CHAPTER 4
Sophie
As I look around, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I’ve been working at my Mom’s bed and breakfast all morning trying to get this room painted. To cut down on the cost for renovations, I assured my Mom I’d paint it all. I have a steady hand and I’m not horrible at edging. Really, anyone can paint. Well, that’s what I thought before finding out that painting is the devil!
My shoulders burn and my biceps ache. My back feels like a 600-pound man has been sitting on it and my neck feels strained. I feel like the freaking Hulk though. I’ll need to wear more tank tops to show off my bulging biceps.
Not having child care, I had to bring Gabe with me. For an almost five-year-old, he’s pretty well behaved. And by well behaved, I mean he’s not going to find some matches and burn this place to the ground.
Taking in the foyer again, I smile. Finally done! I’ve been working on this area for over a week. Tall ceilings are the worst and I’m scared of heights. Standing up on a little ladder nearly had me calling the local painting company but I persevered.
After the first few days I had no choice but to gate off a room and make Gabe a play area to keep him occupied. He’s not always here, sometimes Mom keeps him while I’m painting. Today she’s out with her church friends so I had no choice. He was easily persuaded with a chocolate donut.
Wiping the sweat from my brow, I realize I haven’t heard my baby’s chatter in a few minutes. And believe me, the kid does not stop blabbering from the moment he gets up. It usually means he’s up to something. Generally with kids, if they’re quiet you should be quaking in your boots. Last time he decided to plaster shit all over his closet walls. Sure, it was over a year ago but that shit traumatizes you.
“Shoot!” When I get to the room I notice the gates been moved. “How the hell does he do that? That thing was on their tight!” Guess it serves me right for trying to keep a four-year-old locked up.
I hear little footsteps on the stairs and head in that direction. Gabe on stairs by himself at four freaks me out. Hell, I’ll probably hold his hand when he’s on them until he’s thirty.
When he’s in my view it all happens in slow motion. His little foot slips and he tumbles down the last three steps, hard.
“Oh my god!” I run over to him and cradle him into my arms. He’s crying uncontrollably which isn’t the norm. He’s usually a pretty tough kid, so I know something must be wrong. With him scooped up in my arms, I carry him into the kitchen and sit him on the countertop. Giving him a once over I notice he’s cradling his arm close to his body. My hand makes contact and he winces before screaming harder than before.
“It’s okay baby.” Trying to get a good look I see his wrist swelling and turning a nasty shade of purple. Tears come to my eyes at the thought of what he’s going through. Other than banging his head or scraping his knee he hasn’t had to deal with pain. I give myself a second before putting on a brave face and going full-on Mommy mode.
“Gabe, baby, I need to take you to the doctors.”
“Noooooooooo!” He shrieks, tears leaking like a faucet.
“It looks like you hurt your arm baby, we have to go so they can check it out. Can you be brave for me?”
He nods his head then sniffles. He hates going to the doctors because he hates shots with a passion.
“Mommy’s going to pick you up and take you to the car. Then we’re gonna go to the hospital and afterwards I promise, we’ll go to the store and you can pick out whatever the hell you want.”
He nods his head again before I pick him up and get him into my car and buckled up in record time. The whole ride to the hospital I talk to him and try to reassure him that everything’s going to be okay. Half of the pep talk is trying to reassure myself even though I know he’ll be just fine.
The ER is slamming but they take us right away. It’s a whirlwind of questions from nurses, the same questions from the doctor and a set of x-rays. After an hour we learn that he has a hair line fracture and we wait for the doctor to tell us what’s happening next.
Two hours later, Gabe’s ready to go home with a bright orange cast on his arm. His choice in color, not mine. I feel like I’ll need to wear sunglasses every time I look at it.
“Mommy, look!” He’s pointing to his cast thinking it’s the coolest thing ever.
“So cool bud! Wait until Grammy sees it.”
“Grammy will love it!”
I laugh walking down the hall with Gabe on my hip, he’s talking to me about what toy he wants from the store. Some Pop the Pig game he’s been eyeing. I’d buy him 50 for what he’s just gone through today. He asks to press the elevator button and of course I let him.
After the elevator doors open, I let him press G for the ground floor. Right before the doors fully close, someone sticks their arm in trying to catch the elevator. Once they’re inside, I raise my head ready to ask the stranger what floor they want so Gabe can press the button. A very unlady like gasp leaves my lips and I’m met with the bluest eyes I’ve ever known. My heart starts beating rapidly and I blink trying to make sense of what I’m seeing.
