GLITTER GULCH

Chapter 25: Iron Rock Crusher

"Where's Cye? Is he here?"

"He's in the kitchen, but Ken…"

"Thanks, Ro!" Kento hurried past Rowan into the kitchen, talking all the way. "Cye! I've been looking everywhere for you! After you ran from the schoolhouse, I had a lot of time to think about what happened, and I'm really sorry. I didn't have any right to do that. I should have asked you-"

Cye was staring at him with wide, tear-filled eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'll just-"

The schoolteacher was there, but so was someone else - someone with his arm around the Brit's shoulders.

"Kento?" The mountain man looked at the floor. "I'd like for you to meet Philip."

Kento's heart plummeted to his feet. Philip took his arm from around Cye's shoulder and held out his hand for Kento to shake.

"Philip Masters. Cye's fiance."

Dazed and brutally shaken, Kento reached out to shake Philip's hand. "Ken…Kento Hardrock. Nice to meet you." The response was automatic. He really wanted to beat the shit out of the guy and then go jump off a cliff.

"The pleasure's all mine, I assure you. Little Cyril here has said that you gentlemen have been taking excellent care of him."

Cyril?

A small tear escaped the corner of Cye's eye. "Well, I'll just get dinner started, shall I?" he said as he wiped away the offending water drop then started clanging pots and pans.

"What can I do to help, love?"

Sick to his stomach, Kento fled the kitchen and walked over to Rowan.

"His fiance?"

"Sit down, Ken."

Dumbly, the mountain man nodded and sat in a chair by the fireplace. "I don't believe it! The prick that left him a note breaking up with him is here?! In our house?!"

"Calm down, Ken."

"But Ro, he's not what Cye needs."

"I know, I know."

"I'm what Cye needs."

"I know, Ken." Rowan patted him on the back.

A long silence filled the room until Kento practically giggled. "Cyril?"

Rowan grinned. "That's what Phil calls him, but he hates it. Says it's not his real name."

Kento began laughing out loud. "I bet he does." But it was a nervous laugh. A laugh born out of frustration and loss. It quickly ended.

There was another long silence.

"Ro?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you really think he'll go back with him?"

"I dunno, Ken. Depends."

"Depends on what?"

"On how willing ya are ta fight for him."