CHAPTER THREE
Just as Kai said, his friend’s place was only a few minutes away. When we pulled up in the driveway, an overwhelming sense of embarrassment consumed me. I looked down at my shabby clothing then glanced across to Kai sitting next to me. Even in casual clothes, he looked like he’d just stepped out of a photo shoot. My stomach began to pull tight— I knew it wasn’t the baby, it was my nerves. What was I thinking accepting his offer?
I felt his big, warm hand wrap around my shoulder, and I looked up into his face. He was concerned, but why? I was a nobody, so why did he even give a shit? My eyes glassed over. Shit, I was not a crier. Kai’s hand moved from my shoulder to my chin as my bottom lip began to tremble. He lifted my chin so he could look into my eyes, then ran his thumb across my quivering lip.
“It’s okay, I promise. You’re safe here, Mia.” His full lips pulled to the side in a small reassuring smile.
My tongue flicked out to wet my dry lips. “I’m not afraid. I’m— I just don’t belong here.”
His dark eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he questioned.
I looked anywhere but at him. I felt so unworthy of his help. He and his friends were in a whole different league to me.
“Mia?” His stern voice brought my attention back to him.
I licked my lips again, nervousness eating up my insides. “This place.” I gestured towards the big, beautiful house in front of me. “I’m not good enough to stay in a place like this. Can you just take me back to the park, please, Kai? I shouldn’t be here.”
He ignored my request and got out of the car. Moving around to the back he got my bag out before coming to open my door. He held his hand out for me to take it, but I couldn’t. I shouldn’t have come with him. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, I could feel it in my gut, but I didn’t belong.
I shook my head, refusing to get out of his car. “Please, Kai. Just take me back,” I pleaded with him. The light from the front porch illuminated his face, and I could see his dark brown eyes turn to liquid pools with gold flecks swimming in their depths. He clenched his jaw and turned on his heels, walking away from me towards the house with my garbage bag in his hand.
He slid a key in the front door and opened it, then disappeared inside leaving the door to the house wide open. I sat frozen in my seat. Was he going to come back for me? Was he expecting me to go in on my own? That wasn’t going to happen. I’d sleep in his car if necessary; it was more comfortable than the bench at the park. But I was not going in that house.
A few minutes passed, and he still hadn’t returned. I sat fidgeting with my nails, picking at the cracks in them. All of a sudden, there were two little girls climbing into the car with me. Their fair hair was in plaits, they were wearing matching jumpsuits with owls all over them, and they had little slippers on their feet that squeaked as they climbed. I looked from them then over to the front of the house where I saw Kai leaning against the door frame with a smug grin on his face.
One of the girls climbed onto my lap, took my face in her tiny hands and pulled it down so she could look me in the eyes. I blinked a few times as she took her time examining me. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, so I did nothing. When she had finished her inspection, she grinned at me, the same big, beautiful toothy grin she had given me that afternoon.
A smile formed on my lips, and how could it not with this little angel fluttering her lashes at me. “Hi, princess, do you remember me? I met you at the park today. I’m Mia.”
Her bright blue eyes lit up at the mention of the park. “Kai-Kai!” she squealed excitedly. Her chubby, little hands were still plastered to my cheeks, and she began to stroke them. That’s when the other little girl caught my attention. She had clambered over to the driver’s seat and made herself comfortable. She was up on her knees with both hands on the steering wheel pretending to drive the car.
Laughter, pure and true rippled from deep within my stomach at the sight. Bless her, she was adorable. The jumpsuit she was wearing had purple owls, and the little girl in my lap had pink owls on hers. They were so similar I thought them identical. But as I kept watching them, I noticed little differences between them.
One was slightly finer than the other, and her hair was a few shades lighter, too.
Kai’s voice startled me. “They’re gorgeous, aren’t they.”
It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. He looked at them like a proud father. I looked from him back to the girls. They definitely were gorgeous. Just then, the little one in the driver’s seat called out, “Kai-Kai! Beep-beep.”
He ducked his head down so he could see her gripping the steering wheel pretending to drive. A deep chuckle rumbled up from his chest that was now so close to my body I could feel heat emanating from him. “Yeah, Tessie, beep-beep. You possums ready for bed now?” he asked them. They both shook their little heads.
I laughed again. They looked too little to have such attitude. It was clear they had very different personalities. That’s the moment I realised just how out of my depth I really was. I had no experience with babies. How was I supposed to do this, let alone by myself? My bottom lip began to shake as I tried as hard as I could to keep my emotions from bursting through to the surface.
But Kai noticed—I shouldn’t have been surprised. He swooped the little girl, who must have been Gracie, from my lap and leant with her on the edge of the door frame. “What’s up, Pretty Girl?” he asked me.
I sniffled, again trying to hold it all in. But when my eyes met his, I couldn’t hold back. Something about this guy made me feel comfortable and safe I knew I could trust him. I don’t know how I knew that, especially considering I’d never trusted a man in my entire life, but I did. There was something different about him. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.
