by Chloe Walsh
Oh. My. God.
Holy fucking shitballs.
“Which one?” I asked completely stupefied. “Which one doesn’t know?”
“Both of them,” she mumbled, red-faced. “Neither of them.”
“Is it safe to come in?” I heard Derek call out and Karen’s eyes bulged. “You guys aren’t fighting, are you? There’s no flying fruit? I’m pretty sure I’m infertile since your last drama session.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re not,” I muttered, covering my mouth with my hand to hide my shit-eating grin.
Derek sauntered into the lounge, his step faltering when his eyes landed on Karen’s face.
I watched as a multitude of different emotions flittered across his face. Surprise, worry, fear, hunger? What the hell . . .”Karen,” he said in a gruff tone, his cheeks coloring red. “What are you doing here?”
“I . . . oh god . . .” Clasping her hands together, I watched as my housekeeper swayed on her feet.
I moved to help her, but Derek lunged forward. “You okay?” he demanded as he rushed towards her, grabbing her elbow to keep her from falling. “Jesus, you’re as pale as a ghost.”
“I’m so sorry, Derek,” she sobbed, tears trickling down her cheeks. “I should have told you sooner, but I was so afraid . . .”
“Shh don’t cry, sweetheart,” he said soothingly as he wrapped his arms around her.
Sweetheart?
I gaped–fucking jaw-dropping-and-hitting-the-floor-gaped—at the scene rolling out in front of my eyes.
“Who’s he, mom?” the kid asked, pointing at Derek.
“Mom?” Derek froze, all the blood drained from his face, as awareness kicked him straight in the teeth.
Stepping back from Karen, he pointed his finger at the spitting image of himself and whispered, “Whose is he?”
I was closing Hope’s bedroom door when I felt something tap me on my shoulder. “God,” I hissed when I saw it was Kyle. He was bouncing from foot to foot in like some wound up jack in the box. “Don’t do that. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“I need to talk to you,” he whispered, eyes wide in excitement as he dragged me down the hall towards our bedroom.
“I know, I know,” I mumbled as I allowed Kyle to shuffle me into our room. “I’m sorry for leaving without telling you. I would have called you, but I forgot my phone. I told Theresa to tell you where I was going. I was just about to call you actually. Please don’t be mad. I promise I’ll never . . .”
“Baby, stop talking for a minute and listen to me,” he said, closing our bedroom door. “I’m not mad at you . . . shit,” he whispered as he paced around like someone on crack. “I knew it. The minute I saw him. Holy fucking shit. I knew it.”
“What did you know?” I asked as I followed him like a sheep around our room. “Kyle, what did you know?”
“That kid downstairs?” Kyle swung around to face me. “Look familiar, princess?”
“Yes,” I said, relieved that he too had recognized Jordan from somewhere. “I know I’ve seen him somewhere before, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
Kyle grinned, his eyes wild with excitement. “Think, Lee, think. Where have we seen someone just like him?”
“I don’t know, Kyle,” I mumbled, frowning as I tried to place the child. “I can’t figure it out.”
Kyle grabbed my shoulders. “Did you notice the way he speaks?” he asked excitedly. “His hair color? His green eyes?” Nodding his head encouragingly, he added, “You’ve seen eyes just like that before, right?”
“Well, when you say it like that he looks awfully like . . .”
My eyes bulged.
Kyle’s grin widened.
“No,” I exclaimed, covering my mouth with my hand as reality came crashing down on me.
“Yes,” he grinned nodding his head.
“No,” I gasped, shaking my head.
“Yes.” Kyle nodded his head like a demented lunatic. “Oh yeah.”
“Derek?” I shook my head. “And Karen?” Derek was her big love. Derek was the best friend, and the girl . . . the girl Karen had seen him with must have been Cam. Jordan Derek Valentine . . .”Oh my god,” I whispered, feeling like someone had just stepped on my windpipe. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’d bank our fucking life savings on it,” Kyle laughed. “This is the funniest shit I’ve heard in months.”
“He’s a father,” I whispered. “He has a child?”
