by C. L. Stacey
There’s too much pressure on Ari right now, and if I don’t find a way to relay the message to Aryn, no one will. She’s too young for this shit. Raising a baby has got to be hard on any family, but doing it alone while you’re barely considered an adult— that’s just crazy.
Ayli is Aryn’s daughter. He needs to step up and be a father.
The soft chimes from overhead pull me from my thoughts. I excuse myself quietly as I squeeze past a few people on my way off the elevator, and I head down the hall toward Ari and Aryn’s place.
I decided to give Ari a full day of space since our last conversation. She has no idea I decided to stay in New York, so my showing up here unannounced will be a surprise.
“Caleb?”
Lost in my own head, I didn’t recognize Ari standing there just a few feet away.
“Kid…” I stop in the middle of the hallway and let her come the rest of the way to me, since she’s obviously on her way out. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”
Ari pulls her earphones from her ears as she gets closer, and I take in her casual ensemble. Running gear, by the looks of it. “I was about to head out for a run,” she confirms. Then her mouth draws into a frown when she asks, “Weren’t you supposed to head back to LA?”
“I was…” I scratch the back of my head, “but I decided to extend the trip to tie up some loose ends.”
“Oh…”
“Mind if I run with you?” I change the subject.
Ari gestures toward me with a chuckle. “You’re going to run in that?” she refers to my suit.
“Well, obviously not this,” I laugh. “But there are a bunch of shops down on the main floor of this building. I’m sure I can find something in one of the retail stores.”
“Okay, sure.” She shrugs, leading the way back toward the elevators.
We stroll leisurely down the mile-long path to the park, catching up on all the stuff we’ve missed over the past few years. I let her do most of the talking, since I don’t find my life all that interesting. I’d much rather learn about her.
I notice that she mostly talks about Ayli, and I can’t help but smile at how she glows, speaking so animatedly and with so much love. Then she shows me pictures, tons of them. If I didn’t know her, I’d automatically assume that she was the tiny tot’s mother.
“So, where’s Ayli right now?” I ask, carefully broaching the subject.
“With my parents.”
The mention of Carl and Jane brings back a lot of great memories for me. They were like parents to me when mine were traveling the world for work.
Soon after I got accepted to Yale, my parents immersed themselves in charitable work, doing their part in saving kids all around the world; teaching them, feeding them, finding ways to shelter them. Both came from old money, inheriting more than they can spend in three lifetimes, and unlike many others with their level of wealth, they use their money for good.
“We need to be grateful for all the things we have, Caleb,” mother would always say.
“There are so many out there who are forced to go without. We can’t save the world, but we sure as hell can try,” my father would usually chime in.
Needless to say, I admire the hell out of them.
If it weren’t for Carl and Jane, my holidays as a college undergrad would have been pretty lonely times.
“God, it’s been too long. How have they been doing?” I ask, genuinely curious of their well-being.
“They’re great, healthy and happy.” She smiles.
“Good.” I smile when learning exactly what I’d hoped to hear. “So, they watch Ayli from time to time?”
“Well, they try to take her on mornings they don’t work, but it’s not as often as they’d like. Kayli’s parents take Ayli on the weekends. I thought it’d be good for them to bond with her that way, without any of us around.”
Still the thoughtful one, I see. Ari’s always tried satisfying all those around her, so this comes as no shock to me.
“You’re doing great, kid.” My mouth tips into a half-smile when her head swivels toward me. “Just in case you were wondering,” I add.
“Thanks, Caleb.”
That was as heavy as our conversation was going to get, I will make sure of it. I want her to try and have a stress-free time, at least while she’s with me. So, we talk about the little things. She asks me about my life, about my company, etcetera.
We reach the park when Ari asks me if I’m seeing anyone back in LA.
Laughing at the absurdity of the question, I answer with a resounding, “No.”
“So, nothing’s changed, then,” she knowingly states with a chuckle.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, don’t act like I don’t know you, Caleb.”
My mouth drops open, and I feign offense. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re a whore,” she states outright.
We both stop to stretch, and Ari giggles when I fix her with an incredulous stare. “I resent that.”
“Please!” She rolls her eyes as she brings her arm over her chest to stretch it out, then she does the same to the other one. “Are you trying to tell me that you’re a boyfriend guy?”
“Well…” I tilt my head in consideration.
“Liar!” she laughs, then bends over to stretch out her legs.
“Okay, hey!” I hold out a hand, palm out. “Enough about me, I can only take so much shaming in one day.” I laugh when she bats my hand away from her face. “What about you? Seeing anybody?”
Ari responds with a funny face when coming back up to right herself. “Ick, no.”
“Ick?”
“Well, there was this guy…” she leaves me hanging before turning to walk the trail.
Was that story over?
I jog to catch up with her then slow to match her stride. “Was?”
“I was seeing someone for a little while.”
“How long is a little while?”
“Like eight months?”
“That’s a fucking while!”
Ari snickers at that. “Maybe for you. For normal people, eight months is not that long.”
