“Why don't you come in, you can check on her right now, if you want.” He took a step to the side, motioning for her to go in. It was painfully obvious she felt he was a serious threat and he was sick and tired of it.
“No, that's okay. See you later.” For a second she considered it, then decided against it. Without turning back, she sprinted out of the yard.
* * *
“What's wrong with Alicia?” Jake set the empty bottle on the table and lifted Alex over his shoulder to burp him.
“Why, what happened?” Kristen stiffened, the twitching in her stomach intensifying.
“She was here a few minutes ago acting like you were in some kind of danger.” He peeked at her, his eyebrows raised.
“That's crazy! I have no idea why.” She feigned surprise, aware it was due to the distress message she left for her on the way back from the café. She made a mental note to call her as soon as she had a free moment alone. Once she told her the whole story, hopefully Alicia would be proud of her for a change.
“Hmm. That's strange, don't you think?” Odd how her proposed meeting with Logan had slipped his mind. Now it was back with a vengeance. And something told him this wasn't a coincidence.
“Very. I wouldn't worry about it though. She's pretty unpredictable.” She continued eating, finally feeling recharged.
“Like you? It’s great to have so much in common with your friends, isn't it?”
When she raised her eyes, he was staring at her. Trying to change the subject, she raised her arms to take the baby. He hesitated at first, then handed him over.
“I guess.” She cuddled Alex, hoping Jake would tire of his inquisition. Alex’s eyes fluttered closed. He was in limbo, but she didn’t want to put him to bed. Turning away from Jake, she prepared to stall as long as possible.
“Why don't you put him down, Kristen? Then we can talk about your visit to Logan.”
She flinched, the coldness in his voice terrifying.
Her stomach was tied up in knots when she sat next to him on the couch. So far he was calm. Deadly so. She had to be straight with him. It was the only way.
“All we did was have lunch at The Red Sun Café on the beach. I didn’t even drink…” She came to an abrupt halt, shocked he wasn't cutting her off. Her eyes fell on his scowl, holding steady. She could feel the Chinese food rising in her chest, and couldn't go on. After a few minutes of painful silence, he knelt in front of her. She couldn't avoid his eyes any longer.
“Was this before or after you fucked?”
Shocked by his blunt accusation, she leaped to her feet. “We didn’t have sex Jake! I never went to the condo!”
“Right! And I’m a dwarf!” He smirked, his face on fire as he rose to meet her.
“I swear Jake! Nothing happened!” Staring defiantly up at him, she stood her ground, but his eyes were far away. While he ran his fingers through his hair, his thoughts raged on, and he never heard a word she said.
“And where was Alex then huh?” When he moved to her, his eyes narrowed. He already knew the answer—once again, she had abandoned him.
Kristen blinked, stiffening. “He was with me...” The unexpected anger in his eyes stopped her cold.
“You brought my son to him?” Pain filling his eyes, he stepped back a safe distance and gripped his head. Too surprised to speak, Kristen simply nodded but he didn’t see it. Struggling to contain the storm brewing inside of him, he sank to the couch, hunching over in silence. It didn’t take long before, he couldn’t take it anymore and left the room.
In a state of confusion, Kristen stared after him. Once or twice, she took a few steps in his direction, each time coming to an abrupt halt. It never failed, whenever she told the truth things inevitably went south fast.
What the hell am I supposed to do now? With a moan of defeat, she slid to the floor pouting.
Jake stormed past her a few minutes later. He kept his eyes aimed at the door, knowing one glance in her direction would wear him down. Lost in dark depression, she wasn’t aware of his presence until a warm blast of air hit the room and the door slammed behind him. Stunned, she let him go, remaining frozen in place. The loud roar of the truck's engine brought her back to reality. By that time, it was too late.
* * *
The large numbers on the digital clock flashed 1:00 a.m. Her groggy head told her she must have dozed off for a while, but she wasn't certain. She got up to check on the baby. The little angel was still sound asleep in his crib. For a few seconds she stood mesmerized by the outline of his tiny face, the way the little dark curls fell across his forehead. With a sleepy smile she turned away.
The glare of headlights lit up the room. Listening intently, she heard the truck’s engine cut and the door slam. A minute later the front door creaked open. Alarmed, she stumbled back into bed, threw the blanket over her head, and curled up in a protective ball.
Several minutes passed before she felt his presence in the room. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to still the trembling. She heard the sound of his shoes thumping to the floor, followed by the rustling of his pants as he removed them and then tossed them away. Hardly a second passed, when she felt the blanket lifting and his body slide in next to hers. Paralyzed, she held her breath. His arm fell across her chest, pulling her back to him. She sighed with relief.
“Jake, where were you?”
After a pause he whispered. “Nowhere.”
“Are you staying now?”
“Do you care?”
“Yes.” She waited for a response. He didn't speak. She turned to face him, their skin touching. “I'm done with him, Jake. I mean it this time. I even left a message for Steven to start the divorce.” She heard him take a deep breath, felt the bed shake as he shifted positions. Shivering, she brushed away a tear, to stare into the darkness.
“Why should I believe anything you say, Kristen?” His eyes glistened with moisture.
“Because it’s the truth. And I need you, Jake.” She slid closer, reaching up to stroke his hair.
“You need me? That's it? I need lots of things, air, water, food. I don't understand what that means.”
She absorbed the baby's soft breaths. Energized she brought her lips to his ear. “I love you. I don't want to be with anyone else but you.”
He rolled onto his back, gazing up at the ceiling without speaking. She wasn't letting him get away and followed him to lay her head on his chest.
“I gave you a chance, but you chose him. And now just because he's leaving, you need me. I warned you...” Without meaning to, his hand brushed her face. The warm sensation startled him into silence. He nudged her off.
“Jake, please, I told you why I went. Nothing happened. And I didn't choose him...” Her voice choked. Unable to cope any longer, her hands flew up to her face.
“I can't do this now, Kristen. I have work in a few hours.” It pained him, but he couldn't give in to her so easily. Not this time. Her muffled sobs resonated in his head as he drifted into a restless sleep.
CHAPTER 18
THURSDAY, WEEK 14