The Game Changer The Final Score - By L.M. Trio Page 0,94
jog a bit to keep up with his quick pace. He orders a coffee at the counter and asks me what I want.
“Coffee, bagel and cream cheese,” I say to the girl behind the counter. Mikey pays her and heads out the door while I wait for her to hand me my bag and then I follow him.
“Yo, man, what’s goin’ on? You’re making me nuts,” I say as we cross the street and walk along the path near the beach.
“I fucked up.”
“It can’t be that bad. It’s not like you killed someone, right?” I ask nervously, trying to crack a joke.
“Lora Rae’s pregnant.”
“Shit. Is it yours?” I stop in my tracks.
“I don’t know. She says it is.” We both start walking, using the same fast pace Mikey was using before.
“Okay, first we’ll find out for sure. How long has she known?”
“She said she found out a few days ago. I don’t know what to believe. She flew in yesterday. I was supposed to meet her last night. I was planning on making it clear to her once and for all that it is over. I’ve been trying to end things with her for a while and she knows that. I didn’t show up when I was supposed to, she called and that’s when she told me.”
“Yo, dude. Don’t panic. Maybe it’s not yours. You said she was wild.”
“Yeah, you know how I am about that shit, I don’t take chances, but there was one time when it broke. She said it was no big deal, she takes care of that stuff, too, and to be honest, in the heat of it, it sounded good enough to me. I never gave it another thought.”
We walk in silence for a minute, both contemplating the situation.
“What if it is?” Mikey asks quietly.
“Then, you’ll deal with it. You’ll be there for your kid no matter what.”
“I know. It’s scary, ya know? I don’t know her that well. I do know she likes to party. God knows what she’ll do while she’s pregnant. She’s not someone I’d want to be the mother of my kid.”
“I know. It sucks, but don’t get ahead of yourself.”
Again there’s silence between us as we continue to walk the path.
“There’s more,” Mikey confesses.
“What twins?” I ask with a nervous grin. Mikey doesn’t smile. I somehow get the feeling that this is more troubling to him than the fact that Lora Rae is pregnant.
“I don’t know how to tell you.”
“Dude, don’t do this to me.” I tense up, watching Mikey once again begin to quicken his pace.
“Ah… This sucks.” Mikey sighs, stalling. Nervously tossing his half empty cup into a nearby trash can. “It’s about De.” I stop dead, forcing him to stop as well.
“What about her?” I ask, afraid to hear what he has to say.
***
(Mikey)
My heart is pounding against my chest as I stare Luke in the eyes for about ten seconds before answering while he stares back, waiting for my answer.
“I’m in love with her,” I blurt out while looking down at the ground.
“No, you’re not.” Luke states firmly, staring me down.
“I wish I wasn’t, but I am and she knows it. I told her last night,” I say, answering his firm gaze with my own. I wait for Luke to say something, anything, but he doesn’t, which forces me to keep talking. “That’s why I blew off Lora Rae. De was at the condo when I got back from Boston last night. I wasn’t expecting her to be there, we ended up in a deep conversation and that’s when I told her how I felt about her.”
“You can’t. She’s like your sister.”
“But she’s not my sister, she’s yours. Trust me, I’ve been fighting this battle for a long time. I told myself the same thing over and over. I couldn’t even admit it to myself, let alone her… and now you.”
“You shouldn’t have said anything to her while you were still involved with Lora Rae.”
“I didn’t think I was involved with Lora Rae.”
“See Mikey, that’s the thing, you do this shit all the time. You don’t consider anyone else’s feelings. You’re into a new girl every time I turn around. You always have been and now you’re dragging my sister into this shit.”
I can see the regret on Luke’s face once he says it. I don’t blame him, I deserve it. I feel the same way. It’s his sister and he’s protective of her. Hell, so am I.
“You’re right. I’m sorry, but please don’t tell me