by Brooke May
“Yes, he supports me in a lot of ways, K.C.” She now joins me on her back and copies my position. “General’s doesn’t pay their servers very well, as you know. My tips suck worse than yours do.” She groans again. “At least you live with Jackie and Karmin who don’t want you to pay rent. I’ve been on my own since I was seventeen. No one has given a shit about me until you and your aunts came along.”
I’m about to dive into the same old song and dance I always do with her on this. She managed so much on her own and became a strong woman. She doesn’t need a man or his money to get her by. But Marissa has other plans.
“Mommy!” She walks–runs to me. “Potty!” She crosses her legs and starts her little potty dance. She is dripping head to toe, making her hair look darker than normal. I go to stand, but Beth stops me.
“I’ll take her; I need to go as well.” She stands and walks over, offering her hand to Marissa who takes it quickly and then starts pulling Beth away. I’m sure this is her way to get out of the conversation.
I lie back for a moment and stare up at the endless blue sky and decide to get something to drink. I wasn’t smart enough to bring my own bottle of water today, so that means I have to pay for an overpriced one at the concession stand.
Grabbing my wallet, I slip my flip-flops back on, forgoing my cover-up, and head out of the kiddie pool area to the concession stand. I’m pleasantly surprised to find no line and a rather bored teenage girl sitting there. I can hear music coming from farther away, closer to all the slides and the wave pool rather than right here with the normal pool. That’s fine with me. I don’t need some drunk idiot coming over and harassing us while we try to enjoy our afternoon.
On my way up to the stand, I have an uneasy feeling that I’m being watched. It makes me uncomfortable and restless.
Maybe I should have thrown my cover-up on.
“Two waters, please,” I order, and the girl quickly grabs two bottles from the refrigerator behind her.
“Seven dollars.” I roll my eyes as I pull out seven ones. This is robbery. I hand her the money and take my water but go stock-still when a warm sensation takes hold of my body. Starting with my back and slowly wrapping its way around the rest of me. My legs tremble as the rest of my body tightens.
I know this feeling.
“Still black and white and now even sexier all over.” His breath tickles the tiny hairs on my ear as he whispers into it. My body goes white hot with feeling and so does my temper when I realize that the party is for the fighters who are here.
I have the worst luck.
Chapter Four
Katie
“TALK TO ME, Katie.” Chamberlain’s deep voice pleads with me. Still as thick as I remember with his heavy Boston accent, it still melts me. “Turn around and let me see you.”
I don’t move because I’m unable to. I’m stuck on the threshold of panic and anger. My baby is so close, and he’s here. I don’t want him here or even near her. When I don’t move, Chamberlain’s giant hands come to rest on my bare shoulders. I try my best, but his warmth spreads through me, making the temperature inside me unbearable. As much as I try to resist him, his strength overpowers me, and I’m forced to turn and see his incredibly amazing body up close once more.
Seeing him last night pales in comparison to seeing him up close. He’s breathtaking. The only thing unchanged on him, besides his trademark black and white, is his height. He still stands tall with pride, something I always loved about him. His body was always well built, but now it has a harder edge to it.
When we were together, only the tops of his arms and shoulders had tattoos. Now, his arms are all inked, and last night, I saw that a good part of his back is as well. But what pulls me in is my name, written in the most beautiful script I have ever landed my eyes on, resting right over his heart where my head laid. If he never truly cared for me the way I did for him, then why did he get a tattoo of my name right there, claiming his heart as mine for everyone to see?
His hair is a little longer. I remember when we first started dating I had nothing to run my fingers through and how he started to let it grow for me. He never went back to a close buzz; on the sides, yes, but not on top. It’s longer, and his bangs almost reach his brow. My fingers ache to touch him.
In the distance, I hear “Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran play through the speakers of the party.
Why me?
I want to cry. This man, this sexy fighter, The Predator left me heartbroken. “Katie.” His voice resembles the tone you would use when approaching an injured animal. It also forms a warm cocoon around me, one I want to break free from. “Look at me.”