“Yep,” Kyle replied as he laid on our bed and folded his arms behind his head. He looked entirely too smug about this. “Not so fucking careful now, is he?” he snorted. “All the crap he gave me for knocking you up, and it turns out he did it years before me. Ha-fucking-ha.”
“Does he know?” I asked as I climbed onto the bed next to him, choosing to ignore the term knocked up.
“Considering the fact that he’s downstairs in catatonic mode, I doubt it,” Kyle mused.
“What do we do?” I asked nervously. “Should we go downstairs?”
“Hell no,” he piped up before sighing contently. “This is so weird,” he added. “The best day.”
“Kyle, this is serious,” I growled. “It’s not a laughing matter. There’s a child involved here.”
“Yeah,” he retorted. “A kid who informed me he’s marrying my daughter.”
“He’s so cute,” I gushed, thinking about the lovable little boy downstairs with lush black curls and the most adorable smile. “I love him already.”
“No, he’s not cute,” Kyle snarled. “He’s a liability. One I intend to keep a very close eye on.”
“Kyle, he’s an innocent little boy.” Clapping my hands with excitement, I bounced up and down on our bed. “Oh my god, what if, in thirty years’ time, they get married?”
“No,” Kyle all but roared, his good mood fading fast. “That kid’s got Derek’s DNA in him. He’s got that asswipe Danny’s genes.”
Sitting up, he dragged me onto his lap to face him. “There is no way that will happen, Lee,” he warned. “Get it out of your head. No child of mine will date a Valentine—or a Porter. Over my dead fucking body.”
“Danny?” I yelped. “Danny is Karen’s brother? He’s DJ?” Oh my freaking god. Of course, now it all made perfect sense. Danny and Karen looked so alike, blonde hair, brown eyes, suntanned skin . . .”He’s such a dark horse,” I whispered. “I would have never guessed he was Jordan’s lovable uncle.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed and focused on my face. “Lovable?” he hissed.
“Karen told me all about how good he is with Jordan,” I replied with a smile. “I’ve only met him once, but he’s obviously a very nice person.”
“He’s a very bad person,” Kyle countered. “Don’t talk to him. Better still, forget you ever met him.”
“Why, is he dangerous?” I asked nervously.
“Only to my freedom,” he muttered.
The sound of raised voices halted our conversation and I stared at Kyle anxiously. “We can’t just sit here,” I urged him. “Jordan’s down there. This is hardly the appropriate way for him for find out who his father is.”
“Aw shit,” Kyle hissed as he lifted me off his lap and stood up. “Come on, baby,” he grumbled as he pulled me to my feet. “Let’s go intervene in some shit that for once has nothing to do with us.”
What. The. Fuck.
The last time I’d seen Karen Valentine had been the morning after Danny’s epic graduation party when I had crept out of her bedroom window while she was sleeping.
The images of that night invaded my mind and I groaned loudly.
Jesus, one drunken night and from the looks of things I’d ruined her life. I was fairly certain I’d taken her virginity that night as well as losing mine. I’d been so ashamed of myself when I woke up that I’d slipped away rather than facing her like I should have.
Her wavy, caramel-blonde hair was cut short now, but I remembered just
how it had looked splayed out on her pillow. She’d been scrawny as a teenager.
Not anymore.
She looked damn fine in the jeans she was wearing, the extra few pounds she was carrying did wonders for her and sure as hell hadn’t been there when I’d known her . . .
But the surprise I felt at seeing my best-friend’s baby sister in our lounge was outweighed by the feeling of pure bewilderment that was burning my lungs. Every time I dared to glance at the small child clung to her leg the feeling of disbelief intensified.
“Is he mine?” I managed to croak out though my throat felt like sandpaper. Jesus, he couldn’t be. I would know. Someone would have told me. One night. And we’d been protected . . . hadn’t we? “Karen,” I choked out. “I need to know.”
Closing her eyes, Karen inhaled slowly and pinched the bridge of her small nose. “I can’t talk about this now,” she whispered. Grabbing her jacket off the couch, she shrugged it on and grabbed the boy’s hand. “Let’s go home, Jordy.”