I brush off that insult and ask another question. “What happened?”
“What inevitably happens in most relationships, Caleb, it ended.” Her tone sounds snippier now than it did before.
I know that I should take the hint and drop it, but I, of course, ignore it and pry into her business anyway. “Why, though?”
Then, in the most casual manner possible, she says, “He slept with someone else.”
A rush of anger surges through me, and I come to a halt. “Whoa,” I pull on her arm, “stop. Time out.”
Freeing her arm from my grip, Ari hikes both hands on her hips and waits for the third degree.
“What’s his name?”
Fully expecting the question, Ari laughs it off with a roll of her eyes. “Does it matter?”
“It won’t…” I shrug. “After I rip his dick off and beat him to death with it.”
She releases an exasperated sigh. “I wasn’t in love with the guy or anything. It’s whatever. He’s just like any other guy.”
Just as she takes her first step back, I hold my arm out to block her path. “Just another guy— You expect this kind of behavior in all men? What the hell is that? That’s not normal.”
“Um, excuse me, you were the one to tell me that this is how all of you are!” she makes a point. “If memory serves right, you slept around, and so did my brother—before Kayli, that is. Every other guy I’ve ever come to know has cheated. It’s like they can’t help themselves. This is the world we live in… how is this not normal?”
“I don’t go committing to a woman for eight months because I know what I am. This scum bag…”
“Caleb,” she stops me with a wave of her hand, “spare me the speech, because I really don’t care.”
“How can you not care?”
“Why should I?”
“The guy cheated on you!” I shout, drawing the attention of some of the joggers.
Luckily for the both of us, we don’t embarrass easy.
“You’re really blowing this whole thing out of proportion. It’s not like I’m still with the guy, we’re done.”
I swear to all that is sacred that I’m going to find this boy. I am going to hunt his ass down good, and I’m about ninety-nine percent sure I’m going to get myself arrested when I do. But it’s okay, because it’ll be worth it.
“You’re right,” I agree, making it only appear as though I’m letting this go.
“Can we run now?”
“You go ahead, I’ll catch up.”
Ari looks at me like she wants to ask why, but she decides against it and starts jogging the trail. I wait until she’s a good distance away before pulling out my phone.
Me: I need a favor.
Jackson: What do you need?
Jackson Anderson is the most powerful man I know. He’s also my business partner. The man took a leap of faith in me when I started this business, and while we don’t have the best relationship in the world, I know he can deliver me what I need.
Me: I need to find someone.
Jackson: Give me a name.
Me: I’ll get back to you.
I pocket my phone and run to catch up with Ari.
After our run, I returned to my hotel room to get cleaned up for lunch. We made plans to eat together before heading to her parents’ place to pick up Ayli. I offered to drive her because I’d like to see Carl and Jane while I’m here, and Ari accepted because she hates taking Ayli on the subway.
Win-win.
When I pull up to the tower in the rental Bethany set me up with, I see Ari’s already waiting for me outside the building.
I park the car and step out to greet her. “Hey, what are you doing outside? I was going to come up.”
“I was already ready.” Ari reaches for the door, but I intercept and get it for her.
“You could’ve at least waited in the lobby where there’s air conditioning,” I say, disapproving.
“I’m in a tank top and shorts, Caleb. It’s fine,” she counters before getting in.
I close the door behind her and round the car to my side. “Did you decide on where we’re eating?” I ask as I settle behind the wheel.
Ari first buckles herself in, and then she gathers her thick hair into one hand and drapes it over her right shoulder. “I’m desperately craving a Cubano. What do you think, is that okay?”
“That sounds good.” I look to my left, getting ready to merge with traffic. “Just tell me where I’m going.”
“Moreno’s. Do you remember where that is?”
“Yep.” I merge, officially getting us on our way.
Ari leans back in her seat and crosses her arms over her chest while inspecting the car. “This is quite the impressive ride, Mr. Carlisle,” she comments.
“It’s a rental.”
She snickers. “You would rent a BMW.”
I take my eyes off the road long enough to shoot her a look of amusement. “You wanna go, Ari?” I challenge her. “What’s with all the shade today, huh?”
Ari looks out the window in an attempt to hide her smile from me. “Kidding.”
“Thought so.”
“Don’t make me kick your ass, Caleb.”
I toss my head back with a laugh. “I could pick you up and throw a perfect spiral with you, no problem. You’re all skin and bones, kid.”
“Yes, but I’m well aware of your weak spots, old man.”
I whip my head in her direction. “Weak spots? I don’t have any weak spots.”
Ari turns to me with a grin and shrugs. “If you say so.”
We bicker the rest of the way to the bakery. She surprises me with everything she says she knows, and I do what I can to deny them all.
Every single employee inside the bakery stops what they’re doing to shout their warm, welcoming greetings to Ari when we enter the establishment.
“Jesus, how often do you come here?” I ask.
“Like five times a week.” She holds up two fingers to one of the guys.
“What was that?”
