Chapter 5
“Michael . . . what? What are you doing here?” Bryson asked after opening his door due to the incessant ringing of the doorbell. “It’s almost midnight.”
Sloshed out of his mind, Michael leaned on the doorframe. “I’m shorry to bother you, but umm . . . I need a place to, umm . . .” Michael paused to take a breath, trying to fight back his emotions. “Shit. Karli don’t want to have my kids, man.” Covering his face, he fell back against the door. “Why the fuck she don’t want my kids, man?”
He was so tipsy, he almost fell over. Bryson grabbed him and held him to keep him from falling, then ushered him inside. “Come on, man. Come inside. Let’s get you some coffee and a blanket.”
Bryson helped Michael into his living room and sat him on the sofa. His wife, Jessica, came down the stairs just then, and when she saw Michael, she closed her robe and looked at Bryson with confusion.
“Stay right here, Michael. I’ll be right back,” Bryson told him as Jessica stepped into the living room.
“Sure. It’s not like I have a home.” He fell back against the sofa, with his hand over his face.
Bryson nodded to Jessica, and they eased out of the room into the hallway.
“What the hell is going on, Bry? Why is Michael in our house, still in his dinner clothes, at midnight? What the hell happened between him and Karli?” Jessica quizzed.
“I don’t know, babe. I’m still trying to piece it together. All I know is he just slurred some jumbled-up notions about not having a home and Karli not wanting his kids.”
Jessica gasped. “Oh no! They probably had a huge fight after the dinner party. I would call Karli, but I’m not sure if I should.”
“Just hold off. Let me find out exactly what is going on. Go upstairs, and I’ll be up shortly.” They kissed each other, and then Jessica went back upstairs as Bryson headed back into the living room to check on Michael.
“You got something to drink?” Michael slurred.
“The only drink you’re getting is coffee after we talk.” Bryson sat on the coffee table in front of Michael. “Bro, what happened tonight?”
Michael leaned back, in deep contemplation. He wanted the comfort of his friend and partner, but he didn’t want to relive the hell that he’d just experienced. Most men would think he was being a bitch. That didn’t matter to him. He was a married man who actually loved and cared for his wife. Men like that were built differently. They were wired differently than the Average Joe. What seemed petty to average guys meant the world to men like Michael.
Michael trusted Bryson and knew he was cut from the same cloth, so it wasn’t that he couldn’t confide him. It was simply that it hurt too bad to think that the woman he had pledged and devoted his life to had been keeping such a deep secret from him. And to add insult to injury, she didn’t want a family. Sure, she had never admitted it, but she didn’t have to. The mere fact that she’d gone behind his back to protect her eggs from being invaded by his sperm was enough proof. He didn’t need to hear her say the actual words to know that the writing was on the wall. He read gray very well.
“Let’s not relive it.”
Bryson scoffed. “It’s early ass in the morning, and you’re at my house, drunk out of your mind. You gotta tell me something.”
“Can I just sleep on your sofa tonight? I promise to talk to you in the morning. Tonight I just need to clear my mind.”
Bryson threw up his hands. “You know I don’t mind, but clear your mind of what, man? At least tell me what’s going on.”
“What’s going on is that I will never have a child with my wife when she has been on birth control behind my back for four fucking years!” he hollered, his voice cracking. After swallowing hard and taking a deep breath, he lowered his voice and said, “Now, is that enough information for you? Can I rest now? Can I not think about my messed-up life just for tonight? Is that okay with you?”
Bryson was so stunned by what Michael had revealed, he could only nod his head, get up, grab a pillow and blanket from the hallway closet, and hand them to Michael. “We’ll talk in the morning. Get some rest, man.”
Michael grabbed his arm. “Please don’t tell Karli I’m here. I’m not ready to deal with her yet. I can’t face her. Please.”
Bryson assured him. “We won’t tell Karli. That’s my word.”
Bryson stood in the doorway until he saw Michael lie down on the sofa and cover himself with the blanket. He knew that his friend was in a bad place, and as much as he wanted to be a friend to Karli and call her, he couldn’t. He knew she must be worried sick and going out of her mind, but he wouldn’t betray Michael. From the sounds of it, he’d already experienced enough betrayal for one night.
“And?” Jessica asked as soon as he came into their bedroom.
Bryson shrugged. “I don’t know the whole story. We’re going to talk in the morning. All I do know is that Karli has been on birth control their entire marriage and didn’t tell Michael about it. That’s all I know.”
Jessica was shocked. “I can’t believe Karli would do something like that, especially to Michael.” She shook her head and picked up her cell phone. “I’m calling—”
Bryson stopped her attempt to contact Karli. “No, you’re not. Michael doesn’t want Karli to know he’s here, and if you call her, she’s going to know he’s here and show up. I promised him.”
Jessica put it down. “Bry, she needs to know where her husband is. I’m sure she is going crazy right now. Besides, we know only a little bit of the story. There has to be more to it than what he blurted out in a drunken haze.”
“I’m sure there is, but that’s not our business—”
“He made it our business when he rang that doorbell.”
“So if it’s our business, then it’s our business to do as he requested and leave it alone,” Bryson countered defensively. Grabbing his wife’s hands, he continued his plea. “I’m not protecting him, but he’s the one who showed up to our house. For now, our loyalty is all he feels he has. Don’t take that away from him. He’s depending on us.”
She groaned. “Ugh. All right. I won’t say a word. He’s welcome to stay as long as he needs us.”
* * *
The next morning Jessica made them all breakfast. While she cooked, Bryson gave Michael fresh clothes and allowed him to shower in the guest bathroom. While they ate, Michael confided in his friends everything that had happened from the time Karli and he got home last night until the time he staggered onto their doorstep.
Jessica shook her head. “Michael, are you sure she never told you?”
“Not to be mean, but I would’ve remembered something like that.” Michael let out a deep sigh. “Besides, if she had told me, she would’ve said something at that time. She was too remorseful.” As he rubbed his hand across his head, his jaw tightened. “What kind of woman does some shit like that?”
Jessica put up her hand. “Whoa. I know you’re upset, but don’t go down that path. You said yourself you haven’t spoken to her about it.”
“I think she said all she needed to say, don’t you?” Michael replied, fuming.
“Okay, let’s take a break,” Bryson interjected. He eyed his wife. He didn’t like the fact that she was poking the bear, even if what she said made sense. He loved Michael and Karli like a brother and sister, but he didn’t want to have to check Michael about his wife, either. Now was not the time to go into battle.
Bryson went on. “Look, we understand what you’re saying, Michael, but I think Jess is only trying to say that at some point, you and Karli need to talk about what happened and figure out what you’re going to do about it. However, you’re welcome to stay with us as long as you need to in order to sort it out.”
Michael held his head down in surrender. “You’re both right, and I’m sorry, Jess. It’s hard for me right now to deal. What else could she lie to me about?”
Jessica stood and patted Michael’s hand. “And that is why you need to talk to your wife, whenever you’re ready.” She hugged him and then kissed her husband. “I’m going grocery shopping. I’ll leave you two boys here to chill out for a while.”
Five minutes later, Jessica was behind the wheel of her car. As soon as she was down the street, she grabbed her cell phone and pressed the button to instantly activate Siri. “Call Karli mobile,” she said into the phone.