“I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know what to do with a baby. I don’t know how to take care of one. How am I supposed to be a mother! My own was no example, so how am I supposed to raise a child!” The words poured out of my mouth as my tears began to fall.
The little girl next to me, Tessie, looked over at me balling my eyes out. Next thing I knew she was climbing into my lap and wrapping her soft arms around my neck. A loud sob ripped from my chest as she began to rub my back and softly whispered shh shh in my ear. I glanced down to find Kai smiling up at me.
He put one hand on my knee. “Come inside, Mia. It’s getting cold out here. I’ll make you a hot drink.”
Nodding at him I wrapped my arms more securely around Tessie and hopped out of the car. As she snuggled in closer and rested her head on my shoulder, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, absorbing her sweet baby scent as I followed Kai.
Once inside, Kai took Tessie from me and told me to make myself comfortable while he took the girls back to their parents since he had interrupted their bedtime routine by bringing them out to coax me out of the car. I looked around the large open plan kitchen he’d left me in, I couldn’t even imagine a kitchen like this, yet here I was standing in the middle of it. And he wanted me to make myself comfortable, in a house like this? I don’t freaking think so. But I did my best to humour him and moved to the stool closest to me and sat down. Resting my elbows on the bench in front of me, I bowed my head and drew in a few deep breaths to calm my frazzled nerves.
A deep voice jolted me from my moment.
“You must be Mia. I’m Gabe and this is my wife, Ivy.”
As if I didn’t feel out of place enough. I looked up to find two of the best looking people I’d ever seen standing before me. You have got to be kidding me! Looking back down at my shabby appearance, I wanted to crawl inside myself and hide.
I bit my bottom lip and wondered what exactly I should say to these people. Obviously Kai had told them I was here since they knew my name, but I wondered what else they knew about me and why I was in their house.
The gorgeous blonde, Ivy, stepped forward and placed her hand softly on my shoulder. “No need to be nervous around us. Kai mentioned you’re having a tough time, and he’s going to help you get back on your feet. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need.” She gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze, then released me and walked around to the other side of the counter I was sitting at.
What was with these people? Why were they being so nice to me? Surely they knew I had nothing to offer them in return for their kindness. I watched her silently as she pottered around the large kitchen getting out coffee mugs and switching on the kettle while I waited for Kai to return. I had no idea where he’d disappeared to.
As if he could hear my thoughts, Kai came striding back into the kitchen area with a loving smile on his handsome face. “Girls are out to it,” he said as he passed the big guy who had introduced himself as Gabe a few minutes earlier. Who was currently standing at the opposite end of the counter to me with his thick, tattooed arms crossed over his impressive chest observing me, not in a creepy way, though. He was assessing me.
At Kai’s words he stopped watching me and rolled his eyes at Kai. “I know, it’s my kisses that put them to sleep, not yours. They’d already had daddy kisses so they were already half asleep when you went in to say goodnight.”
Kai scoffed, “Whatever, I’m the one with the magic touch. Just ask Ivy.” he bounced his brows and laughed when Gabe shot him— what could only be described as a death stare.
I felt like I’d been uprooted and teleported to an alternate universe. This whole situation was so far from anything I’d ever known or even heard of. I mean really, who took in homeless pregnant women, fed them delicious hot chips, babysat children that weren’t even their own and joked about nailing their friends wife? Especially when she was in the room and her husband was a hulk of a man who looked ready to kill at the very insinuation of another man touching his woman.
I was zoned out in my own little world when Kai came and took the stool next to mine and nudged my shoulder with his. “How are you feeling?”
I was still chewing my lip, I was beyond nervous and genuinely confused. But I kept my thoughts to myself for the time being and simply replied, “I’m okay, I guess.”
His full lips lifted in a half smile. “The spare room is usually mine, but I’ll bunk on the couch or in the office tonight, and you can take my bed. It has an adjoining bathroom, so feel free to have a shower or bath, whatever takes your fancy.”
A bath? Oh, I would die to try a bath. I’d never had one in a proper bath before since I’d never lived in a house with a tub. “Thank you,” I murmured in response to his generous offer.
Ivy was still busy in the kitchen when she stopped and turned her attention back to me again. “Would you like hot chocolate, tea, or coffee? Oh no, sorry, Kai did mention you’re pregnant, so no coffee, right? Let me see what else I have in here.” She turned back to the open cupboard and rummaged through pulling out a few boxes of what looked like herbal tea.
I was overwhelmed by everything happening to me at that moment. I had never had so many choices put before me. Especially for something as simple as a hot drink. The extent of my choices at home were cheap instant coffee or horrid loose tea leaves. I bit down harder on my bottom lip to distract myself from the tears prickling in my eyes. I looked pathetic enough without crying over tea and coffee.
A strong arm wrapped around my shoulder and pulled me into a solid, warm body. “Shh, you’re going to be okay now, Mia. I promise.” Kai’s voice was firm, yet soothing. He meant what he said. I accepted his hug and snuggled deeper into his hold, hiding my face in his big chest, allowing my tears fall.
What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t cry. I think I may have finally broken.