CHAPTER 8
Kyle
I shut the door and can’t fight the smile from forming on my face. Tonight went off without a hitch and my family’s completely in love with my boy. How could they not be? Once he started calling the beef teriyaki dog shit it only got better.
Soph’s always had a mouth on her and it’s rubbed off on Gabe. It’s hilarious as fuck. I could tell it made Sophie uncomfortable, especially when he asked Georgie if milk was coming out of her tits when she was feeding the baby.
“What’s so funny?”
I look up and see Sophie standing against the door frame staring at me with amusement in her own eyes.
“Is milk coming out of your tits?”
She visibly cringes causing me to laugh even more. “I can’t believe him. We had a talk and everything. There’s no way he’s getting that new Mash’em he wants now.”
“You bribed him?”
“Not well apparently.”
“Daddy will you tuck me in?” Gabe runs around the corner hopped up on sugar. Jay thought he’d bond the best and earn the spot of favorite uncle with the endless supply of M&M’s he had in his pocket. It was funny as hell when he reached in and came out with a hand full of rainbow shit on his hand. It was even funnier when Gabe ran up and tried licking it all off. My boy’s definitely a sugar fiend.
“Speaking of the devil.” Soph mutters.
“I sure can. Lead the way bud.”
“I can’t wait to show you all my cool stuff Dad.”
He excitedly runs through the house dragging me behind him. Once we get to the door and he walks through I stop dead.
“Holy shit.”
“Cool huh Dad?” He walks into his room and climbs on his bed. He starts jumping like a crazy person before Sophie’s in there tickling him.
When I look at the walls I’m in awe. My son has his walls plastered with my posters. He has a Reckless comforter set, hell, I think he has every piece of merchandise I’ve ever sold!
Sophie looks nervous when she sees me looking around. “Please don’t think I’m a freak that made a shrine for you.”
“Are you kidding? This is great.” Damn my emotions. I’ve never so much as shed a tear in freaking years and since I met Gabe the other week I’ve become a blubbering asshole.
I want to pull her into my arms and kiss the ever loving shit out of her for keeping me in his life when I wasn’t actually here. Which makes me remember the talk we’re supposed to have tonight.
“Alright Gabe, do you want me to read a story or just tuck you in?” I look around Soph and see a passed-out Gabe laying sideways on his bed. “Well, that was easy.”
“Well I’ll be damned. That’s never happened before.” She goes to walk over to Gabe and I stop her.
“Soph, please let me do it.”
“Of course, I’ll be in the kitchen cleaning.”
I grab her arm before she leaves the room to stop her. “I’ll help when I’m done.”
She nods her head and gives me a shy smile.
After watching her leave, I shift Gabe on the bed and pull his comforter over his tiny body. Damn, there’s no better feeling than tucking your kid in. After watching him sleep for a few minutes I head out and find Sophie busy putting stuff away in the kitchen. I prop my shoulder against the door and watch her move.
There’s always been a fluidity to her motions that’s sexy as hell to watch. It has to be her dance background. I used to be able to watch her practice for hours.
“Are you just gonna stand there and gawk or do you plan on helping me?” She turns and plants her hands on her hips with a smile on her face.
“A few more seconds.” I start moving when a towel hits my head. “Fine, I surrender!” I put my hands up in front of me in truce.
We wash the dishes in companionable silence. Her washing while I dry. Damn, I can’t remember the last time I did the dishes.
“Any chance you’ll let this whole chit-chat slide?” She says breaking the silence.
“Not a chance.” I chuckle. “Let’s go sit on the couch.”
Soph nods and I follow her into the living room. She sits at the end of the couch and I plant myself close but not too close. I can’t freak her out because I need to hear what she has to say. Damn this is a low couch. My knees are practically at my shoulders and I feel like there’s a spring trying to work its way up my ass.
She must see me trying to get comfortable because her cheeks turn crimson. “I know this isn’t the best, or what you’re used to.”
Fuck. I need to be more mindful of what I do. Making her feel bad is not what I’m about right now. “No, it’s fine.” I reach out my hand and tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “Look at me Sophie.”
She stares at her legs for a moment before looking at me. “Don’t do that, it’s me.”
“Yeah, Kyle ‘Reckless’ Cage. I don’t know you anymore... or so I thought. I see all the stuff on the news and in the tabloids but then you’ll build train tracks with Gabe or help me do the dishes and I think you’re the same, still my Kyle.”
