Chapter Eight
Chad
It was Richard’s first birthday, Kylie and Noah were holding a barbecue. I wanted to invite Ivy, but I just felt that it was too soon. Besides, I still hadn’t told her the truth. Every time I wanted to do it, something came up.
We were supposed to pretend that we’re a couple just to look at pre-schools and so far we had only been to one. She’d been to my place, and I’d been spending a lot more time at hers with the story of Olivia loving to babysit. Shit, I couldn’t wait for my mom to return from the cruise. Maybe then she’d knock some sense into me. I said from the start that in two weeks I would tell Ivy the truth, it was nearly five and the words still hadn’t left my mouth. Part of me wondered if I liked lying to her. If there was this sick part of me that was enjoying this game. I shook my head at the idea of it. I wasn’t like Joshua's dad, Brent, or any of the other jerks that I’d heard about. I was better than that, that was what I’d prided myself on, but now I wondered if I was just kidding myself and that I was one of them deep down inside.
“You going to keep swinging that beer and talking to yourself or are you going to help me with the barbecue before everyone gets here?”
I stood up as I knew that Noah was summoning me to the barbecue for a reason, which is ironic because that was part of the reason why I wanted to come over here before everyone else did.
To talk.
“Sure. One minute.”
“If you keep drinking any more of those, then you may be too drunk even to help before anyone gets here,” Kylie said in a sarcastic tone.
“Sometimes I wonder if she hates me because she never seems to say anything nice,” I said to Noah as soon as I dropped my beer on the table and headed to the grill.
“If you don’t want to be smelling of burgers all day, then put on one of the apron’s,” Noah said ignoring my question.
“Seriously, that’s all you have to say to me. Does Kylie like me or not?”
“Seriously Chad, you think that Kylie and I sit down and discuss if we like each other’s, friends. You don’t have a clue.”
I had a quick vision of them sitting down and drawing a list of both their friends and crossing off the ones that they liked between talking about the new parenting trend. He had a point; it wasn’t something that I could envision them doing.
“She just thinks that you’re a single guy with a lot of time on his hands, that’s all. She doesn’t hate you. That’s a strong word. She just doesn’t know you as I do.”
“Thank God!” I sighed as I took the spatula out of his hand and started getting to work on the grill.
He laughed, “Hey, I meant to ask, what happened when you told that girl. Shoot, what was her name again?”
“Ivy.”
I didn’t say any more than that as I moved away from him.
“You did tell her, right? Because I’m sure when I was desperate to go out for a beer the other night, you did say that you were with her. Which means that you’re officially seeing her.”
“What is it with you and sis and the word relationship? I mean going out and having fun with someone doesn’t mean that you’re going to put a ring on their finger.”
Noah sighed, “Nor does taking your nephew and pretending that he’s your baby all the time. Kylie said that she saw you checking out a preschool with some poor soul. I think were the words that she used.”
I quickly changed the subject back to my original question.
“And you’re still trying to say that your wife likes me. Shit, Noah when did you become such a bad liar.”
He sighed, “Well, I must have learned it from you.”
I wanted to say something clever. Something that would put him in his place, but I couldn’t find the words to do it. Shit, I hated it when he acted so fucking smart, and I ended up feeling like such a chump.
“Is Candy coming?”
That tended to rattle his cage once in a while when I mentioned her name.
“No. And don’t mention that woman’s name when Kylie’s around. We just need today to be a fun day. No stress please.”
Shit, he wasn’t asking, but he was telling me. I was selfish. I knew that Candy had gone from being a reasonable mom to a greedy bitch demanding money from the pair of them, even though she doesn’t even have custody.
“She’s now demanding joint custody,” Noah sighed and started to scratch his head.
“What? She was happy about the agreement that the lawyers signed. What changed her
mind?”
He laughed, “When she found out who Kylie was. How much money I had in the bank. She changed her mind and had been fighting us with wanting a contract for having sole custody of Richard. We agree on a figure and then she decides that she wants joint custody after Kylie had her big hit.”
“But that was like nine months ago.”
He clapped his hand, “Yep, it’s been going on for nine months.”
“How come you never said anything?”
He shrugged, “Because whenever I try to get next to you, you act like my wife, my kid or even me are like the fucking plague. I was kind of surprised that you turned up today.”
Shit, I had been a selfish prick, I’d only been thinking of myself. Noah has been my friend from high school. He was there for me when my dad died. I’d done the same for him. Lately, I’d been treating him like a stranger.
“Maybe this whole commitment thing scares me and all of you are surrounded by it.”
He shook his head, “Dan’s not. He’s going through some fucked up shit at the moment. Martin and I agreed to do an intervention this weekend. If you’re game?”
“I just thought that he needed to vent out his anger. Then it would pass.”
Noah held on to my shoulder. “Chad, you’re one of my best friends, and I love you. But sometimes you’re so fucking blind. She fucking broke Dan’s heart. Not just a little bit. But into tiny pieces. Our friend’s hurting. I’m asking if you want to join us in trying to put our friend back together again. Are you in or out?”
He didn’t need to ask me twice. I knew one thing for sure. I was going to turn things around. I would tell Ivy, and I would be there for my best friend.
“Dan would do the same for me. I shouldn’t be fucking hesitating.”
“Good! Now, you’ve got your macho moment out of the way. Can you see to the grill?”
Kylie asked as she popped out of nowhere, then she walked away and went back to her investigation of the preparations for the barbecue.
Noah tilted his head to the side and said, “I’ll talk to her about that. Because maybe you’re right.”
At least we agree on one thing. I had to grow some balls and stop acting like a chicken and face all my problems head on and stop running away from them. I had a feeling that my old man was looking down at me and shaking his fucking head with shame.