Yes. Of course Kay wanted to spend Christmas with Kyle at the ranch. In her perfect daydream, Sophie would come over too, and it would be her, Kyle, Sophie and Max and Joey and Kelly and they'd play Carcassone in front of the fire, listen to music and eat Sophie's fantastic food.

In reality, the situation was much more complicated. She'd never spent Christmas anywhere but at home and since this was the first year without William, she doubted she could go anywhere. The thought of her brother shattered her heart, but it somehow made her want to be home even less.

It wouldn't be the same without him. Her parents had been so sad and moody since he disappeared, even if they kept hoping he would be back. Kay had lost hope, but still thought about him fairly often and wished he was still alive, even if away from them.

She'd learned to live with the pain. Live with hers. All she wanted was to be happy. And being with her friends for Christmas would do that. So she would try. The worst her mom could do was say no.

Still, as she entered the kitchen and saw her mother reading a magazine, her mouth turned down in a frown, apprehension caught hold of her. Kay sat down in front of her and waited to be acknowledged.

"What?" her mom asked, not raising her eyes.

"I was thinking," Kay started, trying to sound joyful. "Kelly and a few friends are spending Christmas together and they asked me to come along."

Her mother's eyes shot from the magazine to her, narrowed in dislike. "Really now? And who are these friends?"

Kay swallowed. She'd never had many friends. Except for Kelly and Angie, a childhood friend from Arizona, she'd never been as close to anyone as she was with Kyle. "Um, Joey Wilkes and..."

She was spared saying Kyle's name by her mother huffing. "You know what Kelly's mother told me? That she wants her nowhere near that Joey Wilkes. And I agree. You have both changed a lot ever since Kelly has been dating that boy. It's sweet of you to try to cover for your friend, but you're doing Kelly no favors."

"Oh, Mom, that's silly and not fair. You should see Joey and Kelly together. They're so in love--"

"You know what else I've heard?" her mom cut her off. "That this Joey Wilkes hangs out a lot with that Tanner boy. They're even in a band together or some nonsense."

"Well, yes, they are, but--"

"If Kelly spends time with Wilkes and you spend time with them, I'm pretty sure the Tanner boy is also involved." She dropped the magazine and stared at Kay intently across the table. "I want you nowhere near that boy."

This wasn't unexpected, but it still annoyed her. "Why not?"

"Beside the fact that he put your Donnie in the hospital?"

Ugh. Donnie again. Why did everything have to be about Donnie? "He just immobilized Donnie to get him away from me and you know that. Trust me, if Kyle wanted to hurt Donnie, he'd have been sent home in a matchbox."

She realized her mistake the moment the words were out. But after hanging out so much with Kyle, she'd become used to speaking her mind.

That sort of thing didn't go well with her mother. Cassandra narrowed her eyes, looking ready to breathe fire out her nostrils. "Yes, I have heard he is violent. And yet, you defend him. Do you even know who he is? The rumors surrounding him?" She leaned across the table with a look not unlike Erin's when faced with juicy gossip.

Kay hated that look and wanted to tell her mother that she didn't care about some stupid rumors, that she knew Kyle, but she didn't even get to open her mouth.

"His family is up north," her mom said, pulling away. "He's been dumped here since he was a baby and Betsy Cole is certain there's something dark going on. Most people agree that he's a bastard child. Some say he's actually Max Tanner's son with some gypsy witch who charmed him to get his money."

Kay huffed. That was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard. But before she could point that out, her mother continued.

"I think that's unlikely, but the most solid guess is that he's Tanner's sister's bastard child. She dropped him with her twin brother so that her husband wouldn't divorce her."

Kay's mouth fell open. That actually made sense. It would explain why Kyle's parents weren't around and why he couldn't see his brothers... She remembered the picture of Sam and Jerry and realization suddenly hit her. They looked nothing like Max. Kyle looked nothing like Max, but did resemble his brothers. Which meant all three kids got their genes from their father's side.

"That can't be true. I've seen his brothers and they look alike, but nothing like Max."

Her mother seemed shocked by this game-changing piece of information, but recovered quickly. "Then, maybe he's the product of an affair his father had..."