“Soph?” That deep voice I’ve missed so much over the past several years washes over me and I feel at home. Only for a second. Because in this elevator with the doors now shut I’d like to add, is me, Gabe and Kyle Cage… Gabe’s Dad.
Jesus Christ, he looks good. Like goooood. His hair is cut in the stereotypical shaved on the sides, longer on top style that all the male celebs seem to have. His face is the same as I remember, if not more handsome. Honestly, I don’t know if you can classify Kyle Cage as just handsome. He’s got on a black tee shirt that perfectly shows off his physique and let me tell you… the boy I once knew has grown into a man. Damn, his arms are loaded with tattoo after tattoo with barely any skin visible beneath. He’s the ultimate bad boy fantasy come to life… if I were into that sort of thing of course.
When my eyes meet his again I see him smirking and realize I still haven’t answered him yet.
“Hey Kyle.” I know my face is beet red and my mouth is dry. I’m surprised I got a greeting out. I notice the bandage on his forehead and ask him if he’s alright.
“I’m fine. One of my asshole nephews thought it would be funny to throw a rock at my head.” He gently places his fingers to his bandage. “Kid has one hell of an arm. Two stitches later…” He laughs. “Wow, I heard you were back but didn’t expect to run into you.” His hand moves to rub the back of his neck, a nervous trait he always had.
“Yup, I got back a few months ago. Ran into Jayden at the store a few weeks back. I’m surprised he didn’t tell you.” I’m fishing, I need info.
“He just mentioned he saw you earlier today.”
It dawns on me, if Jay didn’t tell him he saw me until recently, then he doesn’t know about Gabe. Shit!
Kyle must realize there’s someone else in the elevator with us because his eyes go to the back of Gabe’s head that’s lying on my shoulder. All he can see is the back of him.
“Wow, you have a kid? That’s… awesome.” But the way he says it lets me know he doesn’t feel that way at all.
“Yup.”
“Hey buddy,” he looks at me questioningly. “Is he sleeping?” I know he’s just being polite but Gabe pops his head up with a smile full of teeth and looks directly at Kyle.
The smile on Kyles face falls and his face takes on a pale color, then he looks back to me with confusion written all over his face. You may think it’s crazy that he knows instantly but he looks like an exact little replica. Not one trait of mine is on this sweet boy until his temper’s let loose.
“Sophie?” Kyle questions.
“Kyle, I want you to meet…”
Never to be upstaged, he cuts me off and introduces himself. “I’m Gabriel.”
“Hey Gabriel…” Kyle takes a deep breath as he looks at me, then back to Gabe. “How old are you bud?”
“I’m four!” He holds up his four little fingers and starts to wiggle them.
A second later, the elevator door opens and Kyle flies through the doors before they’re fully opened. Just like that, he’s gone not once looking back at his son.
“Well, that went well.”
“Mommy, I’m tired.”
Mommy mode reengaged. I’ll process this all later, preferably with a giant bottle of wine, no glass. It’ll be a sip from the source kind of night.
Son of a bitch!
****
Kyle
As I pace the length of my living room, my hands are fisted in my hair trying to wrap my head around what just happened. It makes zero sense in my head every time I think about it. Which is every second since I left the hospital.
I wish I could say seeing Sophie hasn’t affected me but that would be a lie. Seeing the light dusting of freckles spread across her nose, remembering kissing her full pink lips, tucking her gorgeous red hair behind her ear and gazing into her piercing green eyes that completely undo me… I shake those thoughts from my head. It’s crazy how even after four years just looking at Sophie could bring me to my knees and have me a breath away from offering up everything I own to her. What the fuck? Why the hell does she do this to me? She had my fucking kid with her and I still can’t figure it all out. My kid.
There’s a knock on the door and I rush over and open it. Zander quickly enters my house.
“What’s going on? You said it was an emergency.”
“If you consider the fact that I have a kid an emergency, yeah. A big fucking emergency.” I mumble.
“Whoa, let’s sit down and you can explain.”
We make our way into the kitchen. I hop up on the counter and Z takes a seat at the island on a barstool. With a deep sigh, I begin talking.
“When I was getting on the elevator to leave the hospital an hour ago, Sophie was on it already. It took me a minute but I saw her holding a small kid. When he looked at me… fuck. He’s mine man.” I hang my head and look at the floor not knowing what emotion to show.
“How do you know he’s yours? Why would she hide him from you?”
“He looks just like me. Back before I left college, after you know… we had sex. She came to me and told me she was pregnant.”
“You knew you had a kid?” He’s almost defensive.
“Yes but… man it’s so fucked up.”
