Constant vibration pull me out of sleep and I wake just in time to save my phone from falling off the nightstand to its destruction. I can't help the groan that escape me when I see the caller ID. I contemplate ignoring the call but you can't get rid of him that easily, so I take it.

"Remy".

"A fine morning to you too. Took you long enough but I can totally understand". He sounds very chirper for the hour.

"Understand what?"

"That your responsibilities have doubled". I almost give myself whiplash from rising so fast.

"Wh_what are you talking about? What responsibilities?"

"The one that comes from adding an extra body to your relationship". The tiles are a little cold under my feet, summer is quickly leaving us, almost as quickly as my breath left me seconds ago.

"Remy_"

"Why didn't you tell me about the feline Jake? You know I will never judge your lifestyle if it isn't affecting your work".

"Feline?"

"The girl at the game? I always had my suspicions and I must commend you, it's not easy for a gay man to come out as bisexual these days, even the lgbt community can be intolerable sometimes. It's like they all forget what it feels like to not know what umbrella covers you and you don't even need to have an umbrella, you can just stroll right into the rain and __" He continue talking about umbrellas and rainbows for a minute while I try to make sense of the bullshit.

"Anyway, now that you are in a 3-way relationship, I can understand how demanding it must be and I'm going to assume it's why you are not at the gym right now. Lucia is here, the woman mountain with a shit ton of tattoos? I set her up with one of the guys but I think he has ten minutes before he loses an arm". If only the man could focus on one topic at once, it'd do everyone a lot of good.

"3-way? What the fuck are you talking about?" I move to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face, maybe then I'll gain some clarity.

Travis isn't anywhere in sight and he doesn't go to the garage until 9am on Saturdays, the few times he decides to go at all.

"Do you not have Wi-Fi? You are on all the blogs, sports, fitness, food, even fashion and all she had on in that picture was a plain polo, it has to have been the camou. Not forgetting that Travis makes every piece of clothing look good". I pause with the toothbrush centimeters from my mouth, staring at the phone on the counter.

"Picture".

"They are chewing it up". He laughs throatily. "This new contract really working out for you boss, congrats. I expect a raise soon".

I press end on the call and immediately log on to Instagram. I don't have to scroll at all, it's the first thing on my feed, the picture. There are four of them. In the first one, I'm holding the car door for Ingrid, in the second she is laughing with Travis at the bleachers, in the third we are all walking into the diner but it's the last one that has me perspiring.

We are at a club, Ingrid and I and the background is brighter than I remember. She has her hair down and she looks totally wasted, dancing too close to me, hand wrapped loosely around my neck and I don't look any more sober with my eyes almost completely shut, my head tipped back in a drunken laughter.

I don't have to read much of the caption to grasp its context. They are saying what Remy was telling me earlier, that popular footballer Jake Levinson isn't entirely gay after all and isn't limiting his options. It's obvious that he has a new love interest but his longtime sweetheart still appears to be in the picture. What is this? Polyamory? How interesting.

    I abandon the device and my toothbrush to go in search of Travis. He is downstairs, I can hear the sound of the TV and when I descend, I wish the thing would just explode because stamped on the screen is that vile photo of Ingrid and I. He is gripping his coffee lightly, slowly inhaling its aroma and when he hears me come in, he takes a big gulp of it before returning to the kitchen.

"Travis".

"I'm guessing that is the night you got her pregnant". He pours out his coffee and set the cup down in the sink.

What do you say in this situation? How do you apologize to your boyfriend for things you didn't even expect.

"I'll have the pictures taken down, all of them".

"These things never go away Jake, you know that. It just gets buried and resurrected over and over again". I think I am plucking my hair out of my scalp as he watches me with red rimmed eyes. Of course he is losing sleep.

"You look like you were having a lot of fun". His voice is shaky and I want to break something.

"It was nothing like that, maybe I just wanted to let off some steam but I went to hard and fast, I don't even remember that moment". I gesture wildly at the living room and he is just staring at me with uncertainty.

"Travis_" The sound of the doorbell almost scares me out of my skin.

"For fuck sake!" I curse loudly and when the ringing persists, I leave Travis with a pleading look to go get it.

"It is polite to open the door on time". My mother gives me a hard look that I do not have the strength to be affected by 

"It is courteous to let me know before coming over".

