“So are you ready to tell everyone about us tomorrow?” he asked during a commercial break. He looked down at me with a huge smile on his face.
It made me feel good to know he wasn’t having doubts about announcing our relationship—but my doubts were still there. I reached up and tousled his hair, feeling the silkiness. I needed the comfort that I got from touching him. “I’m ready as long as you aren’t having second thoughts,” I answered.
He gave me a look. “Are you kidding me? I’ve been dying to tell everyone for weeks now,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t like sneaking around and it’s not necessary—”
“Aren’t you worried that someone might have a problem with it?” I interrupted.
I sat up and leaned back against the armrest, facing him. I knew Kyle was probably right and that everyone would be okay with us being together. I was just absolutely terrified of rocking the boat. I still felt this irrational fear like there was a chance I was jeopardizing Stella’s happiness by doing something that might make the Thompsons reject me or view me in a different way. I knew I was taking that thought too far, but having been abandoned and ignored my whole life, I couldn’t bear the thought that they might ever have a bad opinion of me and ultimately decide they didn’t want me in their lives.
Kyle frowned at me. All I wanted was for him to take me seriously. He took my hands in his, squeezed lightly, and looked me straight in the eye. “No,” he said bluntly. “If anyone can’t accept it then that’s their problem. I want to be with you and I don’t want to hide it anymore.”
My stomach tightened and my heart raced at his certainty. His confidence definitely made me feel better.
“So… are we showing up together?” I asked, cautiously.
“Of course we are,” he said reassuringly. He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead then pulled back. “We’ll be leaving there together so there is no reason for us to drive separate cars. I also have a surprise for you so pack a bag for you and Stella. You two are going to stay the night at my house tomorrow night.”
As wonderful as that sounded, and as excited as that made me, I couldn’t help but be cautious. “Um… okay,” I started, trying to focus on the positives, like Kyle taking the next step and inviting the two of us to his house, “but I’m a little worried about where Stella will sleep.”
“Just trust me,” Kyle said, with a huge smile on his face. When he looked at me like that, I couldn’t deny him anything.
“Ok,” I said, smiling back. I burrowed back into his side, and when his arm came around me securely, I hoped things would always be like this.
*****
Kyle and I pulled up to Jim and Marla’s house, and suddenly, I was hit with a bout of anxiety. I tried to discreetly wipe my sweaty palms on my pants, but Kyle noticed and gently grabbed my hand.
“Hey, everything is going to be fine.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “No worries, okay?”
I nodded my head. “Okay,” I answered with a wavering voice.
If he heard my uncertainty, he didn’t seem to mind. We both got out of the car. Kyle moved to the backseat to get Stella out while I got her stuff from the trunk. I walked next to him and knocked on the door. Trent answered and his eyes darted between the three of us, a look of confusion on his face.
“Did you two… come together?” he asked, brows furrowed as he looked between us then to Kyle’s car in the driveway.
Kyle had recently purchased a car seat for Stella so we could take his car when we went out. It was another simple yet sweet gesture that showed just how much he cared about both of us.
“Yep,” was all Kyle said, and then he shuffled past Trent and into the house.
Trent looked at me for more explanation. I didn’t know what to say, so I shrugged my shoulders and followed Kyle into the kitchen. The entire house smelled incredible and the warmth from all the cooking took away the chill. Marla had decorated the entire house and it really did feel festive.
“Oh! There’s my baby girl,” Marla said as soon as Kyle rounded the corner and was quickly relieved of my daughter.
“Dude,” Trent started, having followed us into the kitchen.
“Just chill, man,” Kyle said, giving Trent a hard look. “I’ll explain everything in a bit.”
For some reason that seemed to appease Trent and he let the subject drop for the time being although he still looked confused.
Over the next twenty minutes the house quickly filled with the arrival of Addie, Ian, and Erik. Addie sidled over and gave me a hug. “You look hot,” she said, giving a nod of approval to my attire.
I laughed but appreciated her comment. However, Addie was the one who looked like she’d just stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. She wore a tight-fitting dress with tights and knee-high boots. Her hair was in a loose braid that hung over one shoulder. I was just in black leggings and a red, cowl-necked, long-sleeved sweater. I had kept my hair up and out of the way. Definitely decent, but Addie was probably the best dressed here. As far as I could tell, Ian thought so, too. He kept glancing at us while he talked to the boys about some car stuff.
