by Alexa Kane
A chance to prove himself.
One week to figure out if Kyle is in this for the long haul.
One week living in close quarters seems like a bad idea but I guess that I do owe him this.
I owe him the chance to be a father.
At the end of the week, if this all doesn’t work out then I will get to move home to Florida.
Not only that but Kyle said he would move down there too.
I would get both my parents and Kyle.
Either way, I can’t see a losing situation for myself.
“Okay Kyle, I will give you a week.”
Chapter 34
Kyle
“So, today’s the day, how has this week been?”
It’s an innocent enough question but the truth is that it hasn’t gone that well at all. I had all these big plans to show her how capable I am but as usual I screwed everything up.
Eva has been helping me all she can but I’m pretty sure that I have failed.
I should have gone over to Ashley’s to get some baking but for some reason I’m stuck talking to Eva and she hasn’t even offered me anything to eat yet. “Not great.”
“Oh Kyle,” she comes around to my side of the table and puts her arm around me, “I’m so sorry. What happened? I thought things were going well.”
“They were, but,” but I’m pretty sure I poisoned her and the babies on multiple occasions, “I have tried to cook for her every night this week. Mom’s been giving me lessons, I didn’t think it was that bad but last night I burnt the lasagna and then in the middle of the night when I went downstairs to get a glass of water, I found her down there…eating.”
“Kyle that doesn’t mean anything, it means she’s pregnant and is hungry, carrying around twins all day uses up a lot of energy.” Eva always say nice things like this to me but I’m wondering if honestly would be better.
At least Mom has the decency to sound disappointed when she asks me how I’m doing with her recipes. It’s been hard for her to stay away this week but I didn’t want my mom to overwhelm Jessica because then she would definitely want to move.
My mom can be intense.
I meant what I said when I gave Jessica a week to decide where she wanted to live, I’m not the biggest fan of Florida but I would move there if it meant saying close to my family.
It’s just living on the same street as my friends and all of us raising kids together sounds amazing.
It’s only Jessica’s parents in Florida and there will be no other kids for our girls to play with. Sure, Florida has kids but it’s just not the same as being raised around a bunch of cousins.
It’s bad enough that Cage and Rosie live in Atlanta, if I move too then I feel like we will all drift further and further apart.
“Has she um, given you her decision yet?” what she isn’t saying, is has she asked to leave yet?
“No but I’m avoiding her,” it’s not the best thing to do but I feel like it’s my only option. She can’t tell me that she wants to leave if she can’t find me.
“Well, you, um, may not have a choice in the matter.”
“Why not?”
“Because she’s walking across the street.”
“Shit,” looking out the window I see that Eva is right, Jessica’s come looking for me. “Oh no, what do I do?”
Eva places her hand gently on my arm, “Sweetie, I think it’s time to talk to her, you are trying to prove that you’re a grown up after all.”
“But what if she wants to leave me? What if she still thinks I’ll be a terrible Dad?” That’s my worst fear, I had such great parents and everyone I know with kids is doing such an incredible job.
What if I’m not like them?
What if Jessica is right and I’m not cut out for this?
What if I screw them up?
“Kyle, you could never be a terrible Dad. All you have to do is love those kids more than you love yourself. Can you do that?”
There is a knock on the door and I tense, is it really that simple?
“That’s easy, I already love them more than I love myself.” I’ve never felt these feelings for anyone before, they even eclipse the feelings I have towards Pretty Girl and those are some pretty intense feelings.
“Then go fight for your family.” Eva stands up and goes to open the door but I stop her, she’s right, this is something that I need to do and I need to do it by myself.
Opening the door, I see that Jessica looks about as nervous as I feel. I will just have to remember to keep my feelings in check when she tells me the bad news.
I’ve reacted poorly to a lot of things but I need her to know that I’m okay with going to Florida if that’s what she wants.
When neither of us say anything, I decide to bite the bullet, “Why don’t we go back over to our place and you can tell me what you’ve decided.”
“Oh,” she seems shocked that I was so forward and to be honest, I kind of shocked myself. “Okay, yeah, let’s do that.”
We walk across the street in silence and I feel like I’m walking towards my death.
Except Eva didn’t even offer me a last meal.
When we get inside, we take a seat in the living room on her couch that started it all.
At least her couch is something that we will be able to take with us.
“This last week Kyle…”
“You don’t have to say it,” I already know that I’m a failure.
“What do you mean? I thought you wanted to hear my answer.” How can she be so calm at a time like this?
I feel like I’m dying on the inside. “I already know I failed Jessica, I burnt every single meal I tried to cook for you. I even cut my hand and bled all over the sandwich I was making you for lunch the other day. I freaked out when I saw your maternity pads and you told me what they were for. I just, I haven’t done anything right this week.”
The fact is that I have screwed up since the beginning with her and she has every right to want her parents to help her raise our babies because it’s clear that I can’t handle it.