I rub her cheek with my knuckles and I smile when she leans into it. “I like that.” Then I sigh. “This isn’t going to be easy but it has to be done.”
“Alright.” She takes a deep breath. “As you know we thought I miscarried at ten weeks.” I nod my head urging her on.
“I called the doctors after you left and told them what happened. They told me I could either go into the hospital or stay home and ride through it. There wasn’t anything they could do but confirm the baby was gone with an ultrasound. The thought killed me so I opted to stay home. There’s no way I could have made myself go and live through that, so I decided to suffer by myself at home. A month later my period never came so I called them up again and made an appointment. I walked in, they tested me and I found out I was still pregnant. They gave me an ultrasound that day and I walked out with a picture of Gabe in hand before I headed home and bought a ticket to Vegas.”
“You bought a ticket to Vegas? You obviously didn’t use it.”
“I did.” She whispers. “I flew in the day of your fight, got to your hotel after you returned from your first win.”
I break out in a cold sweat anticipating what she’s about to tell me. After I won my first ever MMA fight I got shit faced and… well the rest is foggy. I rub my hands down my face and urge her to go on.
“I managed to get in your room by telling everyone I was your friend from back home. Your security was shit for a big MMA fighter.” She chuckles. “I was pointed to the back room and when I opened it…” She groans and I swear I see tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “I walked in and you were in bed with three women, all naked. And… you were too.”
“Christ.” I rub my hands down my face not wanting to hear more but needing to.
“One of the girls invited me to join before you realized I was in the room. You jumped out of bed and tried pulling me towards the party but you were too drunk to function and fell on your ass. I asked if we could talk in private but you said I could talk freely, so I did.”
I know what’s coming is bad when she stands up and starts pacing the room. My instincts are yelling at me to get up and console her but I know I need to stay put. She needs to work out what’s in her head right now on her own.
“I told you I was still pregnant and you laughed in my face. Told me you’re the badass Cage. Reckless. Kept spouting nonsense about not being a baby but a grown man. Stupid shit really. I tried to keep you focused but you got mad every time I repeated I was pregnant. Finally, after some things I’d rather not relive, you told me you didn’t want the baby, never wanted the baby and that you had a brand-new life I wasn’t a part of.”
“Fuck.” I whisper to myself. How could I have been such an asshole? No wonder she never followed up with me about Gabe.
“Soph… I don’t know what to say. Actually, I do.” I get up and walk towards her and my heart breaks when I see the tears streaking down her cheeks. I grab her hands and pull her back to the couch. “I’m so fucking sorry. Nothing I can say will ever make it better. But I want you to know I will never let you down again.”
“I know you won’t. You weren’t ready for a kid back then.”
“I hope you know I am now. I could kick the shit outta myself for that night. If I was sober I would have done the right thing and reacted the right way.”
“Don’t beat yourself up over it. I’ve already forgiven you and I hope you have it in your heart to do the same for me. I’m so sorry for keeping him from you. I should have realized you were drunk and came back the next morning but…”
“But?”
“It’s not important. We’re here now and Gabe has to be our number one priority.”
“Agreed.”
I’m watching her after hanging on her every word. Trying to put myself in her shoes isn’t easy, I don’t know how I’d react in that situation. I would have ripped my dick off if I were her. This woman… she amazes me. She took the weight of the world on her shoulders and raised my son for the past four years by herself. She was both parents.
“Can we agree to put the past behind us and start fresh… maybe become friends?” Sophie looks at me hopefully.
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” I pull her to me and squeeze the hell out of her. She feels so right in my arms, I just need her to see it before I make my move.
“And before you start yelling over what I’m about to tell you, just remember I haven’t been to any of Gabe’s birthdays. I’d like to throw him a birthday party.”
“Okay.”
“Good because it’s already planned.” I laugh.
“Already?”
“When you told me his birthday I called a friend who’s a party planner. It’s gonna be epic.”
“Epic? He’s turning five!” She looks nervous.
“It’s gonna be epic baby, get on board.” I kiss her cheek and put her head back on my chest. She releases a yawn and I know it’s time to let her go.
“Alright, I’ll head out but I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
She walks me to the door and before I open it I turn around to face her. “I’m really glad you’re back in my life. I’ve missed my best friend.”
“I’ve missed you too.” She gives me a shy smile as I walk out the door to my car.
I need a game plan.
Leaving every night doesn’t work with me, it’s like a little piece of my heart chips off and remains with them.
The only thing that will make it whole again is being under the same roof as a family.
Someday.