"You really need to start checking you emails. Though I wasn't aware I had to take permission before coming to see my only child".
I don't have time for this right now.

"What do you need, mother? Twice in a week is too much by your standards and I am quite busy". She pushes her way in as usual.

"Of course you are, becoming a father isn't a walk in the park".

"Really? You'll have to pardon my ignorance, there was no one to tell me that".

She looks crossed as she turns to face me but quickly plaster on her winning attorney smile and I almost sigh.

"Will you be a darling and make me a coffee? Black".

Travis walk into the living room and at the sight of her, he doesn't hold back his sigh.

"I'm off to work". He mutters, grabs his keys from the kitchen bowl and struts out without a glance at either of us.

"Trouble in paradise?" My mother sounds like the most spiteful teenage bitch and I want to yell at her for being petty but she is still my mother.

"Don't you concern yourself with that and you can't keep showing up here unannounced, this place belongs to Travis and I and you've made it clear that you despise him. I know that is why you are putting up this show with Ingrid, you don't like her, you don't like anyone, you just want to spite Travis but please mother, I beg you don't make things worse for me. That man is the only person I have ever loved this much, he makes me really happy. Just this once, let that matter to you".

She looks at me in disbelief, it's unlike us to talk about feelings, mostly because she doesn't seem to have any but if she does have some buried in her core, I really hope it gets to her. She reach up and caress my cheek and it's so tempting to just let go and melt into her arms but Sarah Levinson doesn't have motherly tenderness so I easily spot the deception in her touch.

"Get me a coffee Jacob". She request in a low tone and I know all my efforts have been wasted on an arid person.

She makes herself comfortable on a seat and I turn to do as she asked, hoping that if I appease her she'll be on her way soon.

       Ingrid's heavy feet hardly make a sound on the floor as she makes her way into the kitchen.

"Hey. Have you seen_ " Her eyes drift to the living room where my mom has that stupid report running at full volume.

"That". Her voice is a vibration of emotions and she doesn't need a reply from me.

"I definitely won't be going to any more of your games". She state, completely ignoring the presence of my mother who is yet to notice her and it makes me smile a little.

"Travis?" She sounds nervous as she ask after him.

"Work". I don't know what it is about my voice but her face immediately turns sympathetic.

"This is all my fault, I should just_"

"Ingrid! Come over here you lovely girl". The sugar dripping from my mother's words make me cringe.

"She doesn't like me, does she?" Ingrid's smile is teasing and I chuckle lightly.

"My mother doesn't really do human beings". She choke back a laugh as she goes over to the woman, bearing her coffee on my behalf.

I use the opportunity to sneak back to my room where my phone is still sitting on the bathroom counter. My manager doesn't pick up on the first try but he does on the third and I am tempted to yell.

"Have you seen the pictures online?"

"I_ eh. I've spoken to the site, they have taken it down". His stuttering pisses me off more.

"How do pictures like that get out without passing through you?"

"Bloggers are smart and everyone has access to the media and smartphones. Jake it's really not that hard". I groan loudly and he stays quiet.

"This is bad. So bad".

"Actually, it is quite good. Your followership has increased and the club is happy about the attention".

"This is my personal life. Travis and Ingrid do not deserve to be dragged into the public eye. Do you know how inconvenient all these is for them?"

He stutters helplessly for too long.

"I am sorry but what can I do?" I don't know and I really feel like punching the mirror right now but it wouldn't help either.

"Where are you on the apartment?" He clears his throat slowly.

"Eh. We don't have one yet but we have a few lined up and we'll get something soon, I promise".

"It's been a week! Find something, anything. Don't think about the cost before they find out she's staying here".

"Yes sir. I am so sorry".

I sigh at his scared tone. The poor man isn't used to seeing me this way but I am at my wits end. I've never been this exposed to the media before.

"Please Benson"

     My mother still has Ingrid trapped in an aimless conversation when I walk back out after getting ready for the gym. She looks at me and smirk, I am sure she can see how tired and frustrated I am and it gladdens her of course. Seeing me suffer always has.

____________________________
Hola
Just to thank everyone reading and to bring to your notice that the book is drawing near to its end and I'm sorry but I can't give any spoilers.

We have just 4 chapters left and an epilogue and I'm already feeling like a proud mom🧖‍♀