When the elevator sounded again, Ryker broke away from me, leaving me breathless and flushed. My lips tingled when I gave him a flirty smile as we exited.
I called Nori as soon as we got in the truck. The excitement was evident in her voice as she answered the phone. “So? What’s the verdict?”
I paused for dramatic effect. “They said I’m about twelve weeks pregnant. I’m due August 2.”
Nori squealed like a five year old into the phone, “Shut up! Oh my God, I’m so happy for you, Ky!”
Ryker started driving, then placed his hand on my leg and rubbed it affectionately. “Thank you. I think I’m still in shock.”
“How did Ryker take it? Is he excited?”
I grinned as I looked over at him. “Very. The smile still hasn’t come off his face.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet.” She paused before squealing again. “I’m going to be an auntie!”
We chatted for a few minutes about my appointment hanging up.
“She’s excited, huh?” Ryker asked as he turned at a stoplight.
“Yeah, she is. Already planning a baby shower and everything.” I chuckled.
“How do you think Kamden will react?”
Shit.
I hadn’t thought about that. Given his current state, I couldn’t even speculate what his response to the news would be. “I don’t know. I think he’ll be happy, but I’m not positive.”
Ryker squeezed my thigh. “I’m sure he will be. Don’t worry about it, Warrior.”
I looked out the window and sighed. I hoped that he was right.
Kaiya was nervous about telling Kamden about the baby the whole drive home. She was worried he would blow up at her for being irresponsible, and to be honest, I was concerned about how he would react, too. He had become pretty hot-headed since the shooting.
When we walked in, the smell of fresh, baked bread greeted us. Kaiya gave me a confused look as she tossed her keys on the table and took off her coat. “Kam?”
“In here,” he yelled back.
I followed Kaiya into the kitchen, where Kamden was cooking. He turned his head toward us and smiled as he stirred a pot on the stove. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself,” Kaiya replied as she quirked up an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
He set the spoon he was stirring with on the counter before facing us. “I know I haven’t been the easiest person to deal with lately.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he looked at Ky. “I wanted to start making up for how I’ve been acting. I shouldn’t have taken my issues out on you, and I’m sorry.”
Kaiya didn’t say anything in response. Instead, she rushed to Kamden and threw her arms around his waist. A loving smile spread over his lips as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. “I’m going to try and stop drinking, too. Haven’t had a drink since Saturday.”
“That’s amazing, Kam. I’m so proud of you.”
My mouth curved up involuntarily as I watched them. Kaiya loved Kamden so much, and watching him sink into a downward spiral had been tearing her apart inside.
The timer on the stove went off, and Kamden let go of Kaiya. “Don’t want the bread to burn.”
He grabbed an oven mitt and opened the oven before pulling out a tray with French bread on it. He set the tray on the stove and said, “It’s nothing elaborate, but I did make the meatballs from scratch.”
“It’s perfect, Kam. You really didn’t have to do this,” Kaiya said.
“I wanted to, sorella. Now go sit down. It’s almost ready.”
Kaiya walked to the cabinets. “Let me set the table at least.”
Kamden blocked her path and gave her a stern look. “Out,” he ordered as he fought a smile.
“Fine.” Kaiya laughed. She grabbed my hand as she walked by me and tugged me into the dining room.
Kamden came with plates a minute or so after we sat down. He set one down in front of each of us, then went back into the kitchen.
When he came back and set everything on the table, he sat down across from us and gestured to the food. “Go ahead. Dig in.”
Kaiya and I served ourselves, then waited for Kamden to do the same before we started eating.
Kamden stopped and rose from his seat. “Forgot drinks.”
He came back with three water bottles and handed us each one. He unscrewed his bottle and took a drink as he sat back down. “How’s everything with you guys?
Kaiya glanced over at me and smiled. “Well, uh, we have some exciting news.”
Kamden took a bite of his spaghetti. “Oh, yeah? What?”
Kaiya joined our hands under the table, but directed her attention to her brother. “I’m pregnant.” Her voice was shaky and unsure.
Kamden choked on the water he’d just drank and quickly cleared his throat. “What?”
She squeezed my hand. “I’m pregnant. We just found out today. Isn’t that great?” Kaiya asked nervously.
His eyes darted back and forth between us before they settled on Kaiya. “Are you sure you’re ready for this, Ky?”
Kaiya’s face fell and her shoulders sagged. “Yes. Ryker and I love each other. Aren’t you happy?”
His eyes softened. “I’m concerned, sorella. That’s all. If you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“I am.” She looked down at her stomach and smiled. “We got to hear the baby’s heartbeat and everything. Wanna see the sonogram?”
“Of course—let me see my future niece or nephew,” Kamden replied enthusiastically.
Kaiya started to stand, but I stopped her. “I’ll get it, baby. You relax.”
I went to Kaiya’s purse and dug around for the sonogram. II found it in one of the inner pockets of her purse. A smile came over my face as I looked down at the little bean shaped image.
I’m going to be a dad.
A fullness in my chest filled me. I’d never felt anything like it before—I was in love with a little bean. And then I remembered, I had felt that way before. I closed my eyes as my stomach dropped.
