This isn’t going to be fun for me when I finally face him, but oh well. I’m going to push the thought of dealing with K-9 to the back of my head. I’ll deal with him after I spend the day having fun.
“Come on, baby, let’s get you ready, and we’ll let Aunt Kenzie know to meet us at the park, and we’ll play before going to the mall. Then while at the mall, we’ll get that ice cream,” I announce, placing my now empty mug on the counter by the coffee maker. No need to put it in the sink when I’ll be ready to make another pot when I get home. I pretty much live on coffee, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
Derick rushes off to his room, yelling about going to the park, and I follow behind him. I’ll let him pick out his clothes, but he’ll still need a little help getting dressed.
After helping my son dress, I head to my room, where I throw on a pair of jeans and a fitted Demons Among Us shirt. I braid my hair to the side, where it falls over my shoulder.
“Ready?” Derick asks, rushing into my room and climbs up onto my bed.
“Almost,” I reach into my dresser next to the bed and grab a pair of socks. “Can you go grab my converses?” I ask Derick while sitting on the side of the bed to slide my socks on.
“Which ones? Red? Blue? Pink? Black?” he asks, naming off the colors of my shoes.
“Hmm, how about blue?” I suggest knowing it’s his favorite color.
“Yay! I love blue.” I knew he would say this.
Grinning at him, I watch as he slides down the side of my bed and darts over to my closet, where all my shoes are stored. I allow myself to have my one obsession—Converse Chuck Taylors. I have a pair in every color of the rainbow in both low and high tops. The only time I’m not wearing a pair of Chucks is when I’m working. Then I wear my crocs and even those I have in several different colors. I’ll also wear flip-flops during the summer, but normally if I’m not in shoes, I go barefoot.
Derick brings me my shoes, and I quickly put them on. “Alright, kiddo, I’m ready. Let’s get out of here and go have some fun.”
With a squeal of delight, Derick runs out of my room and heads for the door. He knows not to open it without me right by his side. I grab my keys from the coffee table, take my son’s hand, and the two of us head out of the house, making sure to lock it behind me.
Smiling at Derick from across the table, I pull out my phone to take a picture of him. He has an ice cream ring around his mouth. I’ll wait until he finishes his cone before cleaning his face.
“So, how’s the new house?” Mackenzie asks, eating her banana split. I’m the only one of us that didn’t get ice cream. I’m trying not to eat a lot of unhealthy food, and I’ve already promised Derick take out and a movie tonight. Which he deserves considering he’s been on his best behavior while taking on the mall with my best friend and me.
Mackenzie even did great in not bugging me all day about the house or the location. I knew it was coming, though. I’m just glad she waited until it was almost time for us to split ways.
“It’s good. No one bothers me. In fact, the area is nice and quiet for the most part.” I don’t lie. Nothing has happened, and it’s been nice. The only thing I’ve even noticed different being all the guys sitting on the porch at the house next door to me the other day. Still, none of them even spoke a word in my direction.
“Well, that’s good. You know Lex is worried about you, right?”
“I’m fine. He doesn’t need to worry about Derick and me.”
“We’re talking about Lex here. You, of all people, know he’s going to worry because you’re his family. Shoot, the man is freaking out as it is that I’m pregnant.”
“Come again?” I blink at her in shock.
Pregnant?
“I’m going to be an aunt?” I ask. My breath seems to have left my body.
“Yeah, you are. And Lex is freaking out. He left the other day after finding out all bug-eyed ranting about not knowing how to be a dad. I don’t know who talked to him though, I honestly don’t care, because they calmed him. He’s still freaking, but it’s more or less now in making sure I’m okay.”
Wow. I can see it. Even understand what my brother’s feeling. We lost our dad when we were just kids. Meaning he lost the man who would show him the way. But what he doesn’t understand is I also lost the woman who could guide me in being a great mom. I’d managed to get through it. Then again, I also had Mackenzie’s mom and dad. They became my family as much as his. Lisa and Nick were my parents’ best friends. The two of them had stepped up when they died and raised me. While my uncle refused to let Lex live with them, he allowed me to do so. At the time, I’d been too young to understand any of this. I just knew my brother and I were going to live in separate places.
“Congratulations,” I say, doing my best to keep my excitement tamped down in order to not draw a scene in the middle of the mall. “Have you told your mom and dad yet?”
“Yeah, I told them last night when they called to check-in,” she confirms. Lisa and Nick decided to go to Hawaii for a three-month trip to visit some friend of theirs. They’ve only been gone now for about a month. “They’re both excited. Mom wanted to come home right away, but I talked her out of that. It’s not like the baby will be born for months anyway. They have time to finish enjoying their trip.”
Of course, Lisa had wanted to come home. Mackenzie is their only daughter, and though they treat me like I’m a daughter, it’s not the same, and we all know it.
Mackenzie and I talk while the two of them finish their ice cream. I get Derick’s face clean while Mackenzie throws the trash away. We walk out to the parking lot, where we’re parked directly next to each other. Derick and I give my best friend a hug bye before leaving her to be on her way. I get him loaded up into his car seat as he yawns sleepily. Yeah, tonight is going to be an early one for him.
Rounding the front of my SUV, I climb in behind the wheel at the same time my phone beeps. I groan at the thought of who it could be. K-9’s texted me several times throughout the day, all of them I ignored. I close the door to my car, start the motor needing to get the AC going for my little guy in the back seat. I pull out my phone from my purse, unlock the screen and see a message from Lia, Derick’s grandmother, asking if they can have him for the night. I don’t mind since he loves going to his grandparents. I text her back, letting her know my answer. Putting the phone in its holder, I turn back to look at him and smile when I see him already out.
We wore him out with all the shopping. Not that I bought much. Mainly a couple of tops for work, a pair of jeans, some items for Derick, including a toy. My major purchase came from the lingerie store. I’d needed a few new bras and splurged on some panties, as well as a few new nightgowns and sleep short sets. All sexy and gorgeous.
I might not need or want a man, but it doesn’t mean I can’t feel sexy. Which is something I have a hard time doing a lot of the time here recently. Especially when the image of those two skanks fuckin’ K-9 pops into my head.
I swear I’ll never let another man touch me again. Not when they have a way of hurting me more than anyone else. Definitely not K-9. I’ll stick to my toys. At least they can’t hurt me.