Out of The Box Regifted (35 page)

Finally on the plane, everyone is excited. None of us have ever flown on a private jet, so yet another first for me. Ash’s friend Gates is our co-pilot and he’s hired a flight attendant named Lindy who, ironically, is from Houston. With pilot, co-pilot, and flight attendant in check, we take off for Los Angeles.

We land and Ash has a car ready to take us to the hotel. We’re all excited to watch the guys play tonight, and it seems like eternity since we’ve seen them. Kyra and Emily each text Todd and Tommy, letting them know we’ve safely arrived. Emily is popping her knuckles nervously, as Kyra looks over at her laughing. “Em - that’s really annoying,” And Emily starts laughing.

In the hospitality suite, the guys are all waiting for us and it’s like old home week. Todd holds his arms out to us and his eyes are shining, as we walk in. “Bout damn time!” He runs to Kyra and lifts her up in his arms. He twirls her around, as they kiss nonstop. When she sees Tommy, Emily stands at the door to the room with her hands over her face crying. He takes her into his arms and whispers something in her ear. She sniffles, as he laughs, “She said she missed me.” Todd looks at the two of them with a quizzical look and larks, “Jesus Em. Why the fucking tears?” She playfully flips him off and he points at her smiling. “Oh…I’ll remember that.” We spend time catching up on all the latest happenings and Brady proudly shows us some promotional giveaways that Avenue has. “We’ve got t-shirts, key rings, bottle openers…even thongs for the ladies.” He laughs. “The thongs were Todd’s idea by the way.” Sure enough, he holds up a black thong bedazzled with a jewel at the back, bearing a rhinestone ‘A’.

Kyra cracks up laughing, “I need one of those!” To which Todd comically replies, “Ky, I got you the ‘special edition’ Avenue thong.” We all laugh, as Tommy changes the subject. His eyes light up, “They’re gonna shoot a music video of us. It’s a pretty big deal and we’ve cleared it for you guys to be there.”

We all chat for a while and go to our rooms to get unpacked and ready for the show.

Once at the venue, we’re ushered to a VIP area, where there’s an array of finger foods and drinks for everyone. I feel like a celebrity, as we’re escorted to our seats in the front row. The show is amazing and the crowd loves our guys. There are so many more people here than the crowd at The Bank. It feels like overnight, Avenue has finally gotten the notoriety they deserve. They play all of their original songs and not surprising, Fairy Tale Man woos the crowd.

After the show, Ash and I head back to our room, exhausted from the busy day. We grab a quick shower and slide into bed. No Giant for me tonight, I’m beat!

***

During the night, I hear shouting in the hall. Ash is fast asleep and hasn’t heard anything, so I quietly get out of bed and crack the door open. I can see and hear Kyra yelling, as I look at the room across from ours. Todd is standing outside their door in nothing but boxer shorts, holding his jeans and shoes. His hair is tousled and he’s trying his best to calm Kyra down. He sees me peeking out of the door, closes his eyes and throws his head back then holds his hand up, signaling me to go back in the room. Confused, I close the door and peek out of the peephole, so I can still see and hear everything.

With her fists, Kyra hits him on his chest and is slapping his arms repeatedly. She’s gritting her teeth, “You scumbag. I hate you. I freaking hate you. I knew you couldn’t be true to me.” She hurls her head back, looking up at the ceiling and puts her hands in her hair. “God I’m such a fool, Todd. I can’t believe I took off work and spent money even coming to see you. Shit, couldn’t you at least have waited until after I left, to be with someone else?” She points her finger in his face, as her face grimaces with anger, “You aren’t half the shit you think you are.”

He grabs her finger and speaks angrily through his teeth, “Kyra stop. Just stop it, would you?”

She’s oblivious to him, as she fists her hands, “I hate myself for loving you. Do you know that? I hate myself. Damn you!” She drops to her knees and screams. “Why did you do this? I loved you Todd. I’ve never in my life been with anyone else, but obviously you can’t be faithful to me for ten damn days.” She puts her head in her hands wrenching, “Or were you screwing around when you were in Chicago?” She stands up and puts her finger under his chin, bringing his face up to eye level with hers, “Were you?” She slaps him again and then backs off.