What if he’s not mine?
Doubt replaced the joy. I glanced over at Ky and Kamden, who were laughing at the table. Her eyes found mine from across the room, and they told me everything I needed to know.
Fuck all the doubts.
Molly had never looked at me that way, even at our best times. Kaiya’s love for me was always written all over her face. There was no reason I should be doubting her.
Our eyes remained locked as I walked back to the dining room. I leaned down and kissed Kaiya before handing her the sonogram. She excitedly gave it to Kamden. He scanned over the picture as a grin tipped up his lips. “Is it a boy or a girl?”
“We won’t find that out until between eighteen and twenty weeks. I’m only about twelve or thirteen weeks now,” Kaiya answered.
Kaiya told Kamden about what we had learned at her appointment throughout dinner. Once we were finished, she started collecting the dishes from the table as Kamden asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m cleaning up—you did enough tonight,” Kaiya replied as she stacked the plates and began putting the dirty silverware on top of them.
“I don’t think so—you need to rest.” Kamden took the dishes from her.
Kaiya rolled her eyes. “I’m pregnant, not dying.”
Kamden chuckled. “Enjoy it while it lasts. Once you pop out that baby, you’ll get all your old chores back.”
“Seriously, go rest, Warrior. You’ve been stressing yourself out too much.” I stood and rubbed her arms. “It’s not good for the baby.”
She sighed. “Fine. I’m gonna go lay down. You coming?”
I kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll be right there.”
Kaiya turned and walked away. You could see the exhaustion in every weary step she took—she was so stubborn sometimes.
Kamden had taken most of the dishes off the table, but I grabbed the remaining bowls with the leftover spaghetti and salad in them and carried them into the kitchen
.
I set the bowls on the counter as Kamden began loading the dishwasher. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” I leaned back against the counter. “I just wanted to say that I think it’s great what you’re doing. I know it means a lot to Kaiya.”
“Yeah. I can’t keep hurting her like I have been. That night I pushed her” —he shook his head and scowled— “was an eye-opener. I hadn’t realized how bad I was.”
Before I could comment, Kamden looked up at me and changed the subject by asking, “You’re going to take care of my sister and the baby, right?”
I could hear the warning in his tone. I stood tall and crossed my arms over my chest. “Of course. I love her.” And I wasn’t a punk bitch who ran away from their responsibilities.
Kamden looked me up and down. “You better.”
I never understood why Kamden and I’d never gotten along. Maybe older brothers were always assholes to their sister’s boyfriends, or felt they had some kind of territory to mark, but he had another thing coming if he thought I was going to let him intimidate me.
I stepped up to him. “Look, let’s get this straight. I don’t give a fuck what you think. Kaiya and our baby are the only things that matter to me. Get your own shit together and let me worry about Kaiya.”
His jaw clenched as we stared each other down.
“Ryker?” Kaiya called out from her room.
I kept my eyes locked on Kamden’s as I replied, “Coming, babe.” I held his stare and said, “I’m going to take care of Kaiya and the baby. You handle your business and I’ll handle mine.”
I brushed past him to go down the hall. I heard dishes roughly clanging together as I entered Kaiya’s room and shut the door.
She was lying down on the bed, propped up with pillows under her back as she read a book. She glanced up at me and smiled as she closed it and set it on the nightstand. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I flopped onto the bed and scooted next to her. I pulled her body into mine, and she curved up against me and rested her head on my chest. “Big day today, huh?” I asked.
I played with her hair as she traced my abs through my shirt. “Yeah, I was just thinking about what we’re going to do when the baby comes.”
“Like what?” She moved so that she could look up at me. “Like whose apartment we’re going to live in, everything we need to get for him or her, stuff like that.”
I hadn’t thought about where we were going to live once the baby was born—I was still processing the fact that we we’re even having one. “Definitely not here.” I was not living with Kamden.
Kaiya chuckled. “Well, your apartment is too small—we need a nursery for the baby.”
“We can get a bigger apartment or maybe even a house.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really?”
I ran my fingers through her hair. “Yeah.” I smiled. “Get our own place, start a family.”
Kaiya smiled sweetly and looked at me dreamily. “That sounds perfect.”
I had to admit that it did. Settling down hadn’t ever appealed to me, but Kaiya always found a way to change my mind about things.
“Yeah, it does.” I kissed the top of her head. “So are you happy about Kamden?”
The sigh she made was full of relief. “Yes. I hope he can pull through this. I want him to be a part of the baby’s life, but not if he’s going to be angry and drunk all the time.”
That’s not going to happen. I wouldn’t let Kamden near our baby if he didn’t get his shit together, Kaiya’s brother or not. “I’m sure he will. He’s stubborn like you, so I don’t think he’ll give up.”
She smacked my chest and scoffed. “I’m not stubborn.”
My chest rumbled with laughter. “Sure, baby, whatever you say.”
Kaiya softly giggled, then suddenly stopped and became serious. “Do you think I’ll be a good mom?”
I looked in her eyes and cupped her cheek. “The best. I couldn’t have asked for a better woman to have my kids.”
She placed her hand over my mine and her eyes watered. “I’m just worried that because I’m so fucked up that I’ll screw their life up, too.” She hung her head and avoided my eyes.