Jordy . . .
“Don’t you dare walk out the door without explaining,” I warned, as I grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly to a halt. “How . . .” Releasing her arm, I ran my hand over my head and sighed. “How the hell did this happen?”
I glanced down at the kid who was looking up at me with fear in his eyes. Fear. Like I was a goddamn monster.
“Is he mine?” I demanded. I didn’t need to ask that question though. The answer was looking up at me—the spitting fucking image of me.
“What’s he talking about, mom?” the boy asked and my heart squeezed in my chest so tightly I had to gasp for air. I felt winded. I felt like I was in the middle a twisted nightmare . . .
“And I told you I’m not having this conversation in front of my son,” Karen said sharply, her eyes narrowing in warning. “So back off.”
“Answer my question and I’ll back off,” I shot back, my tone laced with disgust. “Or can’t you answer me . . .”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she cried out in outrage. “How dare you even suggest that I don’t know . . .” she snapped her mouth shut and glared at me, eyes filling with tears. “You know what? Screw you, Derek.”
“Screw me?” I shook my head in disgust. “Sure looks like you’ve already done that, sweetheart—for about four years.”
“Okay guys,” I heard Kyle say in a coaxing tone as he sauntered into the room. “We have little ears listening.”
He glared at Karen and me before turning to the boy. “Hey Jordan,” Kyle crooned. “You want to come with me for a while?”
“Not really,” Jordan shot back quickly, not taking his eyes off my face. “I don’t like that bald man,” he continued, his voice angry. “He’s making my mommy cry.”
“Yeah, he’s a douchebag,” Kyle said dryly as he looked over at me and mouthed the word ‘asshole.’
“Kyle,” Lee growled as she rushed into the room and slapped Kyle’s shoulder. “Jordan,” she asked in a soft tone of voice. “Would you like to come help me with something really important?”
Kneeling down to his size, she smiled gently and outstretched her hand to him. “I need some help, you see,” she continued, her voice soft and reassuring. “I can’t seem to tell the difference between Hope’s trains. I was hoping you could help me?”
That did the trick.
Jordan’s eyes lit up and he stepped away from Karen’s leg. Taking Lee’s hand, he glanced up at me. “Promise you won’t shout at my mommy?” he demanded.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, eyes locked on his. “I promise I won’t shout at your mom.”
“And you won’t make her cry?” he argued, his gaze flickering to Karen, his eyes troubled.
“I promise,” I told him.
“I don’t like you,” he told me. “Or you,” he said pointing at Kyle. “I heard you shouting at Mrs. Carter the last time,” he added, before walking out of the room with Lee’s hand securely in his.
“I need another baby,” Kyle mused, breaking me from my thoughts.
I turned to gape at him. “What?”
“Did you see how good she is with kids?” he asked, smiling indulgently at the now closed door. “We need another one for sure . . . maybe two.”
“No Kyle,” I hissed, agitated. “I can’t say I did notice. I’m having a little crisis of my own here. So go cluck in another room, you broody bastard.”
“Derek, I’m sorry,” Karen choked out through tears. “I should have told you. I know that.”
“So he is mine?” I asked in a level tone as I balled my hands into fists to stop them from shaking.
“Of course he’s yours,” she admitted angrily.
My chest heaved and I struggled to drag air into my lungs.
“I was only with you,” she added quietly. “You know that.”
“I don’t know anything anymore,” I snapped, feeling so fucking confused. “I just walked in this room and found out I have a kid. A son.” Exhaling a shaky breath, I tried to stay calm and not lose my mind. “Everything in my life has just gone to shit.”
“Yeah,” she muttered petulantly. “Well everything went to shit for me years ago, Derek.”
“Are you still here?” I spat when I noticed Kyle out of the corner of my eye. Spinning around, I glared at his smirking face. “Having fun, are you?” I hissed. “Enjoying this?”