His emotions are escalating, as he holds his hand out to block her blows. “Kyra I’m asking you to please stop and calm down. Lemme explain.”

She angrily looks him in the eye. “Shit! I don’t even want to know. I’m so outta here. Have a nice life asshole. Just let me get my things packed and I’ll be on my way.” She turns on her heels and points her finger in his face, tears streaming down her face, “And you don’t have to worry about cheating on me again, because there will be no more ‘me’.” Cocking her head, she flips him off, then throws her head back sarcastically laughing, “Knock your socks off asshole. Screw anyone you want...screw YOU!’”

Todd tries to calm her down and tries to take her into his arms, but she resists with a vengeance. He’s trying his best to keep his voice down and is trying desperately, to reason with her.

He nimbly grabs her arms to stop her slapping. His chest and arms are red with slap marks, as he pleads, “Kyra goddammit stop it! Look would you just calm down? It’s not what you think, I promise.” He bends down, puts his hands on his thighs and shakes his head, “I know it looks bad, but I’m not cheating, I swear to you. I can’t tell you where I was.”

Kyra shoots him a disgusted look and shakes her head in disbelief.

“
I wish to God I could babe, but right now, I just can’t. All I ask is that you trust me, and stop accusing me of things I haven’t done.” Exasperated, he throws his hands up in the air.

“I haven’t fucking cheated, Kyra. How can I make you fucking believe that? And why would I cheat when you are here? I wouldn’t cheat any way, but think about it. If I were to cheat, I certainly wouldn’t do it when you’re here. That makes no fucking sense.” He holds his fists up, “Jesus God! I don’t need this shit right now, babe. Please, if you love me, you have to believe me. And don’t leave. I’ll go fucking crazy if you leave me. I’ve waited and waited for you to get here, and now you wanna leave? Please baby, please, don’t do this to us.”

She jerks her head back and flips him off with both hands, “Pfft! don’t do this to
us
? Todd what would you do, if you came to see me and I left you in the room, alone saying I’d be back in a little bit then strolled in at four am, with wet hair, in nothing but my underwear, carrying my clothes?” She’s in his face, “Huh? You’d be so pissed and looking for someone to kill and you know it.” She starts to cry, “I’ve been patiently sitting here all night waiting for you. You said you’d be right back, when you left at nine thirty.” She holds her phone up to his face. “I tried to call you and your phone went straight to voicemail. What the hell’s so damn secretive, that you can’t tell me what’s going on? I deserve to know goddammit. I’m not some damn groupie you can screw and leave.” Her body is shaking, as she cries. “I thought I meant more to you than that. I freaking thought I meant more, Todd.” She laughs sarcastically through her tears, “You’re a great bullshitter, though. I’ll give ya that.” She faces the wall, putting her arms around herself and cries harder, as her body quivers.

He tenderly brushes her hair behind her ears with his hand, and tries to calm her down. “Babe, look let’s go in the room. Don’t holler and please don’t cry. It breaks my heart to see you cry. I can’t stand to see you cry, baby.” With his forehead on her head he begs, “All I can do is ask you to trust me, and tell you that I love you so bad, it fucking hurts. It fucking hurts, Kyra. Have you ever loved anyone that bad?” He pulls her face to look at him, “Well that’s how bad I’ve got it for you. I’d never cheat on you and I’ve never loved anyone as goddamn much as I love you. You’re everything to me Ky. I love you, even when you want to kill me. I love you no matter what. You’re right - I’d be fucking kicking some ass if you came home at 4am almost naked.” He walks in a circle, shaking his head. “You’re absolutely right, but there
is
a reason and I just can’t talk about it right now, except to say there isn’t another woman involved. Period.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket, looks at it and shoves it in her face. “Look, my phone was dead. The battery’s fucking dead, see? See???? Fucking ass dead, Kyra. I couldn’t have called you if I tried.” He carelessly throws the phone down and I hear it shatter, as it hits the floor.

