Kat
Walking into the kitchen in my pajamas, I come to a full stop when I see Kade filling bowls with cereal. Not Ryker. What the heck’s going on? When my alarm went off, Ryker was gone just as he said he’d be. There was no note. But here stands his brother… Kade’s never arrived this early aside from the day of the lip incident. We have a standing family dinner date each night. Not breakfast.
If he’s here, that means… My heart and stomach hit the floor like a sack of flour.
Confused to the bone, I loosely point to him, the bowls, the girls, and the milk carton on the counter. “Kade?” My voice quivers.
What could only be described as pity stares back at me.
“Morning, Mom,” Roxie says.
“Morning.”
I paste on a fake smile to hide the brewing sickness that’s twisting me up. How could Ryker do this? He promised he’d be here every morning, and if he wasn’t, he’d send family. Okay. So I guess he did keep that promise. But he could’ve told me he was leaving. What was he thinking? Oh, right, he wasn’t. Was that why he wanted to sleep in bed with me last night? Why I found him spooning me when I woke up to pee in the middle of the night? I laid there in the cocoon of his protective arms until baby number three decided to play soccer with my bladder. When I climbed back into bed, he somehow knew I was there. His legs tangled with mine. Palm loved on my belly. It was sweet. Too sweet. Too familiar. The emotions I always tamp down began to runneth over. Then came the tears, the anger, my fears. It was three a.m. before I could get back to sleep.
“Morning, Kat. Could I speak with you for a moment?” Kade thumbs toward the rear of the house, indicating that’s where we should talk. I nod definitively and follow him out the back door as the girls eat.
“What the hell’s going on, Kade?” I demand, leaning against the rough exterior right outside the door, to keep the wind from biting my skin and the rocks from digging into my feet. It’s too damn cold to stay out here long. Should’ve grabbed a hoodie.
Kade paces the drive in front of me. A knife’s extracted from his cut, thus commencing his sadistic, crazy town, blade worship. The polished steel glistens in the early morning sun that cuts through the trees. He swishes the weapon through the air exchanging hands frequently. If he’s not careful he’s gonna drop that thing.
Crossing my arms to conceal my painfully hard nipples, I tap an impatient, fuzzy pink foot on the ground. If he doesn’t spill now, I’m going indoors. There’s no use in freezing to death. “Kade,” I prompt for a final time.
The pacing ensues. “I’m gonna murder my brother, Kat,” he growls.
“Why?”
“He’s with her. I got a call at five this morning…” Kade shakes his head in disgust and spits on the ground. “That piece of shit asked me to move in here. He wants me to take his spot.” Derision drips like rich golden honey from his lips.
Logically, I knew that’s what had to have happened, or Kade would’ve mentioned this last night when he was here for supper. But it doesn’t hurt any less to hear it spoken aloud. My chest physically aches at the sad reality coming to fruition for the third time. First, he leaves shortly after Scarlett was born, again last year when he showed up unannounced, and now. I knew the ball would drop at some point. It always does. Today must be the day. That son of a bitch played me. That bath and all those romantic speeches were chockfull of slimy bullshit. And for what? What did that accomplish? Guess that’s what I get for wanting to believe in him. That he’d changed. So much for honesty. Goddamn untrustworthy men. Is my heart really that fun of a toy to mess with?
Combing my fingers through my tangled bed hair, I sigh. “Are you going to stay?” Please say yes. Please say yes.
Kade stops pacing and turns toward me, jaw ticking, nostrils flaring. “You’re my family. Those are my girls.” He stabs the knife through the air, indicating the backdoor. “That’s my girl.” He gestures to my belly with his weaponless hand. “You’re mine to take care of. That dumb fuck is gonna wish he never did this. I know he’s been there for Vanessa a lot more than I approve of. But I let it go, ‘cause he was still takin’ Rox and Scarlett to school. And you seemed happy. This, Watermelon Tits, ain’t gonna make you happy. This is gonna turn you into a mopey, pie addict. He’s gonna pay for this, Katrina. I’m gonna make him suffer.” With that, Kade unleashes a venom-drenched grunt and expertly pitches his knife at a nearby tree, sinking half the blade into the bark. Snarling, he leaves the thing there and marches to the door. Kade yanks it open so hard I worry it’ll rip off its hinges. Then he tilts his chin toward me, his chest struggling to breathe through boiling fury. “Come on. Get inside. Let’s get my girls ready for school. It’s too fuckin’ cold out here for ya.”
What a mess I’m left to clean up.
Complying, I pat Kade’s stomach in silent support as I slip between him and the door. Surprisingly, he shuts it quietly behind him. We pad our way back into the kitchen with forced smiles on our faces to pretend none of this horseshit happened for the girls’ sake. They don’t need to be dragged into whatever vendetta Kade has officially carved in stone. This is between him and Ryker. I’ve got my own bone to pick with him whenever he comes around again. Until then it’s radio silence. I’m not gonna text or call. Weak women do that shit… Strength is more than an eight letter word. And I’ll be damn if I lose that part of myself because Ryker did what I always knew he’d do. I’m stronger than that. Nope. I’m not gonna cry. He doesn’t deserve my tears. This itch in my eye is merely a fluke. I’m good. Right as rain. Perfect.
Fuck men.
Raiding the refrigerator, I dig into the bottom shelf where I hid an extra slice of pecan pie. Emotional eating has never been my forte. But I don’t give two dookies about that right this second. Pecans are calling my name at seven in the morning, and there’s not a person here gonna stop me from plugging my gaping sorrows with a slice of sugary happiness.