Her hand finds mine and she shuffles closer to me on the couch, “Kyle, the fact that you tried and put so much effort in is all that really matters to me. Sure, you’re not a very good cook but you are trying to get better and I hear you on the phone with your mom asking questions all the time. That shows me that you care, that you aren’t going to give up on us when it gets hard.”
Is she crazy? “Pretty Girl, I would never give up on you or the babies.”
“I know that now but for a while there, I wasn’t sure.” She squeezes my hand and looks away from me, “Would you really move to Florida if it’s what I wanted?”
I don’t even have to think about it, “Of course I would Pretty Girl, I told you I’m not giving up and if that means I have to move to alligator country then so be it.”
Her smile starts off small but then it grows and soon she is radiating joy, “Then I’ve made my decision.” I can’t speak so I only nod my head for her to continue, at some point my eyes must close as I can feel her small hands touch my face. “Kyle, I want to live here with you, I want to raise our children in the home you created for us.”
Did I hear her right?
She wants to stay?
She’s choosing me?
Opening my eyes, I see that her face is a lot closer to mine than I thought. I release the huge breath I didn’t realize that I was holding and I lower my forehead so it’s touching hers.
If Pretty Girl believes in me then I mustn’t be such a big failure after all.
The joy I am feeling right now is overwhelming, I get to have everything that I never knew I needed.
I get to keep my Pretty Girl.
Lowering my head a bit more, I press my lips to hers. When she doesn’t immediately push me away, I take that as a good sign and start kissing her more insistently.
There’s this feeling growing inside of me but it doesn’t last very long.
Jessica pushes awa
y from me and has shock plainly written all over her features.
Her hand is covering her lips and it’s shaking, “Kyle, I’m not ready for-”
“It’s fine, I’m sorry, I overstepped, it won’t happen again.” Practically running from the room, I take the stairs two at a time and I don’t stop until I close my bedroom door behind me.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
Why do I keep getting this all wrong?
Chapter 35
Jessica
Things have been strained between Kyle and I since he kissed me and I pulled away from him but I didn’t pull away from him for the reasons that he thinks.
It just took me by surprise and I’m not emotionally ready to dive back into something with him.
My hormones are going crazy and I want to wait until after the twins are born to make any decisions about us moving forward.
I’ve come to the realization that Kyle is right, we don’t need labels to be a family. I’m happy to continue living how we are, taking each day as it comes and who knows, maybe one day we will get married and add to our little family but one thing I do know is that Kyle isn’t going anywhere.
At the end of the day that’s all that really matters.
I was worried that he would look at my body differently and miss the things he used to have but he took me out to lunch the other day and didn’t even notice that the waitress was flirting with him.
It’s summer which means there are women wearing practically nothing but when women strolled past our table shaking their asses Kyle’s way, I was the only one who noticed.
I’m starting to believe Alice when she tells me that Kyle has changed and right now, I barely recognize him from the man he was when we first met.
He has organized a house warming party for us and surprised me this morning with my parents and Dylan sitting in the kitchen.
When I screamed, I had to spend ten minutes explaining to Kyle that I actually enjoyed his surprise this time and that he did good.
My parents love Kyle but it’s hard not to fall in love with him, he has gone out of his way to introduce me to every single person he invited to the barbeque and he even has his nieces and nephew calling me Aunt Jessica.
Except Tyler, he has started calling me Pretty Aunty which did not go down well with Kyle.
Today has been great but I’m exhausted so I find a nice quiet spot to hide out in the back yard.
My peace and quiet doesn’t last long though as Kyle’s cousin Symon seeks me out and sits down next to me, “So, you tamed the man whore huh, I wouldn’t believe it’s true except my Nick tamed me and I couldn’t imagine my life any other way now.”
“Um, thank you?” when Kyle first introduced me to her, she complimented my breasts and said she was jealous that I didn’t have to have a boob job like her. Kyle was quick to whisk me away after that and I haven’t spoken to her since.
“You’re welcome. So, I know a lot about you,” she looks me up and down like I’m some kind of meal.
“Okay?” I’m not sure if I like where this is going. I would try to get up and run away from her but I’m pretty sure I couldn’t get up even if I tried.
“I know a lot about Kyle too, things that you don’t know.”
“Like what?”
“Like he had more things to surprise you with when he showed you this house but you freaked out so he chickened out like a pussy and hasn’t managed to get the courage up again.” She smirks as she taps her long nails against the glass she is drinking out of.
“What else was he going to surprise me with?” what else was there to surprise me with? I’m pretty sure, house, car and completed nursery rounds everything out nicely.
She starts acting coy but I don’t buy it one bit, “I’m not supposed to say but it’s in the top drawer of his bedside drawers, left side of the bed.”
“What? How do you know that?” that is very specific.
She shrugs her shoulders, “I went snooping earlier when I told everyone that I was going to the bathroom.” When I don’t react, she seems disappointed, “Why aren’t you moving?”
