Logically, I know it’s way too early in our relationship—or whatever this is—to be thinking about children, but I can tell that, where my feelings toward him are concerned, I’m already falling. And after spending time with Max and Mitchell, I know I could easily fall in love with both boys. But at the end of the day, I do want kids, and if Gareth doesn’t want more, I don’t know if it makes even a little sense for us to keep seeing each other.
Busy tonight, another time? I stare at the text after I type it out, feeling my stomach turn as my fingers hover over the Send button. Pressing Delete until the words disappear, I know I’m totally screwed. What time?
Six. Bring stuff to sleep over.
My heart pounds. I can’t sleep over. I need to catch up on some work tonight.
Bring it with you.
I let out a deep breath and try again. I don’t feel right leaving my cat alone so much.
I stare at my phone, waiting for him to reply, and then jump when it suddenly rings and his name appears. Sliding my finger across the screen, I put it to my ear. “Hey.”
“Do you really have a cat, or are you trying to get out of staying with me?” he asks, sounding like he’s fighting back laughter.
“I really have a cat.” I roll my eyes, wondering who would lie about having a cat.
“Where was he the other night?”
“I didn’t say he likes me enough to be around me,” I grumble.
He starts to laugh. “You could bring him with you tonight.”
“I’m not bringing my cat to your house.” I balk at the suggestion.
“Why not? The boys and I like animals.”
“Melbourne doesn’t like humans. He barely tolerates me, and I think the boys might wonder why I’m showing up to dinner with my cat and all the things he needs, if I’m just supposed to be there for a couple of hours before going back home.”
“True.”
“Wow, did you just agree with me?”
“I guess I did,” he says, and I can’t help but smile. “I’m sure he’ll be okay without you for the night,” he adds, and I sigh. I should have known he wasn’t giving up.
“Gareth.”
“Don’t you want to stay over?”
I do. I want to stay over. I want to spend time with him and his boys. I want to get to know all of them. I just know I’m digging a deeper hole for myself by doing that. “I do. I just—”
“Where are you now?” he cuts me off before I can finish my sentence, not that I know what I was going to say.
“What?”
“Where are you right now?”
I look through the windshield and my muscles bunch. “Umm… at the store?”
“Are you asking me if you’re at the store or telling me that’s where you are?”
Seriously, why is he so annoying? “Why are you so annoying?”
“You only think I’m annoying because I can read you already. So, where are you?”
“The drug store,” I tell him, and like a switch is flipped, he goes completely silent. I don’t even hear him breathe. “Gareth?” It takes him so long to answer I almost pull my phone away to see if the call is still connected.
“I’m here.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He clears his throat. “I’m heading now to pick up Max from school, and Mitchell has track until five, so we’ll be home around 5:30 and eat a little after six. Does that work for you?”
“Yeah, that works,” I say softly.
“See you then, babe.”
He hangs up before I can say goodbye and I drop my phone to my lap, staring at the dark screen and trying to figure out what just happened. I don’t get why he asked me where I was or why his mood seemed to change when I told him. “Men are so confusing.” I sigh, grabbing my handbag before I get out of the car and go into the store, where I pick up what I need along with a few boxes of condoms.
I reach my apartment twenty minutes later, and as soon as I shut the door and start to slip off my coat, Melbourne, who is lounging on the couch, meows loudly, gaining my attention. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I interrupt your nap?” I ask sarcastically, and I swear he rolls his eyes at me before he jumps down, swishing his tail.
I shake my head as he prances into my bedroom then start for the kitchen, only to stop when there is a knock on my front door. Not expecting anyone, I check the peephole and frown when I see no one is there. Figuring it’s just the kids in the complex messing around, I start to turn from the door when there is suddenly another knock. Wanting to scare them a little, I swing the door open, only it’s me who is taken by surprise, because not only is Gareth standing in my breezeway, but so is Max.
“Please tell me you have food. I’m starving, and Dad didn’t bring me a snack,” Max offers as a greeting, and I blink at his adorable pleading face.
“I… I have food,” I stammer out.
“Thank God,” he groans, walking past me into my apartment, and I turn to watch him take a seat on my couch then look at his father when his hand touches my hip.
“He’s not actually starving. He had two granola bars on the way over here.”
“You didn’t tell me you were coming over.”
He shrugs. “We have some time to kill before we have to pick up Mitchell, and your place is closer than mine to the school. I drove by, figuring if I saw your car we’d stop, and if not we’d go on home.”
I start to tell him he still should have called to let me know he was coming over with Max, but before I can open my mouth, he leans down, gently touching his lips to mine. When he pulls back, I see he’s smiling.
“Did you have a good day?”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat, wishing he didn’t have split personalities or turn me into a complete idiot with a simple kiss.
“You have a cat!” At that exclamation, I turn quickly to warn Max that Melbourne isn’t exactly nice, but find my cat on his lap, rubbing his jaw along Max’s chin, and can hear him purring loudly even from across the room.
“I thought you said your cat doesn’t like people.”
“He doesn’t,” I mutter, and Gareth laughs while shutting the door.