Defensively she looks at him and asks, “So what? Are you gay or something? Were you with another guy? Are you a queer, Todd? Is
that
what this is about?” She closes her eyes and throws her head back, “Oh shit. Please tell me no.”

Todd exhales and laughs. “No babe, I’m not gay. No way, I’m not gay.”

Her brows furrow, “Don’t you dare laugh at me, Todd! I’m damn serious. I want to know what’s going on right now, or I’m leaving and I swear it.”

He takes her arm, “Babe, seriously please let’s just go in the room and talk. Please let’s just talk. I don’t want you to leave. I want you here with me and I want you to understand. I’ll try my best, but I just can’t tell you right now. I swear this has nothing to do with us.” He takes her other arm, so he’s holding both of them. “Come on, you’re gonna wake people up, plus I’m freezing my fucking nuts off. Come on Ky.” He calms her down somewhat, but she’s fisting his arms, still hitting.

“Baby please, you can hit me all you want, but let’s take this in the room. I know I deserve it, but I swear on my parent’s grave, I haven’t cheated on you.” He grabs her arm and tries to lead her into the room. She’s angered by his gesture.

“You son of a bitch. Why are you doing this to us?”

Up until now he’s been patient, but that remark sends him over the edge and he reacts by getting in her face, “Kyra, take that back.”

She steps back, putting her hands up in a mocking way. “Take what back? That you’re a son of a bitch? You are Todd. You’re a son of a bitch!”

He takes her by the arm, not to hurt her, but to get his point across. He’s now crying, as he looks into her eyes. “Take it back, Kyra. You don’t mean that. Please baby, please take it back.”

She folds and melts into his arms, as she fists his chest, defeated. “I hate you damn you. I hate you right now.”

He kisses the top of her head and whispers, “I know baby. I know. Shh. Let’s just go into our room. You can beat the fuck out of me; I don’t care. All I know is that I love you Ky. So fucking much, I love you. Come on.”

As the door closes, I’m so worried and afraid Kyra will be gone in the morning, because she’s a gal who won’t put up with shit. As I get back into bed, Ash sits up and asks where I went. I whisper that I had to go to the bathroom and he takes me into his arms, kisses me, and falls right back asleep. I, on the other hand, can’t go back to sleep for worrying. I’m just sick over this. What the hell was Todd doing, coming home at 4am, with wet hair and half naked? Where could he have been, except with another woman? This just doesn’t make a bit of sense.

I doze in and out of a light sleep and get up around six to use the bathroom. I look through the peep hole in the door and I don’t know why, but I’m worried. Ash is still in a deep sleep and doesn’t wake when I get up thank God.

I see Todd sitting outside of his room on the floor, still in his boxer shorts, with his head in his hands. I quietly open the door and step out. He looks up at me with glassy eyes, tears streaming down. There’s no telling how long he’s been sitting out here.

I sit beside him, pull my knees up and wrap my arms around them. “Wanna talk about it?” I whisper.

With his hands gripping his hair and a painful expression, he blurts out. “What’s to talk about, Olivia? Kyra’s gone. She fucking left.” He sits straight up and puts his head against the wall, blankly looking at the ceiling. “I couldn’t tell her what was going on and she just assumed that I was out fucking around. I know it looked bad, but it isn’t what she thought.” He crosses his arms on top of his head, “I don’t know what to do. Fuck. Fuck me. Fuck.”

There’s a moment of awkward silence. I look over at him, as he holds out his hands, “What?”

I shrug my shoulders and still don’t speak. I’m picking the skin around my thumb, nervously wondering how to respond. How do I tell him that I thought the same thing Kyra did?

He sarcastically laughs, “I know that damn look. You fucking wanna ask me something, so why don’t you just say it?” He cocks his head back and squints, “I know you were creeping our conversation earlier.”