“Well for starters, I’m stuck and also, I respect Kyle’s privacy,” although I am intrigued.
Very intrigued.
She rolls her eyes, “I thought you would be more fun.” She stands from her seat and then with strength I didn’t think she would possess, she pulls me from my seat, “I’m going to go find my boys and I might even distract Kyle for the next ten minutes.”
After she winks at me, she takes off and makes a beeline for Kyle. She grabs him by the shoulders and positions him so that I can walk inside through the back door undetected.
Damn, I really wanted to be strong but she’s making it so easy that I almost want to go snoop through his things.
No, you are not that kind of person, Kyle will show me what it is when he is ready.
Except, I kind of, really want to know now.
Fuck it, I’m going in.
As I walk past, I see Symon smirking at me and it almost makes me change my mind, almost.
I waddle up the stairs as fast as I can which is not that fast and make sure no one is around before making a beeline for Kyle’s room.
I close the door behind me and start second guessing myself, this is wrong isn’t it? I wouldn’t like Kyle going through my things so I shouldn’t go through his.
Except he has gone through my things countless times.
He found my old shoebox and I came home one day to him going through my medicine cabinet. I know for a fact that he was always rummaging around in my underwear drawer.
That settles it then, this is payback.
Walking over to the left side of his bed, I take a seat and pull the top drawer open before I can second guess myself.
When I finally recognize what Kyle has been hiding from me, I wish I never came in here.
Closing the drawer firmly, I exit Kyle’s room and walk straight into my own.
Kyle was planning to propose to me.
Like, for real this time, with a ring, propose to me.
Holy shit, walking into the bathroom, I empty my bladder then pour cold water all over my face.
I need to get myself under control, how I am supposed to look at Kyle again knowing that he has an engagement ring next to his bed?
“Pretty Girl, are you alright?” At the sound of his voice I scream and the water that I had in my hands, ends up going all over me. “Woah, Pretty Girl, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I’m almost too quick to reassure him and now he looks suspicious, “Nothing at all, I’m fine, super fine.”
He sighs then takes my hand and leads me into my bedroom, we take a seat on my bed and now all I can picture is fucking Kyle on this bed which is bad, very bad.
I was happy to wait.
I was happy with no labels.
I had decided that what we have between us would be enough but that ring changes everything.
“I can take a guess at what has upset you.” He seems mad all of a sudden, “What did Symon say to you?”
“What?” shit he knows, he knows that I know about the ring, “What do you mean? She never said anything to me.”
“Don’t lie to me Jessica, I saw you two talking, did she…was she talking about your breasts again?”
“My breasts?” I asked confused.
“Yes, your tits or any other part of your body or our sex life or my dick. She, after she talked to you she came over to me and asked what it felt like to watch my favorite part of you get bigger. Your tits by the way, not your stomach.” He can barely look at me and seems rather embarrassed.
I can’t help but laugh, “She didn’t upset me Kyle.”
His head snaps up and relief is written all over his face, “She didn’t?”
“No, she didn’t,” at least not in the way that Kyle thinks.
He physically sags in relief, “Good, I was worried when I saw you two alone together. I tried to come save you but the
n Nick stepped in my way and well, you’ve seen him, there’s no getting past him.”
“It’s fine Kyle and thank you for today, it’s been great.” I just wish it had ended differently and that we still didn’t have a house full of people.
“Yeah, it really has, Mason was giving me shit about being a basic Dad when I started talking about my new lawnmower and I wasn’t even upset. I am genuinely excited about doing basic Dad stuff.”
“I’m glad Kyle.”
“Thanks for believing in me Pretty Girl,” he leans over and places a gentle kiss on my cheek. “I’m going to go back downstairs but you stay up here and rest, I’m about to kick everyone out soon anyway.”
When Kyle leaves, I lie down on the bed and decide to take his advice and rest. Now that I know what Kyle had planned for us, I need to decide if I am going to wait for him to be ready or if I’m going to push for things to move faster.
Chapter 36
Kyle
Our house warming party was a huge success and I finally feel like I’m going to nail this dad stuff.
Jessica’s parents really like me which is a huge bonus, I was worried that they would have heard a bunch of bad stuff about me but it turns out that Jessica has never said one bad thing about me.
It also doesn’t hurt that they know I invested in their sons’ company and they seemed really impressed by that.
They were even more impressed when I showed them around our new home and Jessica’s new car, turns out that they agreed with me that it was time her car got traded in for something safer.
My parents also hit it off with them and they are already planning to stay with them for a few weeks after the babies are born.
The one glitch in the whole day was fucking Symon, I knew she would open her big mouth and say something inappropriate; you would think being a mom herself would have chilled her out a bit but nope, she’s still up to her old tricks.
Which ironically, I used to find really entertaining.
It turns out that turning into a basic Dad effects your sense of humor. I wonder if I will start cracking Dad jokes.