Sabrina really didn't know much about Keegan's mother now that she thought it over. She just knew about the larger pieces of his childhood, but nothing about the specifics. They were entering their 5th month of exclusive dating; he couldn't hide her for much longer without it becoming suspicious.
Maybe that was why he'd been so secretive when his mom called—to avoid having to explain the girlish voice in the background. Sabrina sank deeper into her mattress as more stress and confusion poised itself onto her lap.
*
Sabrina struggled to open the door to her apartment. Venice was settled in her hold with a sheet covering her body.
One thing about having a dog in an apartment complex that specified no pets in its contract, was that the dog still needed to be walked. Venice usually used pee-wee pads located in the laundry room but Sabrina still tried to walk her as much as she could. After the tense, mind rattling conversation with her mother, Sabrina figured it would do them both some good to get fresh air. So she cloaked Venice in her arms and loaded her into her car as fast as she could. They usually walked in the town home neighborhood located 2 minutes away from her apartment center. But when Sabrina was in the mood for something more extreme, she'd travel over to the park where she met Keegan.
Keegan was putting away some groceries in the kitchen. He barely acknowledged Sabrina's presence, but she was much too out of it to realize his attitude. She put Venice on the ground and kicked off her sneakers. She wore a pair of leggings with a baggy t-shirt and put her hair into a ponytail over her crown.
She made her way into the kitchen to feed Venice. The dog followed her eagerly, knowing it was her favorite time of the day. Keegan glanced behind himself to see Sabrina bending over, putting food into a bowl.
"How was the call?" Keegan grumbled behind her, seeming uninterested and distracted.
Sabrina didn't want Keegan to know all of the hurtful things her mother had said. Not because she was worried about how he'd feel, but because she didn't want him to change his game plan incase her mother was right. She'd judge him herself.
"It went better than I thought it would but not by much." Keegan didn't say much for the rest of the evening. Like Sabrina, his mother was consuming most of his thoughts as well. But unfortunately, he couldn't share that conversation with Sabrina. So he just retired to his laptop and continued writing as much as he could before he joined a sleeping Sabrina in bed.
A few days later, Quincy successfully purchased his modern single family home. Keegan was happy for his best friend despite their lack of communication over the past few months. He agreed to help him pack up and move his few boxes of things. So he'd taken the day off to settle Quincy in.
"I know your mom is excited." Keegan shouted from the living room. He attempted to unroll a thick line of scotch tape but the ends began to fold onto one another. Within a few frustrating seconds, the tape morphed into a useless ball. He groaned lowly.
"Yeah, she already started planning her trip over." Quincy replied from the bedroom. Over the months that Keegan had been practically living with Sabrina, Quincy managed to really get the apartment looking like... an apartment. He purchased a quaint black leather couch with a matching armchair, dining room set and a bed with a headboard. They managed to get most of the larger pieces of furniture into the truck so now there were only accents left. Quincy emerged from the bedroom.
Accountant's anxiety had done him well physically. His boyish face was wrinkled with the classic touch of masculinity. He'd been taking trips to the gym so his lanky body was toned and lightly chiseled. He wore simple cargo shorts, a tank top and converse. His deep toffee colored skin was accented by the curtain-less window's light.
"I ran out of boxes so I'm going to go get a few more. Be right back." He snatched his car keys off of the counter and exited the apartment. Keegan attempted to tape up the box a second time. He successfully taped it's opening and had moved onto another. He used bubble wrap to cloak Quincy's expensive dishes before putting them into boxes he'd labeled 'delicates'. Just when Keegan was about to put in a tall drinking glass, there was a tap on the door.
He gave the door a funny look before strolling over to open it. When he needed to cast his eyes downward to meet eyes with who was there, his heart skipped a few beats. The visitor stormed past Keegan with a suitcase and purpose in their steps.
Bethany shifted on her feet before she flipped her hair over her bare shoulder.
"What the
fuck,
are you doing here?" Keegan gritted out. She inhaled deeply, making the bones in her collar protrude sickeningly beneath her yellow tinted skin. She wore a white halter top that tied behind her neck. Her thick brown hair was thinner than he last remembered and sat dully on her shoulders. But her eyes were still intense.
"I'm here to visit you and see if we can work this out." She said simply. Keegan was unconsciously shaking his head as her sentence progressed further.
"You aren't staying here, and we aren't working anything out. So you need to go home." Keegan was trying his hardest to be calm yet authoritative to show Bethany he was serious. She nervously switched her few pounds from foot to foot.
"Then you are going to do it now Keegan!—You're going to break up with me, right now and you're going to tell me why!" Her voice was advanced toward a screeching cry as her eyes welled with tears. Keegan nodded his head in compliance. "I've been nothing but good to you and I refuse to just give you up."
"Bethany, listen to me." Keegan's voice was chillingly cold in comparison to hers. She swallowed the lump in her throat in preparation for his words. "I'm no longer interested in you. Nothing will ever happen between you and me. I
do not
love you. I
will never
love you again." Her bottom lip trembled uncontrollably.
He groaned as he thought of what her visit would do to his plans. He'd have to call off his walk with Sabina at the park so he could figure out what the hell he was going to do with Bethany. He couldn't let her stay in the apartment alone, that'd be incredibly cruel. But looking at the size of her suitcase, she'd be staying for a few days. He couldn't avoid Sabrina for that long after being with her every second; she was nowhere near stupid.