I shake my head while I continue to focus on his chest. I will not look into those lovely deep blues. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him lift a hand to my chin. I pinch my eyes closed, praying he will just leave. My head doesn’t even fight him when he lifts my chin, so my face is now near his. “Open your eyes, panda,” he quietly commands.
My body gives in to him too easily. He has always had a command over me that no other has ever had. It’s a weakness I will tell no one. Ever so slowly, my eyes start to open until they are peering into his. I suck in a sharp breath as I look into the intense gaze that belongs only to Chamberlain Lawrence—my first and only love.
A small smile plays in the corner of his mouth. “There she is,” he breathes. His breath ghosts across my heated face. “God, I’ve missed those eyes.”
I frown at him and suddenly remember my anger. I whip my head out of his hold and try to walk away. “Leave me alone, Chamberlain.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” He runs after me, stepping in front of me to block my retreat. “Katie, baby, I think we need to talk.”
I shoot a glare up at him, making him recoil. “I have nothing to say to you,” I spit.
“Please.” He puts his hands together and bends his knees in begging. “I think we have a bit of a misunderstanding on our hands. Please, Katie. Let’s go somewhere quiet and talk.”
“I can’t.” I try to move around him.
“Can’t or won’t?” He stops me again and puts his hands back on my shoulders. His touch still affects me as it did back then. I hate it, but my traitorous body craves it and wants me to give in. My mind is seeing reason and tells my heart to avoid this. But my heart is begging for him, for its other half.
“Both.” I breathe out a sigh, my shoulders dropping.
Chamberlain steps closer to me, and my resolve starts to fade. “Katie, what we had—”
“There you are!” My head jerks in the direction of a high-pitched, annoying voice of a drunk woman, girl, making her way over to us. I look back at Chamberlain. I’m taken aback at how close I let him get to me. This closeness is familiar and makes me ache with need. I glare at him and glance back at the girl looking me over with disgust.
I’m not ashamed of myself at all, not anymore. I gained weight with my pregnancy, and some of it hasn’t come off—mainly in my butt and breast regions—but I like it there. I’m more comfortable in my skin than I’ve ever been. The other major change is the two stretch marks that run down on the sides of my now flat stomach. I wear them with pride; I earned them by carrying my daughter.
I feel ridiculous as my temper flares with jealousy on top of it. I shrug Chamberlain’s hands off me and square my shoulders. “What we had was apparently nothing,” I bite out and leave him with his stupid whore, fighting back the tears forming. I was stupid to ever think that if we had made it, I would be the center of his world. It seems that no matter who you are, once you become famous, you change. And most times, it isn’t for the better.
My flip-flops slap against the bottom of my feet as I hurriedly make my way back to the kiddie pool, to the safety that the fence secures for me. I make it back to the towels before Beth and Marissa return. I may have gotten lucky with no line at the concession stand, but I doubt they had the same luck in the restroom.
I sit back down on my towel after kicking my flip-flops off and bury my head in
my arms crossed over my legs. I let a few tears fall before I look up at the sky and blink them away, reining myself in.
“No more tears, K.C.,” I scold myself. “No more tears for him.” I take a deep breath just as I hear Marissa giggle as she and Beth make their way back.
“Mommy!” Marissa comes up to me and jumps into my extended arms. I cuddle her close and smile.
She’s my everything.
“Why you sad?” She pushes back and grabs my cheeks with her little hands, seeking something in my eyes.
I force a smile, ignoring Beth’s questioning glance, and focus on my daughter. “I missed you.” I bring her back to me and tickle her sides, giving me a real smile with her giggles. They are the best music in this world.
“Mommy!” She giggles. “Stop! I wasn’t gone long.” I pick her up and blow a raspberry on her bare belly. Her giggles further cure all ailments, including a broken heart.
She wiggles out of my hold and heads back to the water after taking a quick drink. Her little water wings bounce like her drying hair as she makes her way back into the water.
