way. I did it to protect Aaliyah from herself. I knew that wasn’t the real Aaliyah and this fake empty vessel she was parading around had started to annoy me. It was getting on my nerves although it really shouldn't have.
That just wasn’t her.
She’s all confused for a second so I repeat myself.
“Do you want to be my girlfriend?”
“I … wha.. what do you mean by that?” she stammers, asking with a frown, so I realize I forgot to put it in a more understanding way.
“Can you act?” I asked first.
Asking her to be my girlfriend straight up might have been confusing for her.
“How did you know?” She asks, shocked.
“I didn’t know you were so attentive to me. Did you also know I took extra acting classes at Sunmberrys’ academy?” She asks with eyes wide and expectant.
“Well, I didn’t, but you just told me. So, can you act or not?” I asked again.
“Um, I can, but just don’t fall for me like those romance novels because I’m a lesbian. I’m not into guys.”
“Good, you just got yourself a job as my pretend girlfriend whenever we see Aali.” At least i don't have to worry about driving her off me. All the girls from my past tend to get clingy after sex although I tell them it's just sex and not a relationship.
“Who is that?” She asks me with furrowed brows.
“Right, I’m the only one who calls her that. Aaliyah Waters.”
“Okay.”
She doesn’t ask why. She just agrees.
Perfect
Jealousy was a disease.
It was a fucking mind game that she used on me so well she didn’t even realize it herself.
She’d played it so well by using Marin.
It had gotten to me so well I was sure I could get her to fall at my feet using that same method.
Boy was I fucking wrong.
She was always running away from me so I couldn’t even get the chance to show off my new girlfriend in front of her.
So I chased her to show it to her myself.
When she left math class and I was sure she wasn’t coming back anytime soon, I called Tatum out of class and came home with her, making sure Aali saw everything.
I made sure she saw us together.
All I had to do was pretend that Tatum was Aaliyah and I was able to show my passionate side more clearly. And as Tatum wasn’t running her mouth like the real deal, I wasn’t annoyed, or rock hard, wanting to fuck the attitude out of her.
Unlike how the real deal tries me at every single corner.
When Aali told Tatum that I kissed her, I nearly broke character and grinned like an idiot, but I didn’t.
Tatum is playing her part so well. I intended to introduce her to a few people in the acting industry to put her on, but she ruins it and admits she’s a lesbian.
I had to take a deep breath to not throw her out immediately. It was still salvageable.
Aaliyah seemed to believe her but when she went back upstairs, I knew she was going to watch us so I fake kissed Tatum, but I really shouldn’t have, because that was her last straw.
She became a fucking monster. I watched from down below as she flung my pen drive out into the wood.
I’d come in to confront her.
Fine, maybe it wasn’t totally to confront her. Maybe I was looking to punish her.
Maybe
I guess we'd never really know.
I heard and saw her in the kitchen. I’d paused to come and talk to her.
I stood there transfixed, watching her gulp down orange juice like it was a fucking life-giver elixir.
I don’t know why I didn’t say anything, why I didn’t alert her. Maybe it wasbecause the view was captivating.
Maybe it’s because there was something I needed to see for myself.
To realize she’s no longer the Aali I know, because the Aali I know wouldn’t ever do what she did..
She had picked up Uncle Greg’s phone and read the email over and over again before she replied to it, rejecting the offer and deleting the mail.
I had good height advantage over her so I could see everything clearly.
I never in my life thought she was capable of such an act. It was truly a shocker for me.
Immediately her eyes lifts up and she sees me, I know that she knows I know she’s a fucking monster. I understand to an extent that she was angry and threw my hard work and passion out the window.
Fuck, Marin was in the hospital just because I was jealous. But to attack someone neutral who didn’t have anything to do with our feud was next level of cruel.
And this was our parents work.
Something we both knew was so important to them, they’d discuss it at dinner.
Just because her idea wasn’t picked, she’d rejected the mail and deleted it.
“What are you doing?” I ask her, as her eyes widens with fear.
That’s right. She should be afraid.
I take a step forward and she takes one back.
I grab her dad’s phone and she holds my hand. It’s not like she can stop me when it comes to physical strength.
Nor is it like I don’t know what she was doing before.
“What did you just do?” I ask again.
“Nothing.” She doesn’t accept it. She’s still lying.
“I saw you… go and confess.” I accused.
She makes a fist at her side, refusing to bulge.
I grab her chin in my palm, refusing to acknowledge how good her skin felt against my palm
“Or I can go and out you myself. I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself here. I won’t ask again. Generosity is not exactly my thing.”
I shove her away from me as she swallows and I see tears form on her eyes, making it look glassy before she walks out, heading to the living room.
Aaliyah—
Kieran looks at me like I’m the dirtiest scum bag on earth as I approach mom and dad. They were going to be so disappointed in me.
“Uncle Greg and Aunt Samantha. Aaliyah has something important to tell you.” Kieran says. He’s not even allowing me to speak first.
Now it looks like I’m being forced to confess, and not because I felt sorry and wanted to.
It wasn’t that far from the truth but still. He lied to me that he was going to let me save a bit of face.
