“Honey, you need to get some rest.” His eyes were imploring, full of kindness, yet his attempt to coddle me had my heart rate rising. “I was watching you tonight, too. Whatever you’re trying to hide isn’t going to end good for you or those babies.”
Why was everyone suddenly treating me like some fragile porcelain doll? I had taken care of myself for years, and I would continue to do so now. “I get it. Just please don’t cut me back so much.”
“Look. I’ll make you a deal,” he offered, holding his hands out. I cringed. I didn’t like deals much—it seemed an awful lot like gambling. “You get me a note from your doctor saying you are 100 percent good to serve full time, and I won’t say another word about it. Okay?”
“Okay.” My shoulders sagged. He had me there. I had no clue what Dr. Clarke would say about the weird tightening, about me working full time. But I would still talk to him and try to get that note. I had to. It was the only way I could keep taking care of myself.
When I was done, I found Kai out by my car smoking a cigarette. The urge to give him shit for sucking at cutting back was overshadowed by my will to ignore him. I got in the car without saying a word to him. Once he climbed in, the car filled with the scent of smoke. A scent I had rid my life of since moving to Tennessee—until he walked into it.
Neither of us said anything to the other, for which I was grateful. I had nothing good to say to him. It had only been two days of us trying out this relationship thing and we were already a roller-coaster mess.
By the time he pulled up to my apartment, I was exhausted and ready for the day to be over. He got out and lit another cigarette, earning a snort from me that he ignored. I went inside ahead of him, going straight for the bathroom. A shower was always necessary after serving. Smelling like a restaurant all night was not my favorite thing in the world. I took a long one, hoping he would decide to stay at Ava’s or anywhere else for the night. The hot water worked wonders on my sore body. All the weight I was carrying was killing my hips, my back, my everything.
My anger hadn’t ebbed one bit by the time I got out. He’d convinced my boss that I needed to take it easier. He had to realize he was taking my only way of providing for myself away from me. He was stealing more of my control and acting like he didn’t give two shits about it.
In my haste to get in the shower, I had forgotten to get clothes out of my room, so I had to try wrapping a single towel around my belly that suddenly seemed enormous, because the towel wouldn’t cover the whole thing. For the love of Pete. I was going to have to go out there, pissed as hell, in a freaking towel that didn’t cover me.
Of course, he was standing right there when I opened the door. The way his eyes bulged and his mouth popped open when he took in my attire—or lack thereof—was probably worth it.
Before it got too awkward, I muttered, “Nothing you haven’t seen before,” but tugged the towel a bit tighter, even though it did absolutely nothing to cover my bare side.
“Sorry.” With a shake of his head, he moved aside so I could get by.
Living under the same roof seemed like my own personal hell at that moment. Privacy was nowhere to be found. I couldn’t get away from him when I was pissed. How couples survived shit like that was beyond me. I was ready to call it quits just to get it over with and not attempt patching things up again. It was my style of life. When shit got hard, I fled and lived happily ever after… ish.
Instead of facing him after I was lathered up with lotion and in my leggings and a loose-fitting tank top, I made the phone call I hadn’t gotten to make in about a month. It was a bit late, but I knew she would answer when I called.
“Sha!” Delia exclaimed when she picked up. “What are we having?”
She knew why I was calling, since I’d told her a month before how Kai and I had worked things out and how he wanted to find out what we were having together. “It’s a boy ... and a girl!” I exclaimed.
“What! You didn’t tell me it was twins.”
“I know. Sorry. I didn’t actually believe them until those two giant babies were cuddling on the screen.”
“Oh, you’re nearly six months. I’m sure they’re just sweet itty-bitty things.” She giggled, the sound of it ringing through me. God, I missed her face. “Twins. You know, twins are a sign of luck. Especially a boy and a girl. They’re going to be perfect.”
I rolled my lips between my teeth. “Yeah. They will be,” I said a bit solemnly.
“What’s wrong, Chlo?”
“Meh. I just got in a fight… kind of… with Kai. He wants me to take it easy. I say fuck him.”
She laughed at that. I missed her laugh. “With twins, you probably should be taking it easy. But this is you we’re talking about. No one is gonna slow you down.”
“Right?” I chuckled, some of my tension and steam melting. “I miss you, Del. This all seems so much harder without you around.”
“Same here. It’s been a rough month with Gran. We still aren’t sure how much longer she has. She fights tooth and nail when we allow the doctor near her. They never have much to tell us anyway.”
My heart cracked. I’d been worrying about all this baby stuff this whole time, and she was worrying she may lose Gran soon. “Oh, Del. I’m so sorry I’m not there. Here I am going on and on about my life.”
“No! No, Chloe. You know I love that you’re doing good away from here.” She sighed.
I sighed.
Then Kai banged on my door, making me jump. “Kate, can you please come out so we can talk?” he hollered through the door.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I sighed again. “Sorry, Del. The Neanderthal is banging on my door. I’m gonna have to let you go.”
“Sure. Don’t be too hard on him.”
“I’ll try my damnedest. Please keep me updated on Gran.”
“I will. Bye, Chloe.”
“Bye, Delia.”
Several deep breaths were necessary before I opened the door. He stood there with his massive arms crossed over his chest, his jaw twitching. He’d changed into some gym shorts that showed off his muscular legs, which I pretended not to ogle. Legs were totally my thing, and he had the best of them. I was pretty sure he somehow found my weakness out, because he wore shorts pretty often. I gave him my seasoned bored stare.
“What do you want?” I asked, breaking the awkward silence and making it even more awkward.
“I want to talk,” he clipped.
“Then talk, Kai.”
“I understand why you’re pissed at me, but I’m just as pissed at you, and I have every right to be.”
“That’s what you dragged me out of my room to say? Not that you’re sorry for screwing with my job. That you’re sorry Tim removed me from the schedule for the rest of the week? You have absolutely no right trying to take over my shit. Not after only two days of us being in a relationship.”
“I do have every right, Kate,” he snarled, stepping closer to me. I took a step back into my room. “Those aren’t just your kids. They’re mine, too. And you pushing yourself as much as you are isn’t good for any of you.”
“You don’t get to tell me what is and isn’t good for me. I’ve taken care of myself for years, and I will keep doing so from here on out without you butting in.”