“Are you okay?”
I look up at Beth and stand with her, pulling my bikini bottom down over my butt again. “Just fine.” I give her a mellow nod.
“Come play, Mommy! Aunt Beth!” Marissa comes to the edge and starts splashing water on us, making us both laugh.
“I’m going to get you!” I say in my scary voice and bring out the claws to get her.
Marissa giggles and wades as fast as she can to the other side of the pool. “Help me, Aunt Beth!”
“I can’t save you, baby. I’m Mommy’s minion!” Beth laughs as she hops into the shallow water with us. We wade over to her, continuing our laughter.
“Where’s you minion voice?” Marissa wades over to the tall pole with five different colored buckets that fill with water before dumping them.
I look over at Beth who won’t go near it. She would if she didn’t have to work tonight. She wants to keep her hair nice because it can be a pain to tame. “Yeah, Aunt Beth. Where’s your minion voice?”
She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. “You know how much I dislike that voice!”
I get down on my hands and knees to start crawling to Marissa, grateful the water is shallow enough to let me do so. I growl as I grab her and start attacking her with kisses. Then I let her go, and we start all over again.
XOXO
“BUT I’M NOT tired,” Marissa whines around another yawn as I lift her into my arms and carry her out of the pool to our towels to dry her off.
“We have to go, baby doll. Aunt Beth needs to get ready to go to work, and I need to feed you.” Kissing her forehead, I pull her dress back over her after pulling her swimsuit top and water wings off. I tug her bottoms off and slip a pair of panties on her. She doesn’t like sitting in wet clothes, which made it so easy to potty train her. I slip her sandals onto her feet and then squeeze the water out of her braids before I get myself ready to leave.
“What a pervert,” Beth hisses as she directs my attention to the gate. I see someone standing in the shadows, and I nearly lose it when I see that it is Chamberlain. Beth turns to me, and her glare drops the second she sees the look of absolute horror on my face. “K.C.?” She quickly looks back at Chamberlain before returning to me again. “Do you know who that is?”
Tightening my jaw, I turn back to Marissa and our bag. “Come on, baby doll.” I pick her up, along with the bag, and march out of there with Beth running to keep up.
We are almost past Chamberlain when his hand shoots out and lightly touches my arm, making me stop. “Katie?”
I hear Beth gasp somewhere behind me. Marissa lifts her sleep head off my shoulder where she was nestled and blinks up at Chamberlain. He stares with wide eyes at her, his dark blue eyes meeting hers. And then she does something that completely shocks me.
“Are you my daddy?”
Chapter Five
Chamberlain
WHAT THE FUCK?
This is not what I thought would hit me today when I woke up. Last night, I tossed and turned in bed like usual with thoughts of Katie plaguing me. But instead of how she looked four years ago, it was the 2.0 version of her. And boy, do I like it. Her newfound curves and tits make my mouth water, my dick ache more than ever, and the need to taste her stronger than it has ever been.
I wonder if her voice has changed at all or if it is still the sweet, soft melody that enchanted me. How it dipped into a low moan and a soft growl when she came. Her laugh was sweet, youth-like, warming my heart and making me feel amazing. For some reason, I can imagine her voice with a little gruff to it, like a sex kitten, like the rest of her body. There was a hard edge to her last night that just screams she doesn’t have that innocent, free-loving attitude anymore.
I hope I’m wrong.
When I woke this morning, Scott was already up and ready for the day.
“I’ve been thinking, C.”
“That’s scary.” I grab an apple and start to eat it while my breakfast is prepared. My muscles are tense from my lack of sleep, and my attitude is piss-poor. Plus, I have a massive knot in the base of my neck that is giving me a headache.
“Funny, asshole.” He points his spoon at me with a glare. “Listen.” He’s trying to be serious, something that doesn’t normally happen with Scott. But when it does, watch out.
“I’ll try.” I brace my elbows on the counter and look him straight in the eye. I don’t blink because I know it unnerves him.
