Dirty Laundry

"Fuck, this is awkward," Taylor muttered, taking a long drink of his PBR.

A flush had taken residence on Kyla's face and she pulled at her shirt, suddenly self-conscious. She readjusted uncomfortably on her bar stool.

Brianna took a sip from her glass without removing her eyes from Josh's direction, smirking, "Should we fuck with him?"

"What!? No!" Kyla laughed in spite of the situation and did her best to sit up straight, "You're both ridiculous."

"I mean it's weird!" Taylor pulled a face and spoke in a hushed tone, "Don't try and act like it's not really fucking weird."

"I know," Kyla whined, letting her composure drop for a split second before shaking her head and sitting up straight again, "But fuck it."

Taylor gave his famous side-eye look, "Do you want that shot?"

"Probably," Kyla sighed and took a breath.

She watched as Taylor made the short trip to the bar. Watched as Josh's friends recognized and said hello to him, the body language of everyone was uncomfortable. They all knew the details of the scene which had unfolded the night Kyla had walked into Josh's apartment.

----------

two months earlier

Kyla looked at the messages on her phone for the third time in only a few hours. Josh still hadn't replied after she'd sent him a frustrated text about the current (non-existent) state of their relationship.

Josh: "We agreed to take things slow"

Kyla: "Yeah, that was five months ago."

Josh: "I don't know why you're making this such a huge deal. You're acting crazy."

Kyla: "I just don't understand why you don't want to be exclusive..."

She pushed the lock button and tossed the phone across her bed, flopping back onto the unmade covers and letting out a deep sigh.

Maybe this time she'd pushed it too much. Maybe she'd made him claustrophobic and overwhelmed. She knew his parents' divorce when he was a kid had given him commitment issues, but she hoped eventually he'd see how great she was for him.

Kyla sighed and reached for her phone. She'd just take a look at Find Friends and see where he was. No harm in a quick check. Maybe if he was home she could head over, grab his favorite snacks on the way and make it up to him.

She was already thinking of what she'd pick up when she saw he was indeed at home. Probably angry at her for being so persistent, but nothing some fun-sized Snickers couldn't fix.

Before long, Kyla had convinced herself it was a good plan and picked up snacks at a gas station halfway between her and Josh's places. She pulled her Jeep Cherokee into her usual guest parking space outside his apartment and walked to his front door.

She knocked lightly and stepped back from the door with a deep breath as footsteps made their way closer.

Josh's roommate Brett answered the door and his eyes widened as he saw Kyla, "Um, hey."

"Hi," Kyla replied. She smiled slightly and tried to ignore the look of panic on his face, "Is J here?"

He paused, his hand still holding the door, then stumbled over his words, "Does he - uh - is he expecting you?"

She glanced past him into the apartment and saw that Josh's door was closed, but could hear Drake's album on blast, "Why are you acting so weird?"

"What? I'm not," he exaggerated his frustration, running his hand through his hair.

Brett could be weird, especially when he was stoned, but he wasn't a nervous person. She'd spent enough time with Josh at his apartment that she couldn't help but become well-acquainted with his roommate. Kyla bit her lip and looked toward the collection of shoes beside their door, where she noticed a pair that were too small and feminine to belong to either of the roommates.

"Brett," Kyla stared at the shoes and paused for a moment, trying to control the heat that had begun to rise in her stomach, "Whose shoes are those?"

Brett's hand didn't leave the door as he glanced quickly toward the shoes, then back to her, "I mean, I have no idea. Never seen them."

"Where's Josh?" Kyla tried to control her voice, but anger had begun to lace her words.

"Ky, he's not even - "

"Move," She tried not to let her rage turn into tears.

Brett dropped his head, "Kyla, it's not a good idea."

"Get out of my fucking way," Kyla's voice cracked as she pushed past him into the apartment, her eyes on the doorknob to Josh's room.

"Kyla, stop!" Brett pleaded, but she ignored him and threw Josh's door open.

Kyla's throat was on fire and her stomach dropped as the scene in front of her unfolded. Josh, panicked and trying to cover himself with a blanket. A girl beside him, using her hands to cover her naked body as she glanced between the two of them.

"JOSH," Kyla screamed, despite herself, "What. The. FUCK!?"

The heat in her throat had moved up her face, a flush in her cheeks as tears welled up in her eyes.

"What are you doing here!?" Was all he said, the blonde beside him had started to reach for her clothes.

Tears had begun to fall down her face and she chucked the 7-Eleven bag at his head, "Are you fucking kidding me!? You told me you weren't fucking anyone else!"

He shrugged and looked down sheepishly, "I didn't lie about that. You just pissed me off and I -"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP," Her hands balled into fists at her sides, "I have done nothing but do EVERYTHING you ever asked me to do. Been nothing but EXACTLY the person you made me feel like I had to be. Did you ever even give a shit?"

The blonde had shimmied off his bed and was doing her best to gather her clothes while keeping herself covered. Josh still didn't respond or even look up from his hands.

"You're fucking pathetic, Joshua," Kyla sputtered. She turned on her heel and began to stomp toward the door, but stopped in front of Brett, who'd been watching from about ten feet away, "And fuck you, too."

She slammed the door behind her and walked quickly toward her car. Kyla was devastated. They'd been off and on, yes. They'd had their share of fights and commitment issues, but she thought he really meant what he said when they laid beside each other in bed: "I'd choose you first."

It had been okay that he said that instead of "I love you." She'd accepted it, but now she was disgusted with herself. Kyla turned the key in the ignition, wiped the tears from her cheeks and took a shaky breath. She vowed to herself then, as she put her Jeep in reverse, that she'd never be put in this situation again.