Chapter 221

Kent laughs a little at my impudent question. “No,” he says. “I didn’t know Jerome was gay – I had no idea. Honestly, Fay, I thought he was into you. I’d heard him talk about girls before – just locker room kind of things with the other guys in the alley – which could very well be a defense mechanism in this kind of work, but,” he sighs, “when Ivan casually dropped that Daniel and Jerome were together?” He shakes his head, still baffled. “It was a shock.”

“Kent,” I say quietly and then I lift myself up, turning and slinging one leg over his lap so that I’m straddling him and able to look him in the face, looping my hands casually around his neck. Kent rests his hands on my hips, looking at me seriously. “Is it possible…” I hesitate now, still putting together my thoughts.

“What, Fay?” he asks, encouraging.

“Well,” I say, looking into his deep green eyes. “Is it possible that even though you are the one who noticed Jerome…that someone…placed him there? On purpose? So that you could notice him?”

Kent’s hands momentarily tighten on my hips as he realizes what I’m saying. Then the loosen, a deep breath coming with them. “Yes,” Kent whispers, nodding. “It is…I mean, I hadn’t considered it before, but it is…possible.”

My heart sinks then, because I…I don’t want to be asking these questions, and I feel guilty even considering it. “Jerome has been so good to me, Kent,” I say quietly. “He has always been on my side. He believed me about the baby even before you and Daniel did – took my word for it. And I entrusted him with so much on the day we left – I had him go get you over anyone else -”