Chapter 5

Emma's POV

“Hey.” Kevin texted, about an hour after they got in.

My nerves calmed a bit.

“What's up? How was today? Didn't see you much?” There were a million other questions I wanted to ask, but that could suffice for now.

“It was a lot.” He replied. He was still typing, so I held my breath hoping he would explain the ‘a lot’ part.

“Hey, it's Kayla.” I got another text. Now I was torn, and curious. Why was she texting me? “I stole your contact from Kevin.” She admitted.

That was cool. I'd love to be friends with her if Kevin and I were ever going to amount to anything.

“Hi Kayla. Didn't see you much today. What's up?” I replied to her. Kevin was still typing, there must be a whole lot he wanted to say. Why didn't he just call? I didn't want to send any text so I wouldn't interrupt his thought process, so I decided to wait it out.

“There's something I think you should know.” Kayla said next.

“What is it?” My heart was beating twice as fast as it normally did. “Kayla, please. What's it?” I texted next. I could not even care less about Kevin.

“Monica has certain pictures of you.” Immediately the tears dropped, I almost felt my heart go into undulated contraction. I've never been more agitated in my life.

“How?” I couldn't type a lot. My hand had a brain of its own. My thumb was shaking and turning purple. I kept reminding myself to breathe. I also tried to slow my brain down. I was cooking up so many things in my head and it wasn't good for me. My eyes were tear filled and my head had started to hurt.

“What happened?!” I demanded in Kevin's chat.

“Emma. Please…” Was the last text he sent before Kayla's call cut my connection.

I picked up as fast as I could.

“Emma, I need you to calm down.” It was the first thing she said.

“How did it happen?” It was so easy for her to say since she wasn't the one who nudes were soon going to occupy everyone's head for the next week or two at school.

“Kayla, you fucker…” I heard Kevin school in the background. A little scuffle and the phone went off.

At that same moment, my mom walked.

I guess closing early is one of the perks of dating the boss.

“Hi mom.” I greeted and ran past her, storming straight to Kayla and Kevin's apartment.

“Coming.” I heard Kayla's voice after banging on their door loudly. “Come in, Emma.” She said on seeing me.

Kayla put her hand on my shoulder. I couldn't tell if it was for restriction, or for comfort, or both.

“Sit here.” She said, sitting me down. “He'd be here in a minute.”

That one minute was the longest one I had ever lived.

I tried to process my thoughts, but nothing was adding up. The tears were coming again.

“Emma…” Kevin looked so disheveled. But not enough for me to pity him. His braids were scattered and pointing in all directions.

“I think you should sit too.” Kayla said. She was the mediator here, we really could use one.

“I didn't mean for it to happen.” He started.

“So the pictures are really with her? Monica?” I asked again.

A really large part of me was hoping he'd debunk it, or that I misheard.

“I can explain.” He said instead.

I've heard that line in multiple romance movies from cheating boyfriends, and I never comprehended how such a simple sentence could make their girlfriends flair up so much, but I did that day.

As soon it left his lips, I stood up, walked over to him and smacked him right across the face. I don't have a sibling, so I had never done that to anyone. I don't know where the strength came from, it just did.

“I fucking hate you.” I said.

I grabbed his phone out of his hands and demanded he unlock it.

I went to our chats and deleted all my pictures, went to his in and deleted it too. Then I went to his chat with Monica, and I saw her name had multiple love images after it.

I was such a fool.

I deleted it for deleting sake and threw his phone back at him.

Kayla stood up and held me from behind. I was on the verge of collapsing on Kevin.

His hands were still on his cheeks where I smacked him.

“How did it happen?” I asked, wealy.

“She sent them to herself.” Kevin replied.

“How did she know you had it?” I asked again. There was no proof of what he was saying, and I didn't even think I was going to believe anything that came out of his mouth, but I wanted to know everything I could.

“It was either you or him.” Kayla spoke at that point.

“What does that even mean?” I shit back at her.

“Monica managed to take his phone a little before lunch time. Kevin didn't know it was unlocked. Apparently, Kevin's been giving her greenlight.” She shit Kevin the evil eye when she got to that part of her narration. “She and Kevin had been exchanging pictures. Then she stumbled on someone else's pictures on Kevin's phone and forwarded them to herself.” At that point, I crashed to the floor. Thankfully, because she was holding me so tight, I didn't hit my head against the cold tiles.

Kayla sat me up.

I looked up to see Kevin was shedding tears too.

“I'm sorry, Emma.” He apologized. “I know what I did was stupid.” His voice wasn't the thick sexy tone that used to get me wet. It was croaky, hearse and breaking.

“I wish you the worst, Kevin.” I said.

I was done in their apartment. I gathered what was left of my dignity and self respect, ready to face the worst.