This was getting ridiculous. "I doubt the cheated wife's twin brother would take the child then," Kay said bluntly. She didn't care who Kyle's parents were and why they abandoned him. It didn't make her care about him any less.

"Either way, the situation is fishy. He's bad news. Unwanted by his family, spoiled silly by that flashy, immature Tanner..."

"Mom, you should stop listening to stupid gossip. Who cares why Max raised him? Kyle's an amazing guy. He's so smart and talented and--"

"Good in bed?"

The words hung between them and Kay got a very uncomfortable knot in her stomach. "Um, what?"

The look on Cassandra's face was disturbingly wolfish. "Because if we're  talking stupid gossip, I've heard a lot of that regarding you."

The air in the room seemed to grow scarce. The knot in Kay's stomach turned into dancing snakes, and she swallowed heavily. "Like what?"

"Like how the Tanner boy took your virginity and uses you whenever he feels like it."

Kay's hands felt like blocks of ice. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that stupid high school rumors would reach her mother. "That's not true. We're just friends."

"I hope, for your sake, it's not true." Her mother returned to her magazine. "We have a gynecologist appointment tomorrow to confirm, and may the Lord have mercy on you if you let that miscreant lay a hand on you."

The ice inside Kay turned into tongues of fire, burning her with embarrassment. "I'm not going to any gynecologist to confirm anything." She couldn't believe her mother could plan something so cruel and mortifying.

"Yes, you are, even if I have to drag you by the hair to get you there," her mother answered, not even raising her face from her Marie Claire.

"I didn't sleep with Kyle or Donnie or anyone else."

"Oh, I know you didn't sleep with Donnie. Everyone knows that."

"Why don't you trust me?" Kay yelled.

Silence filled the kitchen, her words echoing off the white walls.

Her mother put the magazine on the table and straightened the pages. "Why should I trust you? You're nothing like my sweet Kathy anymore. Look at you!" She waved her hand towards Kay. "Your hair, your clothes, the way you walk, the way you act towards your father and I. My Kathy wouldn't have dreamed to spend Christmas away from her family. You're always out of the house, going to music lessons and dance lessons and other completely useless activities."

"They're not useless. They make me feel better," Kay whispered.

"And do you think I don't know that you haven't once called Donnie or went to see him?" Her mother continued as if Kay hadn't said a thing. "You broke your promise to me. You abandoned him when he needed you the most and for what? That Tanner boy and his deprived life style? I'm so embarrassed to even be in the same room as Jean now."

Kay gritted her teeth and clenched her fists under the table. She'd been avoiding this conversation for such a long time, but she wouldn't let her mother do this.

"You know why I didn't contact Donnie? Because he punched me in the face. I tried to break up with him and his response was to hit me. He always put me down, disrespected me in front of other people and cheated on me."

Her mother waved her away. "That only happened once. He's a man. If you refuse him, he's going to go somewhere else. You're lucky he didn't go to a whore house and then gave you some disease."

Kay's mouth fell open. She couldn't believe her mother knew and thought that what Donnie did was normal. That she was lucky.

"I don't care what you think, but I'm not one to accept something like that. He hurt me. And all the extra activities help me with the pain, help me move on. Make me a better, stronger self."

Her mother just stared, and for a moment, Kay thought she'd finally gotten it. Instead, she threw her head back and laughed.

"You're not one to accept cheating? Honey, you did. And it's alright. Men will be men. But stop lying to yourself. This strong, confident mask isn't working on me. I can see right through you. You can change your clothes and the way you walk and act, start learning a million silly things to occupy your time, but you're still Kathy. You still love and need Donnie. You're my sweet, sensitive little girl who should be by her boyfriend. You haven't changed. You're just pretending."

Tears filled Kay's eyes as she looked at her mother's condescending smile. It looked evil. How could she do this? Try to tear down everything Kay had worked so hard for? Could she be right? Am I just fooling myself that I'm getting better?

"It would do you a world of good to stop trying to be someone you're not." Her mother returned to her magazine once more.

The tears escaped down Kay's cheeks and she clenched her fists so hard it hurt. "You're wrong."

"Yes, honey, whatever you say," Cassandra mumbled.

Kay stood so abruptly, her chair fell to the floor with a loud bang. Her mother didn't even flinch. Kay whipped around, tears falling and hurried outside. She couldn't stand to be in that house for one second longer. Not with that woman.