I framed her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me again. “Hey. You’re not fucked up, Warrior. You may be scarred, but you’re not broken. You’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met. You’ve changed my whole life, made me better.” I paused and stroked her cheeks softly. “You’re going to be an amazing mother, Ky.”
A few tears slipped down her face. I wiped them away as she leaned up and softly kissed my lips. She pulled back, and the corner of her mouth slightly lifted. “I think you’re biased but thank you.”
I lightly chuckled. “No, I’m not—you are. You think what Kaleb did to you made you weak, but in reality, it did the opposite. He tried to break you, but he didn’t. He only made you stronger.”
“He didn’t make me stronger.” Her eyes held mine. “You did.”
I smiled and caressed her cheeks. “I only built on what was already there. You may have had some splinters and cracks, but your foundation was still strong.”
She turned into one of my hands and kissed my palm. “I don’t know where I’d be without you. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” She looked down at her stomach and placed her hands on it. “Especially blessing me with this.”
Leaning my forehead against hers, I followed her gaze. “You’re the one blessing me, Warrior. You carrying my baby is just…” I put my hands over hers. “Amazing.”
We stayed like that for several seconds before Kaiya spoke. “Did you say kids?”
I pulled my head back from hers. “Huh?”
She grinned playfully. “A minute ago—you said that you couldn’t have asked for a better woman to have your kids.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Plural, meaning more than one?”
I chuckled. “Yes. I want you to have my kids, plural.”
She tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “You know, I never planned to have kids.”
“Well, sorry to have ruined your plans,” I teased.
She stared into my eyes. “You didn’t ruin anything. I wasn’t living before. I always blocked out the world and the ugliness it contained.” She gave me a shy smile. “You changed that—you showed me how beautiful life can be.”
My eyes ran over her face. “Same here. After my parents died, life wasn’t the same. And then, everything that happened with Ethan and Molly solidified what I thought—life’s a bitch, and then you die. But then I met you, and you reminded me that life is a gift.” I brushed my knuckles down her cheek. “You are my gift.”
Leaning in, I gently kissed her lips and pulled her against me. My heart raced every time that sweet mouth of hers met mine. Kaiya was my high, the addiction I couldn’t satisfy. No matter how much I had of her, it wasn’t enough; I still wanted more.
My hands went to her ass as I pushed my hardening cock against her. She softly moaned in my mouth and threaded her fingers through my hair.
A knock on the door broke us apart. I buried my face in one of Kaiya’s pillows and let out a groan of frustration.
Damn it, we should have stayed at my place.
I peeked up at Kaiya to see her lips twitching as she fought a smile. She mouthed sorry before saying, “Come in.”
Kamden stuck his head in the room. “Hey, I rented a couple of movies for us to watch. I was just about to put the first one in.” He raised his eyebrows expectantly, like a kid asking for ice cream.
I knew Kaiya would say yes before she even spoke. The endearing look on her face said it all. “Okay, we’ll be right there.”
“Awesome, I’ll make some popcorn,” Kamden replied before turning around and going back down the hallway.
Kaiya yawned as she sat up on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know if I’ll even make it through the first movie. I’m so tired.”
She came around to my side as I stoo
d up. “Are you sure you want to stay up? Maybe you should get some sleep—it’s been a long day.”
“No, it’s okay. I want to spend some time with Kam, especially since he’s trying to work through his issues.”
I draped my arm around her and kissed her temple. “Okay, Warrior. Whatever you want.”
We headed out the door toward the living room. Even though I would much rather be in bed alone with Kaiya, I still enjoyed doing homey stuff with her.
We sat down as the sound of popping and the smell of popcorn filled the air. Kaiya snuggled close to me and leaned her head on my shoulder, then yawned again.
Yeah, she’ll be asleep in half an hour, tops.
I put my arm around her as Kamden brought the popcorn in two bowls and handed us one. Kaiya started munching on the snack as Kamden started the movie.
Kaiya made it about twenty minutes before she started dozing off. Her head would slip off my shoulder and she would jolt awake and start fighting sleep again.
Kamden laughed. “Tired, sorella?”
“No,” Kaiya lied. “I was just resting my eyes.”
I snorted, causing Kaiya to glare at me as she sat up.
So stubborn.
She finally gave in to sleep halfway through the movie. I gently cradled her in my lap before rising off the couch. “I’m gonna take her to bed. It’s been a long day.”
I heard the movie turn off as I walked down the hall to Kaiya’s room. I shut the door with my foot and laid her down on the bed. She didn’t move an inch, even when I covered her and kissed her lips—she was completely out.
I took off my jeans and shirt, then slid into bed next to her. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I placed one of my hands on her stomach and smiled.
My baby.
The smile was still on my face when I fell asleep.
At work the following day, my mind was still swarming with thoughts about the baby. Most were good, but every now and then, a negative one slipped in there.
What if the baby’s not mine?
I pushed the thought away, not wanting to ruin the happiness I felt. I hated that what had happened in my past was making me question Kaiya, but I couldn’t help having doubts given my experience with Molly.
Mending Scars Page 9