Inevitable

James and Claire couldn't dare say anything, let alone the first words. The unbroken silence was enough. JvR could feel sweat building up. He was caught. Matt heard him call her Claire and there was no way out of this. Not this time.

"Am I interrupting something?" Matt asked them. His voice was sarcastic but serious deep down.

"Uh, no, come in." James stepped aside, bumping his shoulder against Claire's, when he did so.

Matt walked in, and they led him to the couch awkwardly. Matt sat on the loveseat across from them, and he clasped his hands together while hunching over. He was rubbing his fingers together between his legs, close to the black coffee table in front of him.

"Have you gotten familiar with this house?" Matt spoke to her, carefully and knowingly.

She didn't reply at first. She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back and exhaling a deep breath. With the corner of her eye, she glanced at James. "I.."

"This is a huge misunderstanding, Fratts." James saved her, only putting themselves in an even worse situation. He knew that there was no false assumption. But he tried to buy time, in hopes of something--anything happening that would make Matt believe their lies.

"Oh yeah?" Matt smirked. "Please, make me understand what's going on here."

Claire shifted uncomfortably on the seat. "I'll, um, get us something." With that, she got up, without looking back.

Claire quickly grabbed her phone from the kitchen counter. Her fingers shook as she scrolled through her contacts and texted Kaitlynn. She didn't dare go upstairs and change. Although she felt bad for 'abandoning' James and leaving him on his own, she needed to make sure Kate knew about this. Maybe, just maybe, she would be lucky enough to receive a response from her sister soon.

Claire grabbed three cans of iced tea from the fridge. From her conversations with Nazem, and the things she'd heard from Kate, she knew that the Leafs seemed to have a thing for this drink. In Philadelphia, she and James would cool off with it sometimes. At his house there, they would sit on the balcony, facing the open view of the lake nearby. She missed those times. The situation she was in with his teammates was not what she had wished for. She just wanted to move away again. Especially at the moment.

She sighed out of her deep thoughts and closed the fridge door. She knew it was an unhealthy idea to put her phone in her bra, but since the only bottoms she was wearing were her boy-shorts....it was her only choice. She started heading back to the living room with the cans. They were just the way she left them. James staring at his hands between his legs, Matt glaring at James, the clock ticking loudly. Yup. Bad. Just the way things have been for the last month.

After she put a can in front of each of them, Matt made the next move. He exhaled, giving James a shameful look. He didn't even know what to say. Should I yell at him? Should I let them explain? Everything had just bombarded him in a single day, that he felt like he would pass out in any minute. But he had to come to the bottom of this.

"What's going on?" Matt questioned him directly.

James rubbed his hair. "We've known each other for a long time. Long before I lost my mind and let her go."

"You and Kathryn, or you and Claire?" he responded dryly.

Inhale. "Claire." Exhale.

"So, for some reason, when you let her go, she came out as a whole new person with a whole new name?" Fratts shrugged as if he didn't care. As if this whole thing seemed like a joke to James.

Claire swallowed, "I faked my name because.."

"Why?" Matt curled an eyebrow. "How do you think Nazem would feel about this, if he knew that your real name isn't Kathryn? I mean, I know he knows about your history with James, but... unless... Nazem... knows."

Matt looked down, and then took his phone out. He scrolled, tapped, and raised the white iPhone to his left ear. He waited impatiently as it rang continuously. After giving up on Naz, he called someone else who would know where he is.

-

Nazem inhaled the scent of her hair. She felt so good against his body, in his arms, standing so close to him. They had been trapped in time, hugging and reflecting. He kissed the top of her head again. And again. The time had finally come. Scratch the main plan out, because he broke all the rules and he did not care one bit. He was in love.

"I never imagined this would happen." she said softly, her head buried in his collarbone.

"Me neither," he replied. "But I'm glad it did. I'm glad I met you. I know things aren't great right now, I know sneaking around will do us no good, and I think it's time I man up and tell Matt the truth."

Kate looked at him now. She loosened the hug so she could see the honesty in his eyes. "We'll tell him together."

"You can't help who you love." he pushed her hair over her ear. "This whole time, you were in my head every minute."

Kaitlynn could have cried, could have fallen down and gotten hurt if it wasn't for him holding her up. She could have laughed and brushed his 'lies' off, but not today. Not the day she said the word love. It was different with him, in so many ways. So many fucked up ways in which they were bound to get caught--but she liked different. Change.