“He’s so cool.” Max smiles at me, scratching the head of the cat who has obviously been switched with mine.
“Let me find you something to eat.” I smile back at him before stepping into the kitchen.
“What’s his name?”
“Melbourne,” I call out. “Or I think it is. My cat doesn’t like people, so I don’t know who you’re holding.” I hear him laugh from the other room and I smile.
“You don’t have to feed him, babe. He can wait to eat until dinner,” Gareth tells me, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind, and I lean back into his embrace then tip my head to the side until I catch his gaze.
“I don’t really have anything nutritious to feed a growing boy, but I’m not going to let your son starve.”
His eyes search mine for a moment then he shakes his head, kisses the tip of my nose, and lets me go to leave the kitchen. Not sure what that was about or why goose bumps are breaking out on my arms, I go back to searching for something to feed Max.
“Max, are chips and salsa okay?” I shout. When he calls out a yes, I dump a jar of salsa into a bowl then dig through the cabinets for corn chips. Carrying the bowl and the bag with me into the living room, I stop in my tracks when I see Gareth pick up Melbourne and flip him to his back to rub his stomach—a move that would for sure get my eyes scratched out.
Okay, so my cat is obviously sexist and only likes men. Good to know.
“What do you want to drink, honey?” I ask Max as I set down the chips and salsa in front of him.
“Water is okay.”
“What do you say to December, kid?” Gareth asks, and Max pauses with a chip close to his lips.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” I touch his hair and his eyes widen. Damn, why did I do that? I shouldn’t have done that. “Um.” I look at Gareth,
balling my hand at my side. “Would you like something to drink?”
He looks at my hand then me. “Do you have tea?”
“Yeah.”
“That’d be good, babe.” My skin tingles.
Focusing on the task at hand and not everything I’m feeling, I go back to the kitchen and come back a minute later with their drinks and a Diet Coke for myself.
“How was school today?” I ask Max, taking a seat on the couch next to him as he digs into the salsa with a chip.
“It was okay.”
“Just okay?”
“I had science, so that was cool.” He shrugs.
“Is science your favorite class?” I ask, dipping a chip into the salsa.
“Yeah, our science teacher, Mr. Tonk, is awesome. He’s always doing experiments and stuff, which makes class fun.”
“What’s your least favorite class?” I inquire, while Gareth takes a seat diagonally from us with Melbourne.
“Math. I hate math.”
“I don’t like math either,” I admit, and he eyes me doubtfully. “You don’t believe me?”
“You’re a teacher.”
“I am, but I still don’t like math. It’s not a subject I find easy to understand, and even to this day I have issues with a lot of math formulas.”
“What was your favorite subject?”
I don’t even have to think about it. “English. I love reading. I always have.”
“Were you a nerd when you were in school?” he asks with a smile twitching his lips.
“Probably.” I laugh. “I was friends with everyone, and I always had people to sit with at lunch and hang out with, but I mostly spent time alone reading.”
“I have a friend like that. He’s cool, but he would rather play video games at lunch and between classes.”
“Video games are cool,” I say, and he nods, dipping another chip and popping it in his mouth. “Do you like to bake?” I ask him, and he frowns at me. “What?”
“Baking is for girls.”
“Really? Says who?” I quickly glare at Gareth when he chuckles.
“I don’t know, but Grandma bakes, and so do my aunts and their girls.”
“Your dad doesn’t bake?” I question, and he looks at his dad and then back at me, shaking his head. “Do you like eating cookies and cakes and stuff?”
“Yes.”
“Me too.” I grin. “Baking is how my mom helped me understand math, but you know something else cool about it?” He gives me a half smile. “There is a lot of science involved. If you don’t measure and add just the right amount of ingredients, whatever you’re making won’t turn out like it should.”
“I guess you’re right,” he agrees, studying me.
“What’s your favorite thing your grandma or aunts make for you?”
“Chocolate chip cookies.”
I look at the clock and see we have enough time to mix up a batch of cookie dough. “Come on.”
“What?”
“You’re going to help me make some chocolate chip cookies. We will have to bake them at your house, but we can make the dough here.”
“Really?”
“Really. Well… I mean…” I look at Gareth. “Is that okay with you?”
“Yeah,” he agrees smoothly, but there is still an intensity in his expression that makes my legs feel weak.
I force myself to look away from him. “Come on, we don’t have long before you have to go pick up your brother,” I tell Max, and he gets up, following me into the kitchen. A few minutes later, Gareth comes in, taking a seat at the high table I use as a makeshift island. “The recipe we’re going to use is in here.” I hand Max one of my cookbooks. “Find the one for chocolate chip cookies while I get out the mixer.” Once I have the mixer set up, I go back to where he’s standing and look down at the recipe. “So we’re going to double the recipe so we’ll have plenty of cookies for everyone. Now, what do we need to do first?”
“It says you need to mix the eggs and butter together then add in sugar, vanilla, and salt.”
“Perfect, here’s the measuring cup.” I hand it to him and he looks at it. “I’ll grab the eggs while you measure out the butter.”
“How much butter?”
“What does the recipe call for?” I stop at the fridge and look at him.