I try not to think back to the end of my college days. Not because they were horrible, I actually had a blast. Once word of my first big fight got around I became the hot shot on campus. People would hand deliver me drinks at parties instead of having to wait in line and girls would be throwing themselves at my feet. But the best part was losing my virginity to my best friend Sophie.
“I’m so glad you talked me into going out.” Sophie slurs as we enter my dorm room.
“Told ya. Stick with me babe.” I drop down on my bed on my back staring at the ceiling that won’t stop spinning. Holy hell, I’m drunker than I thought.
I feel Soph climb on my bed when the mattress dips down. She snuggles into the nook of my armpit, right where she belongs. Hell, where she’s always belonged. Her smell wafts up my nostrils and my cock takes notice. Damn, I can’t get a chubby when my platonic bff is lying on me. That’d be wrong. Right?
My hand starts stroking her hair and she moans. Crap, now I have a full-fledged boner and if she glances down, there’s no way to hide it.
“Ky?”
“Soph?”
“Do you ever wonder what it’s like?”
“What’s that?”
“Sex?”
I begin choking on my saliva when she says it. Not once, not ever in our entire friendship have we even discussed sex. Now that’s not saying I haven’t fantasized about it. I am a man. Gathering my composure, I contain my coughs, will my boner away and answer her truthfully.
“All the time.”
“Well, maybe we should just do it. You know, get it outta the way?” She starts giggling.
“You’re drunk.”
“Not drunk enough. I know what I’m doing Ky, don’t be a pussy.”
I laugh. “A pussy huh? Now you’re gonna get it.” I bend over so Sophie’s underneath me as I begin tickling her.
“Stop, stop! Uncle!”
I stop and look into her eyes as she gazes back at me. There are so many thoughts running through my head. But the one that’s standing out, the one that I can’t hold at bay is how much I want to kiss my best friend. Maybe it’s the drinks, or maybe its years of repressed feelings but I go for it. Leaning down I connect my mouth with hers hoping she wants this as much as I do and doesn’t try to push me away.
I’m taken by surprise when she wraps her arms around my shoulders pulling me closer. She shocks me further when her legs wind around my waist making my erection nestle into her warm center. The kiss continues as I dive my tongue into her mouth. Hers immediately tangles with mine as if we’ve done this a thousand times. I don’t know how far she wants to take this so I let her pick the pace.
She pulls back and I’m slightly disappointed but incredibly happy I got what I did. This was the best kiss to date and I want more. So much more.
I think she’s going to push me off but she leans in and rips my shirt over my head…
“Don’t leave me hanging bro. What the hell’s going on?”
Trying to wipe the memory away, I look back at Zander.
“She came to me before I left college and told me she was pregnant. I was scared as shit but I supported her. Then we lost the baby. Or I thought we did.”
“That simple?”
“That simple bro. Why the fuck wouldn’t she tell me I have a kid?”
“I think that’s something you’ll have to ask her Ky. I know there’s probably more to this story but I know you’re trying to process. You should go talk to Soph.”
“I will when I’m ready. There are some things I need to think about. A fucking kid Z! What the hell am I going to do with a kid?” I look at Zander. “I’d appreciate if you kept this between us until I figure shit out.”
“Of course. Just know I’m here if you need to talk. This is huge, don’t think you have to go through it by yourself.”
“I know, thanks Z. Feel like a quick workout?” I need to hit something.
“Aren’t you concussed?” He starts laughing making me grit my teeth.
“No, just a few stitches. How the hell was I supposed to know Jesse was coming at me with a fucking boulder? I was in shock after I got nailed in the nuts, you should have protected me!” I laugh. “Josh should punish him for the next ten years.” That’s right, my two-year-old nephew threw a fucking baseball at my balls then nailed me in the head with a giant rock. My family thinks it’s fucking hilarious though.
“Shut the fuck up, are you up for it or not?”
“Of course, lead the way.”
For the next hour I pound on the bag until I can’t move my arms. He calls the workout short after I start getting light headed, maybe I should have kept it simple today. Luckily the doctor didn’t give me any restrictions other than not to hit my stitches.
After walking Zander to his car, I head back in the house to take a shower and plot my plan of action. As the water rains down on my body, I think about the little boy I met today. How the fuck could she not tell me I had a kid? Didn’t she think I’d want to know, be a part of his life?
I’ve missed so much of his life already, will I fit in? Will he hate me? Is it worth it at this point in my career? I quickly wipe that thought from my memory because its bullshit. I don’t care what the hell’s going on in my life, I’m gonna get to know my boy.
That’s the one thing in my life I’m certain of.