“I just ordered us sandwiches,” she says, leaving me to go pick out a table by the window. “What are you doing? Come on.” She waves me over.
I point toward the register as I make my way over to our table. “Don’t I have to pay first? That’s how I remember doing it the last time I was here.”
“No, you’re right, but I normally order a bunch of other things on my way out. Julian lets me wait to pay for everything then.”
“Ah, I see.”
An attractive young woman named Lucia drops off our waters, but she doesn’t leave us right away.
Lucia rests a hand behind Ari’s chair and the other on her hip. “You’re later than usual, girl. I almost gave your table away because I didn’t think you were going to make it.”
Standing next to Ari, I notice that Lucia’s the polar opposite of her. I lean back in my seat and check the girl out. She’s got black hair like mine, only hers has huge, wild curls, and it stops just past her shoulders. Her current posture, the way she stands with her hip popped out to the side, showcases her curves, and I notice the manicured hand she rests on her tiny little waist.
I predict that she’ll make for a fun little fuck. Probably wild, like her hair.
“This one threw me a little off schedule today.” Ari nods in my direction, and I flash Lucia a grin when her attention shifts my way.
“Boyfriend?” she asks Ari.
“Good friend,” Ari corrects her.
“Caleb,” I introduce myself.
Lucia stretches her hand out to me. “Lucia.”
I don’t leave her hanging long before I take it. I will forget that name as soon as I walk out of here, Lucia.
“Well, Caleb,” Lucia returns her hand to her hip, “you’re already better company than the other guy she used to bring around.” Lucia playfully nudges Ari with a wink, softening the blow.
Taking full advantage of my chance at finally learning the twat’s name, I come back quickly with a follow-up question. “And his name was?”
Before Ari can order Lucia not to tell me, she provides me with a timely answer. “Randall. Ari called him Randy, though.”
When I’m done with him, Ari can refer to him as ‘the dead guy she used to know.’ I’d prefer a last name to go with it, but I’ve seen Jackson make things happen with far less.
“Thanks, Lucia.”
I don’t mention Randy’s name again for the remainder of lunch.
When we finish up, Ari and I head back to the front so she can pick out some pastries for her parents, then we all but wrestle when Ari insists that she pay.
I win, because one of me equals about five of her.
“I’ll be right back, I want to wash my hands.” Ari runs off to the restroom when Lucia hands me the credit card slip to sign.
“So, you two are really just friends, huh?” Lucia’s mouth tips with a flirtatious smile.
“Yep,” I sign my name on the dotted line before sliding it back across the counter. “We’ve known each other a while, I went to school with her brother.”
Lucia nods, jotting something down on a pad she pulls from her apron, then she slides the carbon copy over to me. “Call me.”
“Thanks.” I take it with a grin and tuck the slip into my pocket.
When Ari turns the corner, I take the bag full of treats from the counter.
“Ready?”
“Yea.” I flash Lucia another grin on my way out. “I’ll see you later.”
“Can’t wait.”
It’s been a while since I last spoke with Carl and Jane. The kids don’t know it, but they used to call every now and again to check on me. During those calls, they filled me in about Ari’s acceptance into Juilliard, Kayli’s thriving bakery business, and about Aryn’s success with his software… computer… shit.
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It took great effort to squeeze in those short conversations, but we made it work, for a little while. Then the calls eventually stopped coming about a year ago. Before Kayli got pregnant.
They would’ve called me about Kayli, had the decision been completely up to them. But I’m pretty sure Aryn ordered them not to bother me with it, which I’ll never understand. I would’ve come for her funeral. I would’ve tried to be here for him during his grieving process.
Or maybe that’s just it. Maybe he didn’t want to see a face that would only remind him of her.
“We’re here,” Ari’s statement pulls me back.
The old, but charming, historic townhome on the tree-lined street looks exactly the way I remember it.
I can’t believe it’s really been three years since I’ve been here. This has got to make me the worst almost-son on the planet.
“Do they know I’m coming?” I ask Ari.
“No. I thought it’d be a nicer surprise for you to just show up.”
The corner of my mouth pulls into a smile. “Good. Go unlock the door,” I tell her as I put the car in park. “I’ll be right behind you with the bags.”
“’Kay.”
We both step out of the car. Ari runs up the steps, doing as I ordered her to do, while I grab the bag of pastries from the backseat before meeting her at the door.
Ari steps aside when she gets it unlocked, letting me in first.
Walking through the front door felt like stepping into a time machine, transporting me back to the all the times I’d show up here with Aryn. Nothing’s changed. Everything is exactly as I remember it, from the furniture to the smell of food permeating the air. They always have something cooking in the kitchen.
“Ma!” I shout into the house.
“Who the hell?” Carl’s deep voice comes from the kitchen.
A shrill scream comes from the same direction before I see Jane running out of there like a bat out of hell. “Caleb, my boy!”
I carefully set the bags down, and I wrap Jane up in the tightest hug I can manage without crushing her bones to dust.