I simply stopped volunteering to protect people who had shown me no loyalty.
At seven that evening, my phone began vibrating.
First Molly.
Then Kai.
Then Molly again.
I ignored them all.
A message appeared.
MOLLY: Kevin, what did you tell your mother?
Another arrived.
KAI: Call me. Now.
Then Molly again.
MOLLY: Please don’t do anything stupid. We need to talk.
I stared at that last message.
We need to talk.
Funny how those words had never appeared while she was kissing my brother.
At seven-thirty, someone pounded on my front door.
I looked through the peephole.
Molly stood on the porch, pale and visibly shaken.
Kai was beside her, furious.
I opened the door.
Molly spoke first.
“What the hell have you done?”
I blinked.
“Good evening to you too.”
Kai stepped forward.
“You’ve turned Mom and Dad against us!”
I leaned against the doorframe.
“Have I?”
“Don’t play innocent, Kevin!”