“Listen,” Kyle growled as he started to pace the floor. “Believe me, I don’t want to be in here anymore than either of you, but if I walk out of this room and leave you two on your own, Lee will have my balls.”
Sighing heavily, Kyle raked his hand through his disheveled hair and chuckled. “So, I guess a congratulations is in order, daddy.”
“I don’t know,” I ground out through clenched teeth as I glared at Karen. “Is a congratulations in order?”
“You were never supposed to find out like this,” she sobbed, sinking onto the couch. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“No,” I sneered. Standing in front of her, I folded my hands across my chest and glowered. “I’d say I was never supposed to find out, period.”
My mind furiously added up the dates from the one night we’d been together. “He’s nearly four?”
“He was four last month,” she whispered. “March tenth.”
“Hey, that’s my birthday, too,” Kyle piped up in an amused tone.
“Four years.” I sank onto to coffee table and sighed. “You had four years to tell me, Karen,” I croaked out. “Why didn’t you? Why wait until now?”
“For many reasons,” she confessed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Who knows he’s mine?” I asked. Our parents were friends. How had they not known? I knew the minute I’d laid eyes on him. The ground sure as hell felt as if it had split open and my stupid ass was about to launch itself through the cracks. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“Our families don’t know,” she blurted out, intercepting my thoughts. “I told my parents I didn’t remember and no one ever mentioned your name—why would they?” she whispered. “You never looked twice at me growing up. We weren’t dating,” she added bitterly. “No one ever guessed you and me . . .”
“How?” I demanded, furious. “How the hell did my mother not guess he was mine?”
Resting my elbows on my knees, I dropped my head in my hands and sighed. “Karen, this is so messed up.”
“Is that why you moved here?” Kyle, being the nosey bastard he was, asked.
Well, no one could ever accuse him of being indirect.
“You took the housekeeping vacancy when Lee was pregnant with Hope,” he stated as if he was listing evidence. “Was it to get closer to Derek?”
“You’ve been in Colorado over a year?” I asked in shock.
“Yes to both of your questions,” she admitted. “Jordan wanted to meet his father.”
“Then why didn’t he?” I demanded. “Why di
dn’t I meet my son the second you stepped off the plane?”
“You had a girlfriend,” Karen admitted quietly. “And she . . .”
Shaking her head, she sniffled and wiped her nose with her sleeve. “Then the shooting happened . . . and after that the time never seemed right.”
“That’s because the time was years ago,” I sneered. “Not fucking now.”
Standing abruptly, I walked over to the mantelpiece and leaned against it, clenching my eyes shut to block the image of Cam’s face from my mind. She was no doubt the girlfriend Karen was talking about. “How did you know I had a girlfriend?” I asked. Opening my eyes, I glowered down at the woman on the couch.
“I stopped by the house once,” she whispered. “I saw you with her.”
“So, because I had a girlfriend you automatically assumed I wouldn’t want to know I have a child?” I demanded, barely containing my outrage. “Goddammit, Karen, I’m not that kind of man. You know me.”
“I know you,” she repeated slowly, her tone laced with sarcasm. “Oh, I know you all right,” she hissed. “I know how you deal with uncomfortable situations.”
“How does he deal with uncomfortable situations?” Kyle asked.
“Shut up, Kyle,” I snarled.
“By climbing out of bedroom windows,” she replied, her brown eyes locked on mine. “By never calling and never even thinking about the consequences of his actions.”
Sighing heavily, she whispered. “By not caring to check if I was okay. We didn’t use anything. And I wasn’t on anything because I was only sixteen-years-old and you were my first.”
My heart sank.
Jesus, I was blaming her for all of this and she’d dealt with it on her own while I was living it up in The Hill with Cam and Kyle.
Sixteen years old. Jesus, she was only a baby.
Shame filled me.
“You knocked up a sixteen-year-old,” Kyle said flatly before stalking over to the door and throwing it open. “You’re a bigger fucking hypocrite than I originally thought,” he hissed. “I’m so disgusted with you right now that I can’t even look at you, dude. I’ll take my chances with Lee.” With that, Kyle stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.