“One and a half cups.”
“And since we’re doubling the recipe, how much do we need?”
“Three.”
“See? You got this down already,” I say, and he smiles brightly. “How many eggs do I need?”
He looks at the recipe. “Four.”
“Great.” I grab four eggs while he dumps the butter into the metal mixer bowl, and then I hand them over for him to crack. By the time we have the first five ingredients in the mixer, he’s a pro and completely at ease. “What’s next?”
“Flour,” he says, and I grab my flour canister from the counter and watch him measure out the first cup. I start to tell him that we have to shut off the machine before we add it, but he dumps it in, and flour hits the wire beater and flies everywhere. Gareth jumps from where he’s been sitting and shuts off the machine before I can.
“Oh my.” I look at Max and then down at myself. We are covered in flour, and there is still more falling to the floor like snow.
“I’m so sorry,” Max whispers. I blink at him, seeing only his green eyes. The rest of him is covered in a thin layer of white dust.
“You…” I giggle then start to laugh so hard I double over. I stand and point at him. “You… You should see your face right now.” I laugh harder and hear him start to laugh as well. “I should… I should have mentioned turning the machine off.” I continue to laugh then attempt to swipe the flour off the front of me, which causes a plume of it to fly out, making me giggle once more. “I think…” I snort, looking around. “I think we need to take a picture. My sisters will get a kick out of this.” I start to walk to the door so I can go get my cell, but Gareth grabs my hand and pulls me up short. “I need my phone,” I tell him, tipping my head back to catch his eye.
“I’ll get it for you. Where is it?”
“I can get it,” I try again, and he shakes his head then looks behind me. I follow his gaze and see I’m leaving a trail of flour in my wake. “Oh, maybe you should get it. It’s in my purse.” His eyes warm, and I swear he’s going to kiss me, but instead his fingers squeeze mine and he lets me go.
“Are the cookies ruined?”
I turn to face Max and find him looking into the mixing bowl.
“Nope.” I walk toward him. “We just need to guess how much flour actually made it in the bowl then add in the rest.”
“Cool.” His eyes are dancing with laughter when he turns to look at me. “Baking is kind of awesome.”
“Told you.” I nudge his shoulder with mine then look behind us when I hear the click of a camera.
“Smile,” Gareth says, and I strike a silly pose, which makes Max laugh. Gareth takes another picture then looks around. “Where’s your broom?”
“I think we should wait until we are done to clean up, just in case we have any more accidents.”
“That’s probably smart,” he agrees, and Max and I finish mixing in the flour and the rest of the ingredients, including the chocolate chips. Once we’re done, we scoop the dough into a plastic Tupperware container then set it in the fridge.
“Now for the not so fun part.” I look around at the mess then go to the pantry and grab my vacuum out of its charging dock.
“I think we should try to get as much flour off of us and the counters as we can before we use the vacuum,” Max suggests while bending at the waist and shaking his head.
I laugh, watching flour fall to the floor, and then do the same while Gareth starts to wipe the counters. It doesn’t take us very long to clean up, but by the time we’re finished and I look at the clock, I see they need to leave to go get Mitchell.
“Go start up the engine, kid. I’ll be down in a minute,�
�� Gareth tells Max, tossing him his keys.
“Cool.” He smiles at his dad then looks at me. “See you at the house.”
“See you there,” I agree right before he rushes from my apartment. “He knows not to try to drive, right?” I ask Gareth, and he laughs. “What’s funny?”
“Nothing.” He steps toward me, encircling my waist then trailing one hand up my back and into my hair. “Thank you for letting him help you with cookies.”
“It was fun,” I say breathlessly then moan as he claims my mouth, thrusting his tongue between my parted lips. Holding onto him, I melt into the kiss then feel completely drugged when he pulls away.
“We’ll see you at the house in about forty-five.”
“Okay,” I agree.
He studies me for a moment, and then demands quietly, “Pack a bag. Your cat will be alright here alone for the night.”
“Gareth.”
He holds me tighter. “I want to go to sleep with you in my arms, and I want to wake up with you in my bed.” Feeling weak, I nod, and when I do, he touches his lips to my forehead then lets me go. “See you soon.”
“See you soon.” I watch him walk out then go to my bedroom and into my bathroom to take a quick shower. When I’m done, I blow out my hair, get dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain long-sleeved shirt, and pack an overnight bag. Before I leave my place, I grab the cookie dough out of the fridge and my purse from the hook then head to my car. I make it to Gareth’s at the same time he and the boys are getting out of his SUV, and I park next to them.
“Can I see your phone to show Mitchell the pictures Dad took?” Max asks, opening my car door before I have a chance to.
“Sure.” I laugh, reaching into my large Coach tote that is covered with strawberries, pears, bananas, and apples. My stomach drops when my fingers brush across the plastic shopping bag holding my purchase from the drug store. Shit, I still haven’t taken that damn pill. What the hell is wrong with me? With my hand suddenly shaking, I grasp my cell phone from the bottom of my bag then click on the Photos app before handing it to Max.
Until December: Until Her/ Until Him Page 13