They both heard his phone ringing. It was a quiet ringtone but he really did not want to let go and go to the living room to answer it. She smiled weakly at him, giving permission, and kissed his lips softly. Kate followed behind him. Nazem then hurried to the couch, picking up his upside down black iPhone. 8 missed calls. 3 new texts.

"Hmm, looks like I didn't miss much." he said sarcastically aloud. His phone rang again, and before he could see who the missed activities were from, he saw that Tyler was calling.

"Hello?" Nazem answered.

"Fuck! Where are you!?" his voice was quick, sudden and full or worry.

"Home, what's going on?"

"Why didn't you answer your phone!?"

"I.. We were in the kitchen." he replied, scratching his neck. "Why do you sound so jumpy? Where are you?"

"Why do I sound so jumpy? Ha!" Tyler cracked a sarcastic laugh and repeated those words to Phil who was with him.

"Bozie, calm down and tell me what's up!" Naz furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Matt called me and asked me where the hell you were. I said I don't know and he said that we need to go over to James' house in 10 minutes maximum. So, I asked why, and he said Naz knows exactly why. Unless he's faking his name too. I think he found out about Kathryn and god knows what else." he explained.

It didn't take long for him to understand. "Fuck me."

"You. Cheesestake's house. Right now." Tyler's last words were spoken before he hung up without saying bye.

"Wait, what about Kait----" Nazem sighed and put the phone in his pocket.

"What was Ty talking about?" Kate sounded nervous.

"Matt found out about Claire and the whole Kathryn thing," he told her, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know if he knows anything else but I have to go."

She followed behind him to the front door until she stopped in her tracks. "What do I do?"

"Get the eggs." he shrugged. The last thing they needed right now is Matt to be questioning Kaitlynn.

"Right." she stepped out of the house as well.

"Wish me luck," he sighed without breaking his eyes away from her.

She gave him a sympathetic look and went up on her toes. His hand slid behind her neck and they kissed. Their wet lips pulled back so they could smile at each other. Nazem started heading to his car, as she did the same to her BMW.

For the entire lonely car ride to JvR's big house, he thought about what was going to happen. What was waiting for him there. The things that were going to be said, or yelled. It wasn't going to be pretty, and he knew that. When he arrived, he saw Matt's car and Tyler's parked in the driveway. He was actually glad Bozie was here to maybe, just maybe, help him.

Nazem got out slowly and walked up to the front door, counting his breaths. When he rang the doorbell, it took about ten seconds for her to open it. Claire bit her bottom lip sadly and looked up at him. He closed his eyes and sighed, walking passed her and into the house. He took off his shoes and headed to the familiar living room.

James sitting on the three-seat sofa, an empty cushion between him and Phil. Tyler was standing by the large window with his hands in his pockets, swallowing his dry throat when he saw him enter. Nazem took the seat between JvR and Kess across from the love-seat Matt was sitting on. Claire stayed standing as well with her arms crossed nervously.

"Three new musketeers." Matt spoke, glancing at Tyler, Phil and Nazem. "Which one will speak first?"

He began. "Claire faked her name because..." he sighed, and felt all eyes on him. "I've done something bad, and I need to tell you."

"We. We need to tell you." Kate's voice made everyone turn their heads to the right. She stood there, trying to look fearless but she was scared. She had opened the door without knocking in hopes of stopping a hard conversation, and she did.

"Kate..?" Matt furrowed his eyebrows slowly, squinting his eyes along with it.

Naz stood up quietly, walking up beside her, facing everyone. He looked at Tyler ahead and saw him shake his head without anyone else noticing. Everyone was watching them, biting on their lips, scratching their goosebumps, hoping for the best.

Nazem breathed quietly and spoke with a shameful tone. "In April.. you asked me what the girl's name was, from the bar, and I said Kathryn." he paused to swallow.

"What he really meant to say was....." she continued, preparing for the worst.

Before she could finish, Nazem did it. "It was Kaitlynn."

And that was the moment that it all came tumbling down. Matt's expression cracked. It changed from furious and curious, to knowledgeable. Like he had figured it out. Like he had unlocked the code and found the missing piece to the map and copyrighted the treasure. He could not lie to himself and say that he heard them wrong.

