A disguised foe

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Dave had just dropped Josh off with Kayla, he was in the kitchen making some smoothie when Sheila walked in holding his phone upward facing the screen to his face.

"Why is Kayla calling you? I thought you just dropped Josh, what does she want?"

In an attempt to grab his phone, Dave stretched forth his hands clawing together his fingers but Sheila wasn't close enough for reach and she also wasn't going to move closer as she was visibly upset.

"I'm not doing this with you Sheila, call her back and ask what she wants. Keep me out of it." Dave instructed then turned on the smoothie maker and gazed at it with wrapped attention as it blended. Seeing how engrossed Dave was, Sheila slammed the phone on the table and left for the bedroom. Immediately Sheila was out of sight, Dave picked up his phone to observe for any breakage. Seeing that his phone is still intact and heavily protected by the pouch, he murmured, looking upstairs, "God saved you".

As Dave chugged on his smoothie, he kept wondering why Kayla would call. Normally she wouldn't call unless Josh was with him and even when Josh falls ill, she doesn't call to inform him. It will be after discharge he will get to know from Josh that he's been ill. So seeing a missed call from Kayla felt to Dave like one of the 8th wonders of the world and he didn't know if to call back or not. While he pondered, he heard the doorbell and didn't know when he dashed to the door, trying to keep his hair tidy and checked himself for dirt. As he opened the door, he was disappointed to see it was Dan his best bud. Immediately his morale dropped and Dan felt it.

"Hey man, you are not happy with me?" Dan questioned shutting the door behind him as he followed Dave to the open kitchen.

"Hey, is everything ok? You know if you don't want me around I could just leave." Dan said while pointing and turning to the door. He was already stepping to the door when Dave called out and asked him to wait. "Why are you here, without even inquiring if I was home? I was expecting... Never mind, it's just a surprise seeing you here." Dave concluded.

"Hmmm, you were expecting who Dave? Kayla?" Dan questioned curiously.

"Wait! How did you....? Guy what's going on? Did Sheila invite you again?" Dave questioned but Dan was quiet.

Looking at Dan sternly, Dave questioned again, "Did Sheila ask you to come snoop for her? To come find out about Kayla and I because if she did I swear this relationship will end this minute."

"The relationship will end so what happens? You go back to your baby mama and then you all can live happily ever after?" Dan paused briefly waiting for a response from Dave but he didn't get any so he continued, "Guy, what is wrong with you? Kayla has moved on, you have Sheila now why are you still stuck up in the past?"

"Where is all this talk with Kayla coming from? What has Sheila been feeding you? She was the one who brought Kayla's missed call to my notice. I mean I didn't even call her back...." Dave paused briefly, then continued. "Why am I even explaining myself? You know what Dan you need to leave and I'm going to give Sheila a warning, if she pulls this stunt again, she's leaving my house and my life for good."

Dave fumed, he grabbed his smoothie and dashed upstairs leaving Dan to see himself out. Sheila who was eavesdropping the whole time, wasn't quick to leave the staircase and was immediately run into by Dave. In anger, Dave yelled, "Good! I can see you were in on all that I told your cousin, test me one last time Sheila and you will be sorry." Sheila was quiet and Dave shoved her aside as he continued up stairs.

---

The following day being Sunday, Dave decided to pay Kayla a visit. On his way, he grabbed a quick meal and a pack of juice for both Kayla and Josh.

Arriving at her house while still seated in his car, he straightened his clothing and chuckled at himself. Looking in the mirror of his car, he said to himself, "you still love her, man. Just look at you, trying to impress." He laughed again, cleared his throat, and stepped out of the car with the food and juice.

Dave felt excited, he had missed Kayla and hoped she felt the same.

Impatiently ringing her doorbell, he had expected Kayla to come open up, since she never lets Josh answer the door. But, disappointingly, for the second time, it was his friend Dan who answered, which came as a heavy shock to both of them. Simultaneously, they both chorused, "What are you doing here?"

For a while, they were both speechless, standing and staring at each other maliciously, until Kayla yelled from the kitchen, "Babe, who's at the door?"

Not getting a response, she came to see what was going on and found both Dave and Dan in a deafening silence. "Oh, Dave, I wasn't expecting you, since you dropped Josh off yesterday and all. Why didn't you call to inform me of your coming?" Kayla questioned, standing with Dan at the doorpost and resting her hand on his shoulder while leaning for support. A sight that killed Dave and he needed no seer to inform him what was going on.

"How long has this been going on?" Dave questioned in a shaky voice.

"Listen, Dave, you need to leave," Dan said, attempting to take Kayla inside.

"Shut up, you two-timing snake! I wasn't talking to you," Dave fired.

"He's right, Dave; you need to leave this instance. I don't want you creating a scene," Kayla said.

"Oh, is that it? You're having an affair with my best friend, and you feel you don't owe me an explanation?"

"No, Dave, I hold you nothing. You didn't give me an explanation when you cheated with Sheila."

"Oh, I see; this is payback. A mistake with Sheila, and you ran off with her cousin. Classic move, and trashy, even for you." As tears welled up in Dave's eyes, he handed over the food pack to Kayla and continued, "I thought, since you called yesterday, you needed me around, but I'm guessing it's just a butt dial."

Kayla felt reluctant to take the food pack. She looked at Dan for approval, but he looked away. Infuriated, Dave fired, "You don't need approval from a random man to accept things for my son. They're for him, not you."

Kayla looked at Dan again, who looked back, nudging her to take it. As she collected the food pack, Dave scoffed, then shook his head and this ticked Kayla off.

"Well, you're right Dave; it's a butt dial, because I never called you, and I will never call you, not even if Josh's life depends on it. You made that crystal clear on the night Josh was born. You weren't there when I needed you, and when I informed you about our child, your fake business trip cover was blown, thanks to your mistress, who sent a picture of you both in a compromising position."

"Well, I'm sorry I bothered you. Enjoy your life," Dave said and left heartbroken. As he drove home, streams of tears washed down his face. He really did love Kayla and never stopped loving her, not even when he was with Sheila.

"Well, it's too late now," Dave sobbed quietly.

At Sheila's end, she couldn't move past the last confrontation she had with Dave. She had thought Kayla divorcing him would finally make him hers, but threatening to throw her out was just the height of it. She had already packed her bags to leave, to avoid further humiliation. But just as she was about to drag her luggage downstairs, her phone beeped. It was a message from Dan, which read, "Congratulations, he's all yours; mission accomplished."