by Alexa Kane
Sweet baby Jesus that feels good.
Keeping my eyes closed, I relish the feel of his strong hands on my feet. I don’t even care if they are swollen and I have cankles, I never ever want him to take his hands off me.
I must drift off at some point as the next time I open my eyes it’s pretty dark and as I take in my surroundings, I realize that I’m on my bed.
Kyle must have put me to bed.
Reaching down the length of my body, I find that I am still in the same clothes as I was in earlier but my feet feel so much better.
When I get up to use the bathroom, I notice a dim light still on in the living room so I walk out to check if Kyle left something going.
The TV is still on but the volume is down so low that I can barely hear it and Kyle is sound asleep on my couch.
I wonder what he is still doing here?
Grabbing a blanket from the back of the couch, I cover him up then turn the TV off before jumping back in bed.
It’s not as easy to fall back asleep this time, I know I’m making the right choice moving to Florida but it doesn’t make it any easier to leave Seattle behind.
To leave Kyle behind.
There is a very small part of me that is hoping he asks me to stay so that we can be a family instead of just dropping hints about how awful Florida is and that our kids will be eaten by alligators before their first birthday.
Kyle’s sense of humor is one of the things that I love most about him but it’s also his biggest downfall. He uses humor as a way to skirt around his feelings and I can’t wait around for him to figure that out.
Maybe in a few years he will realize that what we had together was special or maybe he will even follow me to Florida.
Until that day comes, or if it ever comes, I have to live my life based on what’s best for our children and unfortunately, that means leaving their father behind.
Chapter 32
Kyle
Pretty Girl leaves tomorrow.
She has finished the school year off even though those last few weeks almost destroyed her physically and tomorrow she will be gone.
She has been letting me come over more and more, especially because she likes how I rub her feet when she gets home from work but it hasn’t been enough.
I’m not enough.
Once again, I’m drowning my sorrows with alcohol except this time it’s not my fault, it’s Ryleigh’s. Today is her birthday and I invited Jessica out to dinner with everyone at Jayden’s restaurant but she never showed.
Hence all of the alcohol.
Ryleigh is cuddling up to me and trying to make me feel better but it’s not working. The thought of winding Alex up over the fact that his fiancé is all over me isn’t even appealing.
It’s like I’ve lost all hope.
“Cheer up Kyle, have another drink.” Ryleigh passes me a glass but it’s empty.
“That’s empty,” looking over at Alex, he seems to be sound asleep and everyone else is long gone, “You know you’re not very smart for a nurse.”
“Hey,” she hiccups and burps at the same time, that would be impressive if I wasn’t so depressed. “That’s not…well, I guess right now it’s kind of true. I blame Alex.” She whispers that last part and points at Alex who is now slumped over with his head on the table.
“I blame Alex too,” but mostly I blame myself, I should have been better.
If I wasn’t such a screw up and had actually had a girlfriend or two over the years then I would have treated Jessica better, I would have known how to cherish her.
“Some pregnant girl is looking at you,” she leans over me and squints her eyes, then gasps in shock, “It’s her, she came. She came for you Kyle.”
She begins shaking me so hard that I have to put my hands on her shoulders to calm down her down. “Ryleigh, I can’t see when you do that.”
“Hey Kyle,” it really is her, she really came.
“Yah, Pretty Girl turned up for Kyle! Happy Endings! Happy Endings!” Ryleigh is now bouncing in my lap and it can’t be a good look.
I grab her around her waist and shuffle both of us over to make room for Jessica, I try to shove Ryleigh off me but Alex is in the way so now she is half sitting on both of us. “Um, sorry about this, it’s her birthday and she’s kind of wasted.”
Jessica nervously takes a seat next to me, “That’s alright, um, I’m sorry I missed dinner, the movers took longer than I thought they would and then I had to hand my key in and there was this lady complaining about a leak in her sink-”
“It’s fine, you’re here now, that’s all that matters.” Only I wish Alex wasn’t passed out and Ryleigh wasn’t a complete mess, she is checking all of the glasses on the table but thankfully they are all empty.
I should really put them in a taxi or better yet take them back to my place to sleep it off but now that Jessica’s here, I wish they would go away.
“I can’t really stay long, I’m exhausted and I’m going to stay at Alice’s tonight-”
“You could stay with me,” I regret the words as soon as they leave my lips, her face says it all, she’s really going.
She looks down at the table as she whispers, “That’s not a good idea Kyle.”
“Yeah,” I reluctantly agree, “You’re probably right.”
It becomes awkward then and I curse myself and my big fat mouth, she probably thinks that I’m thinking with my dick again but I’m not, I just want to spend all my time with her.
It’s killing me that I can’t hold onto her.
“You should have goodbye sex.”
“Ryleigh,” I can’t believe she just said that, why can’t she pass out already like Alex?
“Sorry but it’s true, Alex and I had the sex and once we had reconnected it was like BOOM! Old feelings came back then stuff happened, it was mad, mad, angry then it was sex, sex, sex then BOOM!” She holds up her ring finger and shoves it in my face, “Engaged, all because of the sex.”