Nazem brought his eyes down to the ground in front of Matt. No one was making eye contact with one another. Claire silently sat down where Naz used to be and linked her fingers with James'. He squeezed it and licked his dry lips again, both of them now looking up at Kaitlynn.

"W-Wh.." Matt breathed.

He had to explain further. "Claire is Kate's sister. She helped us on the plan because I could never give in to tell you the truth.. I was scared of how disappointed you'd be. So she pretended to be my girlfriend, and without any of us knowing, James got in the picture and the night didn't go as planned. You saw them kiss and you were mad and confused, so you came to tell me. Meanwhile, I had already been told the night before that you knew about Kathryn--or--Claire, and James, so I knew how to react."

Naz stopped only for a brief moment and talked again. "Before you came to tell me... Kate and I had a fight. From the beginning, we weren't supposed to get attached or let things go further than where they were while we slept together behind your back. The night at Bozie's lakehouse, I went over my head and kissed her. No sex. From then on, we ignored our own rules which caused even more problems. I couldn't admit the way I felt because it was unfair to you and it still is, but I need to tell you. I've kept it in for so long."

He took a deep breath, reaching his arm around Kate's waist. He had come so far and these next words were everything. "Matt, I'm in love with your girlfriend."

All you could hear were a few throats closing and the sound of the refrigerator in the kitchen. Tyler leaned back against the window and rubbed the back of his neck, while making eye contact with Phil. They were ready for a terrible reaction out of the usually calm guy Fratts is.

The first move was made by him. Matt pushed himself out of his seat and stood up straight, not breaking his eyes apart from Nazem. He took four steps close to him, and Naz removed his hand off of Kate's body. The two teammates stared at each other. Matt faked a chuckle, shaking his head and then extending his arms out and a fist hit Naz hard in the face.

"Matt!" Kate yelled in fear.

Phil and James hopped up immediately, Tyler rushing to grab Matt's arm and holding it back. Matt tried to break himself free out of his grip while Naz had taken a step back and touched his fingers to his bleeding lip. His cheek was already red, and was sure enough going to bruise later.

"Matt, stop, you can't change their feelings for each other!" Bozie screamed behind him.

"You knew about this!?" Matt elbowed him in the chest. "And you kept it a secret!?" he also glanced at Phil, knowing that he knew as well without even having to be told.

"Are you kidding me?" Fratts' eyes were full of hurt and anger. "What the fuck!?"

"I'm sorry.." Nazem said quietly, not even wanting to fight back. It can't get any worse than this.

"How could you do this to me!? Over a girl that you got dared to bang!?" Matt yelled, still trying to loosen out of Tyler's reach.

Nazem's eyes whipped over to see Kate's face. She furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth. Claire walked over to her and put her hand on her sister's back, both of the girls shaking their heads at him. Kaitlynn was utterly hurt. Her eyes filled up slowly while everyone's eyes were on her.

Matt shook his arms away from Tyler while everyone was distracted. He faked another laugh. "You didn't tell her? She doesn't know that she was just part of Dare Or Dare?" he turned to Kate again. "What else didn't he tell you? Did you know that money was involved in the bet?"

Her lips trembled. "Nazem..?"

That was the moment Nazem knew Tyler was right when he said karma is inevitable. He sighed. "Kate, it changed I--"

Matt interrupted and repeated the bet. "If you had declined, he would have lost ten bucks. If he failed to bring you home and sleep with you, he would have lost five hundred. If you had refused to leave, he would have lost a thousand and would have had to run down Bay Street naked."

"Why didn't you tell me this was about the money?" Kaitlynn asked him, almost in tears.

"Great game, eh?" Matt glanced at her. Tyler looked at Naz right away, where Phil put his hand on his shoulder and James stood beside him with a napkin as blood dripped from his lip.

Matt shook his head once more at the ground. "You were like a brother to me. My linemate. My best friend. Before you even fell in love, if you insist, you still slept with her behind my back. Behind your best friend's back. What kind of a person are you?"

He glared at everyone in the room one last time. He began walking out and back the way he came in. He slammed the front door and left, leaving Kate crying in front of Nazem, Claire comforting her sister, Naz holding a bloody napkin to his face, James staring at Claire sadly, Phil exchanging disappointed looks with Tyler.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me.. I thought you loved me." Kate's voice was a whisper, before leaving out the front door as well.