She climbed in her truck, started the engine and drove off. Her hands shook on the wheel and her vision was blurry, but driving was the only escape she had. She didn't even know where she was going. As far away from her as possible. How? How could her mother say those things? How could she not believe her and take her to a doctor?

It was true that they had grown apart over the past few months, but she'd always thought it was because of William. Because of their disagreement about Donnie's faults. But she would have never imagined her mother outright despised her. That she could say something like that, treat her as if she'd always been a problem child.

She hadn't been. Not until she stopped being Donnie's rag and found herself.

My Kathy. She didn't want to be her Kathy. She wanted to be Kay. But was she Kay or was she needy, pathetic Kathy hiding behind a wall?

The tears blurred her vision completely and she pulled over before she had a stupid accident. She leaned her head on the wheel and let herself cry. Get it out of your system. But she wasn't sure she could. There were so many things she should've told her mother, and now it was too late. She'd never felt more estranged from her family.

Stop crying. Crying solves nothing. Kay raised her face and wiped her eyes. She had to pull herself together. Maybe she could go to Kelly's place. But no, Kelly's mother was not to be trusted. There was one more place she could go...

She started the engine again and drove straight to Tanner Ranch. But once she reached the gate, she couldn't go in. Her mother had managed to turn her sanctuary bitter. What if she wasn't really strong and the only thing keeping her together was Kyle? She lay her head on the wheel and started crying again. Because she was miserable, because she had nowhere to go and because she was being so pathetic.

A knock on her window made her jump. Kyle was right outside, looking at her worried. She wiped her face with her sleeve and unlocked the doors. One deep breath later, he was in the passenger seat and closed the door.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

Kay bit on her lower lip, processing the situation. Was it wrong that she wanted him to hold her, caress her, tell her that everything would be okay? Was that her just being needy and pathetic? Was she disappointed by how guarded and cerebral he seemed?

"My mother," she finally answered, her eyes fixed on the gate before them. "She doesn't want me hanging out with you anymore. She said I'm sad and needy and pathetic and that all this is just a mask."

"That's not true," Kyle said calmly. "You are strong and independent. Because that's who you really are. The needy and pathetic you was just a mask."

She turned to look at him and he looked back at her with determination. He really meant what he said. And it was also the reason he hadn't hugged her and cooed her. Because she didn't need it. She wanted it, but could do without. And he wanted to prove it to her.

"You really believe that?"

"I know you, Kay. Apparently better than your own mother. Because I took the time and effort to dig beneath the surface. And I found the real you in there. Don't believe that bullshit. Your mother should be ashamed of herself."

Kay looked away from him, processing his words. She wanted them to be true so much. And even if they weren't, she appreciated him saying those things all the same because it did make her feel in control again. "Can I get a hug?"

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I want one."

With a proud smile, Kyle leaned over and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. "That's right. Because you want one. Not because you need it. You don't need me or anyone else. But it feels good to know you want me around."

Kay nodded against him, tears filling her eyes again. "It hurts, you know. What she said."

"Of course it hurts. It would hurt coming from a stranger, let alone your own mother."

"She heard the rumors at school. She wants to take me to a doctor tomorrow to make sure I'm still a virgin."

He pulled away from her, shocked. "What?"

"I told her they're just rumors, that I don't want to go, but she doesn't trust me anymore." She wiped her eyes. "It's so embarrassing."

Kyle's eyes darkened and a sudden chill seemed to fill the car. "Wait here, I'll be right back." He jumped out of the truck, opened the gate and hurried inside.

Kay sighed wondering if she should've kept that last bit to herself, but it involved him and letting it out made her feel much better. She barely had time to fix her face when the gate opened again and the Ferrari charged out.

He pulled next to her truck and rolled the window down. "Get in."

She stared for a second, but hopped out of her truck and got into his car. Going for a drive with Kyle seemed like a pretty good idea. Maybe they could just get away from there, go nowhere in particular. It would help her clear her head.

He shot off the moment she closed the door.

"Where are we going?" she asked after a few minutes of silent speeding through town.

"I'm taking you home," he answered, his eyes on the road.