“Stop that!” He chucks his spoon at me, which I dodge with ease. “This is serious.”
“Then say it already!” I lean against the opposite counter, out of the way of the stove, and enjoy my apple.
“K.C. could possibly be at the party today,” he states while getting a clean spoon and sitting back down.
“Doubt it.” I huff. Even if she was invited, I doubt she would show up knowing that it is a party for the fighters and I’ll be there.
“Think about it. She’s friends with that Bob guy’s girl. He probably invited them, too.”
“Not going for it.” If Katie is still the same Katie from four years ago, I know she won’t go for it. She sees through other people’s bullshit.
Even when I didn’t. I stop mid-bite and rub the center of my chest. It still stings to learn the truth of what Katie saw the entire time. Fucking Gwen.
“You never know. She came to the fights last night and knew you would be there.” He does have a point. “Maybe she did want to talk to you but got nervous. I remember how flighty she would get when something bothered her, and she didn’t know how to approach it.”
Again, it stings. I brushed off her concerns in the past, which led us to here. I missed four years I could have had her by my side.
“Right. And she just blurted out that she never wants to speak to me again out of nerves?” I glare at him. It’s pissing me off that something bad happened to her to the point that she is too scared to talk to me. I know I fucked up, but something else happened and I need to know what it was. All I can think is that her parents did something. My fists ball up, causing me to squeeze the juice out of my apple and all over my hand.
“Never know,” Scott mutters into his bowl of damn corn flakes.
“Oh, I will know.” I sit down as my food is placed on the table and dig in. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” She pats me on the shoulder and heads back into the kitchen.
I have to find Katie. I leave for Orlando next Sunday and then it’s off to Dallas after that. I have six days to find her and convince her to come with me. Now that I’ve found her, I’m never letting her leave my side again.
Should be easy.
“Have you tracked down her job yet?”
“Nah.” He takes another bite and chews it slowly, testing my patience.
I have none when it comes to Katie.
“I could put you in the hospital with a single fucking punch, asshole. Just tell me,” I
growl as I slam my fork onto the table.
Scott sits back and gives me a big-ass goofy smile with food still in his mouth. I continue to glower at him. Once he swallows, he sighs. “Every number that I could find last night, I called. None of them have a girl with the last name of Cunningham working for them.”
“Fuck.” I drop my head in defeat. “Did you find any other numbers for different places?”
“No, those were the only ones listed, but I was looking through an old phonebook. I looked online and couldn’t find anything other than the ones I already had.” Scott at least has the decency to sound sorry.
“Great.” I scrub my face and exhale an exhausted breath. “I’ll figure it out.”
“You usually do,” he mutters. “Even if you don’t find her by the time we leave, at least you know where she is now.”
“No shit.” I stand; I can’t eat now. “But I have no intention of leaving without her.”
“Ha!” He barks a laugh, and I rear a fist back and slam it into his shoulder. “Ouch! Fucker!”
“Pussy,” I grumble, making my way back to my room to get ready for this shit-tastic day. While I’m getting ready, I fire up my laptop and try one more time to find her on any social media page. Once again, I find nothing, zip, nada, absolutely nothing on K.C. Cunningham or Katherine Cunningham or even Katie Cunningham.
If I knew her friend’s name, I would look into her. This pisses me off. And then I try something that I haven’t yet. I open a search browser and type in ‘Katherine Carrie Cunningham, Denver Colorado’ and cross my fingers when I press enter.
The first and most recent result is from the Metropolitan State University of Denver School of Education with a list of recent graduates and alumni. I see Katherine Carrie Cunningham listed as a new graduate.
“I’ll be damned.” I sit back on my bed and smile at the screen. She did it. She got her degree in education like she always wanted. I’m so proud of her. She went after her dream.
I exit out of it and continue to scroll through other results, but I don’t find anything else on her. All the other results have something to do with another Katherine or Carrie, and anyone with the name Cunningham, but nothing on my Katie.