Hard to Hear

After a weekend away with the girls, my body tingled with anticipation to be home with my boyfriend, Matt. However, the joy of arriving home was dampened by the exhaustion of a three-hour drive and the presence of another car in my driveway. Apparently, my boyfriend’s twin, Michael, extended his two-day visit with his brother. More accurately, Matt spent the weekend babysitting his trouble-prone twin, protecting Michael from himself. Each change of season brought a new drama from which Michael needed extricating. If he wasn’t being hunted by a tatted-up Hell’s Angel whose girlfriend he fucked, his bookie would drop by looking to get paid. Having Michael around meant that Matt would have to swoop in to fix the problem. This promised to upend my plans to make my boyfriend a very happy boy tonight.

I parked on the street and opened the trunk. I threw my travel bag over my shoulder and trekked up the driveway – a short distance made interminable by my annoyance. I paused to kick the rear tire of his car. Although a futile gesture in terms of a solution, my mood improved. It was after eleven PM; the house was dark so, after unlocking the door, I stealthily entered the house. Too tired to unpack, I left my bag in the hallway and crept through the dark living room. With the shades down, I relied on his soft purring and the faint glow of the security camera to lead me to his silhouetted form in the chair. 

How sweet. He fell asleep waiting for me. 

I whispered into his ear. “Hey, handsome. I drove like crazy to get home.” Feeling a little conspicuous, I checked that the door to the spare room was shut tight. Michael would likely be in booze-induced slumber.

I got started on him immediately and boldly. The taste of whiskey on his soft lips mingled with the woody scent coming from his neck. How a few days away sanitized the memory. It pushed me harder.

“Mmmm, welcome back, Katherine. This is a surprise.”

My enthusiasm unlocked something within him; he seemed alive, more eager and prodigious than ever. Being his brother’s keeper for forty-eight hours transformed Matt from a gentle, conscientious lover into a raw, sexual aggressor. The experience electrified me.

I awakened on the couch and alone in the living room. Matt walked out of our bedroom and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

“So glad you’re home,” he said. 

“Me, too.”

“Pretty tired, huh? You couldn’t even drag yourself into the bedroom.”

“Yeah, the whole thing did me in.”

I didn’t want to ruin the magic of last night by rehashing it. The memory would live in my head; I’d forever dream of that carnal escapade.

Two months later…

I peed all over my hand trying to use the home pregnancy test strip. I used thirty seconds of the two minute wait time to wash my hands. The remaining minute and a half lasted about a week. Finally, I saw the results. Should I be happy? How is this going to affect our relationship? We’ve talked about having kids but made no firm decisions yet. I left the bathroom and sat on the sofa, resolute in my decision to share the news now. 

Matt came into the living room from the office holding his phone in his hand. The anger in his face suggested he just saw the credit card statement from my weekend away. Maybe I should wait?

“Do you know what I just fucking saw?” he asked. He angrily tapped the screen of his phone with his finger. “I thought the fucking cat was setting off the webcam so I adjusted the sensitivity. Do you know what —”

I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to get this out in the open. “I have to tell you something that’s going to be hard to hear,” I told him.

“Katie, this can’t wait. I —“

“Sit down.” I patted the cushion. 

He sighed, pocketed his phone and sat next to me on the sofa. I took his hand in mine. “I’m pregnant.” 

He pulled his hand away as if I told him I had leprosy. “What the —. That changes everything for us.”

“I don’t have to have the baby.”

“That’s none of my business,” he said. 

Ahh…the modern, enlightened man. 

“Does anyone else know?” He stood and walked to the center of the room.  

“I haven’t told anyone else. We can take some time and absorb this news. You know?”

“You really have no fucking idea.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. He tapped the screen and held it in front of my face as a video played.

It was me, on the night I returned from my weekend trip, getting fucked in the living room chair. The security camera detected motion and recorded the whole thing. I felt my face flush from the rush of blood up my neck. My mind swirled in confusion for a mere second before coalescing into comprehension. Sleeping in the chair, his cologne, his unusual size and energy. My boyfriend hadn’t waited up for me.

“That’s me… me and —?” I was fucking my boyfriend’s twin! 

“You really thought that was me?” he asked. “Give Michael a call. I’m just the uncle.” He walked to the bedroom and slammed the bedroom door closed.

The room spun uncontrollably. I felt sick. I ran to the bedroom door and put my hand on the knob. It wouldn’t turn. Sobbing, I banged on the door with my fist. “Matthew. Please. I didn’t know.” I banged the door again then collapsed to the floor by an overwhelming gravity. I crawled back to the living room and sat on the floor against the couch. I clumsily grabbed my phone from the side table and dialed Michael’s number. 

He answered on the second ring.

“You fucking son of a bitch.” I was enraged and my voice was guttural. “What the fuck did you do? You ruined my life.”

I waited in the anteroom of my doctor’s office scrolling through the stream of text messages from my girlfriend who works at the local hospital. A smile appeared on my face as I read the most recent message.

Nurse said its a brain bleed. Someone fucked him up good. 

I replied to the message.

Guess he fucked the wrong girl.

The nurse appeared at the entrance to the exam rooms and called my name. I returned my phone to my purse and stood. Before I took my second step toward the nurse, Matt walked through the door into the waiting room. His wet eyes met mine. Our embrace said everything that needed to be said but he added anyway, “I’ll wait right here.”