Alex’s head snaps up suddenly, “Sex?” he grabs hold of Ryleigh and pulls her onto his lap before passing out again.
At least she is off me for a change, hopefully her attention stays on Alex and I can have a proper conversation with Pretty Girl.
“Sorry about her,” I go to elaborate but then I have no idea how to, there is no way to explain what she just said.
“That’s okay but I should probably go home, it’s really late.” She fidgets with her phone and once again I curse Ryleigh and her stupid mouth.
She used to be one of my favorite people but not anymore.
“I should probably get them back to my place anyway, I don’t trust them getting home on their own. Let me get a cab for you.”
“Yah, Kyle’s place, just like old times!” Ryleigh shakes Alex in her excitement and luckily it rouses him from his slumber.
The four of us make our way towards the front of the restaurant and I want nothing more than to hold her to me.
Once we get outside, Jessica shivers so I wrap my arms around her to keep her warm. I expect her to push me off but she only smiles at me gratefully.
The walk to the taxi stand is a slow one because Ryleigh and Alex are slowing us down but I don’t mind one bit.
My luck runs out when we see two cabs waiting for us and no line, I walk Jessica up to the first one and wrap my arms all the way around her in a tight hug. Leaning down, I whisper in her ear, “Have a safe flight tomorrow.”
“Thanks Kyle, will I, um…will I see you at all tomorrow? I was going to send through my flight details so you would know if I was delayed or anything.” Her arms are wrapped around me just as tightly.
“I’ll try my best,” pulling back, I place a gentle kiss on her forehead and then lean down to place two kisses on her stomach, “Take care of my girls for me.”
“I will and you know you are welcome down in Florida anytime, I would never keep you away Kyle.” She takes my hands in hers and squeezes them gently.
“I know,” I squeeze
her hands before guiding her down into the waiting taxi. When she is buckled in, I whisper, “Goodbye Pretty Girl,” then I shut the door and watch them drive away.
Ryleigh and Alex stumble over to me and Ryleigh looks like she is close to tears, “That was so sad Kyle.”
Turning around to face my friends, I smile, “That’s okay, I have a plan.”
Chapter 33
Jessica
When I left Kyle last night, I honestly thought that I would see him today before I left for the airport but so far he hasn’t shown up at Alice’s.
Maybe he will come to the airport.
Saying goodbye to him last night was heartbreaking, I know it’s not forever but it doesn’t make it any easier to leave him behind.
I expected one last grand proposal from him last night and I don’t know why I’m so disappointed that I didn’t get one.
Dylan rang me this morning to wish me good luck and I stupidly mentioned that Kyle hadn’t come to see me off. He only laughed and told me that I couldn’t get rid of him that easily.
I’m not really sure what that meant but maybe he’s going to fly down to Florida today too, maybe he’s already there and is going to surprise me.
When Alice comes to get me saying it is time to leave, I have told hold back my tears and I end up spending the entire drive to the airport staring out the window at nothing.
When the car stops, I’m jolted from my thoughts and turn to face Alice, “Thanks for bringing me here and thanks for everything you have done for me.”
Taking a deep breath, I turn back around to open my door but then I notice my surroundings.
We aren’t at the airport, we are in the suburbs.
Confused, I turn back to a guilty looking Alice, “Alice, what’s going on?”
She doesn’t reply but hops out of the car, I hear the trunk open and then I see my luggage flying onto the lawn of a nice two-story house.
What the hell is she doing?
Getting out of the car, I grab my things off the lawn but when I get back to Alice’s car, she is in the driver’s seat with the doors locked. Pounding on the window, I start to yell at her, “What the hell are you doing Alice? Open the bloody door!”
All she does in response is crack the window enough so that I can hear her say, “Don’t hate me…bye!”
Her tires squeal as she takes off and I’m left standing on the side of the road, completely dumbfounded and alone.
Looking back up at the house that Alice left me in front of, I now see a man standing on the porch.
But not just any man, it’s Kyle.
Slowly and cautiously he walks down the porch steps and along the path to meet me. He stops in front of me and then spreads his arms wide, “Welcome home.”
“What?” I deadpan.
“Um,” the smile drops from his face and he seems even more unsure than before. “Um well, I brought this house, for…us.”
“You brought a house?” I don’t mean for my tone to come across so bitchy but I was on my way to the airport to leave Seattle for good and now I’m standing in front of a house that Kyle is saying he brought.
“Yeah, so we can be a family.” He scratches his head then mutters a few swear words under his breath, “Just come inside and take a look, please?”
“Kyle, did you really buy a house?” this all just seems a bit hard to believe.
“Yeah I did, I’m actually really excited about doing mundane things like mowing the lawns and the best part is that Mason and Eva’s house is directly across the street.” He points to the house opposite the one we are standing in front of and I turn just in time to see the curtains close. No doubt they are spying on us. Then he points to the house on the right, “That house belongs to Jayden and Ashley and I tried to buy the house on the left of Mason and Eva’s but this old bastard wouldn’t sell it to me. I’ll point him out to you, but stay away from him, he socked me in the balls with his evil cane.”