"What? Why? I could've taken myself home if I wanted anywhere near that place." He didn't answer and she got an extremely bad feeling about the whole thing. "Wait, what are you planning to do?" He still didn't answer. "Kyle, whatever you're planning, it's a bad idea."

"Of course it's a bad idea," he mumbled, but didn't change direction.

"Let's go somewhere else. Just drive around. Whatever it is you want can wait."

"No, it can't."

"Please. I don't want to see them. I just want to be with you."

This got his attention. He glanced at her, a slight worry crease between his eyes. "I wanna be with you too, Kay. But not like this. Not when you're vulnerable."

The words bounced around her head, begging to be understood. Did he mean the same thing she did, or something else? The thought was distracting enough to stop any form of protest.

He turned back to the road and, in what felt like seconds, pulled up in front of her house and got out.

Kay struggled with her seatbelt, and by the time she got out of the car, he was halfway to her door. "Kyle, no."

Her mother came charging out, screaming over her shoulder as if Kyle had an axe. "Jonah. Jonah!"

Oh, shit. Kay hurried after Kyle, trying to stop him from doing something noble and stupid.

"I never touched your daughter," Kyle said, stopping less than a foot from her mother.

"Get off my lawn, you miscreant!"

"How could you humiliate her like that?" He continued as if she'd said nothing. "She's a great person and you're cutting her wings. Do you think she's made for this suburban bullshit?"

"Jonah!" Her mother called again over her shoulder.

Kay reached Kyle, but had no idea what to do or say. Part of her was fascinated by what was going on.

"You listen to me and listen well," Kyle said between his teeth, pointing his finger at her mother. She backed away as if he were brandishing a knife. "Kay's strong, and independent and amazing, and if you can't see that, then you're an awful mother."

"How dare you!" Her mother took one step forward. "You don't even have a mother."

"I'd rather not have a mother than have one like you."

Her mother's jaw dropped. At that moment Kay's father burst out of the house, a rifle in his hand. Kay immediately got in front of Kyle, her arms spread out. This was getting way out of hand.

"Get off my property!" Her father yelled, pointing the gun over her shoulder.

"Daddy, no!" Kay yelled back.

"You should be on her side, helping her heal, not cater to Donnie the idiot. Do you have any idea what that asshole put her through? But not only do you not help, but you try to destroy what she's managed to achieve on her own," Kyle went on as if someone wasn't pointing a loaded weapon at him. "And I can't let you or anyone else hurt her."

"Oh, and what are you going to do about it?" Her father said in a mocking voice. "How dare you come here claiming that we're hurting our own daughter?"

"Ask your wife," Kyle snapped.

"Enough!" Kay yelled. This was giving her a headache and nothing good could come out of it. She appreciated Kyle's loyalty, but this had gone far enough. "Kyle, go home!"

"Fine. I already said what I came for." Kyle shot one last glare at her parents then turned to her. "Slap me," he whispered.

"What?" she whispered back, shocked.

"Yell at me and kick me out, or you'll be on house arrest forever."

Damn, he had a point. And even if she hated this and wished her parents knew she agreed with everything Kyle said, not seeing him anymore would be too great a price to pay to be right. So she nudged him and slapped him. Even if she hadn't hit him hard, her skin stung.

"How dare you speak to my parents that way?" she demanded. "Get out of here and stay away from me!"

"What? I was only trying to help," he answered, looking so affronted she almost bought it for a second.

"By insulting my parents? What kind of friend does that? I never want to see you again!" She gave him another shove for the hell of it.

"Fine. Apparently they're right about you, anyway." He whipped around and stalked towards his car.

They all watched as he drove off like a storm. Her father put his hand on Kay's shoulder and squeezed.

"It's alright, honey, he's gone."

Kay nodded and went inside the house and to her room. She hated that she had to do this, but Kyle had been right. She didn't want to get grounded and not see him anymore.

Her phone chimed and she looked at it with a smile. We deserve damn Oscars. I'll get you your truck back.

Thank you, she texted back.

Anytime.

🧩🧩🧩

Right, this chapter. It's very important and dramatic. I also want it to be believable. How do you feel about what happened? How about what Kyle did and how Kay reacted to everything?

Just for fun, next chapter title: Donnie and Cecily

Thanks so much for reading. Don't forget to vote comment and recommend to all your friends;)