Everything he just said only makes me more confused but I don’t think I can even voice a question just yet.
Kyle picks up my bags and begins walking towards the house, his house or is it our house?
I follow him inside seeing as I’m stuck here but once I see the living room, I become livid, “Kyle that’s my couch.”
He gets a panicked look on his face and that’s when I begin looking around the rest of the house. I do a quick run around, looking at all of the furniture and opening kitchen cupboards.
When I finally get back to Kyle, he looks like he is trying to shrink away from me, “Kyle, why the fuck are all of my things here? They are supposed to be on a truck driving to Florida!”
He laughs nervously, “Funny thing really, when I rang up to pay the bill I also changed the delivery address.”
“WHAT?!” This is not happening, this cannot be happening to me.
I was upset about leaving but at the same time I was determined to start a new life for my baby girls.
How could Kyle think it was okay to do this without telling me?
I begin pacing the small hallway, trying to calm myself down but it’s not working, “Kyle, what am I supposed to tell my parents, they think they will be picking me up from the airport in a few hours.” He gets that sheepish look on his face again, “What have you done?”
“Um well, Dylan is talking to them as we speak and explaining everything. I have also sent your parents tickets to come to Seattle so that I could meet them before the babies are born and so that they could see the house and know that I’m going to take care of you.”
“Wait, Dylan knew about this too?” First Alice and now Dylan? I was right to be suspicious of everyone acting strange but they all made me think that I was acting crazy.
They made me blame my pregnancy hormones.
“Yeah but don’t be mad at him, I bribed him with some machine he wanted.”
“Too late Kyle, I’m mad,” I’m so mad that I’m about to lose my shit.
“Um, why don’t we go upstairs, I have another surprise.” He starts to edge towards the stairs and I’m not liking my chances of enjoying this surprise either.
Reluctantly I trail up the stairs and I’m not at all surprised when he leads me to a room that contains my bedroom furniture. “I gave you the master bedroom so you have your own bathroom, my rooms down the hall and I got two bassinets for when the babies are born.”
He points to the corner and I have to admit that it’s kind of cute, that is probably the only part of the surprise that I actually like so far.
“But that’s not all,” he grabs my hand and leads me to the room next door.
When he opens the door, I have to cover my mouth with my hands to stop a sob escaping. Okay, so this surprise is really, really nice.
He has completely decorated the nursery and it looks like it is set up with everything that we could ever possibly need, there are two cribs, two change tables, drawers, a nice plush chair with a foot rest and there are pictures and toys everywhere. “Kyle, this is incredible.”
“So, you like it then?” I can hear the hope in his voice but I can’t bring myself to look at him just yet.
“Yeah I do, I’m super mad about everything else but I like this Kyle,” this is so sweet that I can’t help the tears that start falling down my cheeks.
It’s so sweet that I have to shut the door again so that I can stay mad at Kyle.
“I wanted you to know that I am serious about you and the babies, I want to take care of all of you and be there for everything. If you still really hate everything in a week then we can pack up and move to Florida. I will do it in silent protest but I will do it all the same. The only thing I care about is the fact that we are together.”
Unable to look at Kyle or respond to his sweet gesture, I walk past him and down the stairs again. I make a move to walk out the front door to get some fresh air but he grabs my shoulders and starts directing me to another part of the house.
“I need to show you everything and I real
ly hope you don’t get mad again.” He opens the door in front of me which leads to the garage.
Inside is his truck and what looks like a brand-new SUV.
I shouldn’t be surprised that he got me a car, seems to fit with the theme of today. I am surprised however that car seats have been fitted in both vehicles already.
He really has thought of everything.
Although, I have to wonder how much of this is Kyle and how much of it is his mom and Eva.
“What am I going to get mad about in here Kyle?” I can’t help but feel like I’m missing something obvious.
“Well, I um, I kind of traded in your car to get the SUV.”
“You what?” he fucking sold my car? Not only did he manage to move all of my belongings into this house without me knowing but he also sold my car.
“Your car was old Jessica, it needed to go and this one is top of the line, it’s the same model Eva has and it’s really safe.” He seems to add at the last second, “Think of the babies.”
Think of the babies huh?
Way to guilt trip me into being okay with all of this.
“Kyle I don’t know what you expect me to say about all of this,” this is crazy. It’s so crazy that I’m having trouble trying to process everything.
On the one hand I think it’s really sweet what he has done and deep down it’s exactly what I wanted. I wanted Kyle to step up and beg us to stay but on the other hand, he never asked what I thought.
He never asked if I wanted any of this, he just went ahead and did it, expecting that I would be okay with it all.
“Don’t say anything just yet,” he places his hands on my shoulders and for the first time all morning I stare straight into his eyes. “Just give me a week, give me one week to prove to you that this can work. Give me a week to prove that we can be a family. I promise that I won’t pressure you, I won’t walk around with my shirt off, I will take this seriously. Just like I will take the responsibility of raising twins with you seriously. I’m all in Pretty Girl, I just need a chance to prove it.”