“So… what’s really up with you and Ian?” I asked quietly, after catching him looking at Addie for the third time since I had started talking to her.
She shrugged casually. “I don’t know what you mean…”
I rolled my eyes, but didn’t needle her for more. I had no right to push for more information since my own relationship with her brother was on the down low—though not for long. And thinking that made me nervous all over again. For the next few minutes, Addie caught me up on her work, which she actually liked quite a bit. She was now working on completing a paralegal certification course. I was happy for my friend. Moving back here was working out well for her.
We made plans for another girls’ night with Kayla and Ashley in the coming weeks then Addie got pulled away by Trent when the boys started to talk about law stuff. I looked over at Jim and Marla who were both lavishing attention on Stella as only grandparents can do.
I stood back a little just observing everyone together. This was truly a family. Not everyone was actually related but they all loved each other deeply. I was grateful that Stella and I got to be a part of this. I really hoped that would continue once Kyle and I came clean about our relationship.
“All right, kids, it’s time to eat dinner,” Jim announced ten minutes later.
Addie waited for me and looped an arm through mine as we headed to the dining room. Marla placed Stella in her high chair and I took the seat between the two of them at one end. Kyle immediately took the seat on the other side of Stella, adjacent to Jim. On the other side Trent sat directly across from Kyle. Ian and Addie did this odd little dance of not sitting next to each other and made Erik sit between them. I wasn’t sure what was going on with them, but it definitely wasn’t ‘nothing’ like Addie claimed. I was sort of glad for the distraction as we started passing bowls around and Jim carved the turkey.
Kyle helped me fill Stella’s plate while food was passed around the table. Trent watched us like a hawk. The conversation flowed nicely, but I continued to feel uncomfortable under my ex-brother-in-law’s scrutinizing stare. After a while, I could tell that Trent just couldn’t take it anymore.
“Okay, I’m sorry to do this right now—but what in the world is going on?” he asked, pointing between us with his fork and interrupting all the other conversations going on at the table.
There was a range of expressions around the table. Addie, Erik, and Ian, continued to eat while looking around the table like the rest of us were entertainment. Marla and Jim shared the exact same confused expression as their son.
With all the attention now on us, I froze up like a deer in headlights and looked to Kyle, who placed his fork on his plate and wiped his mouth with his napkin before talking.
“Well, we were going to wait until after dinner but I guess now is as good a time as any,” Kyle said, without any reservati
on or cold feet. He gave me a sideways glance and then looked around the table. “Simone and I are dating… and have been for a while.”
I eyed everyone and saw a bunch of stunned faces. All except Addie, she was just sitting there with a huge smile on her face.
“We wanted to wait a little while before telling anyone,” Kyle explained. He reached behind Stella’s chair to gently rub my shoulder. The action made me feel a little better, though I was still tense, waiting for someone to say they objected. “I’m sure this is a surprise to most of you, but we hope you can all be supportive.” He finished speaking and the room remained silent for what seemed like hours, even though I was sure it was only a few seconds. I looked to Kyle one more time and he smiled at me. He seemed so happy about claiming me as his girlfriend and it warmed my heart.
“Well, I think it’s great,” Marla said, her hands clasped in front of her and a huge grin on her face.
“Absolutely,” Jim added. “There isn’t anyone I would trust more with my daughter and granddaughter than you, Kyle.” It wasn’t lost on me that Jim referred to me as his daughter. That one statement made me tear up.
Erik and Ian took it in stride, not that I thought they’d really care either way, but at least they seemed accepting and went back to eating their meals, like Addie.
“Trent, you good?” I heard Kyle ask. It was then that I realized he hadn’t said anything yet.
“I… honestly don’t know,” Trent answered. “She was married to my brother, that’s my niece. Besides, there’s a code about sisters.”
“I get it,” Kyle returned, solemn and adamant, “it’s a bit unconventional but, I care deeply for both of them.”
“I’m sure you do, it’s just going to take me some time to get used to it,” he said, clearly unsettled.
I had really wanted Trent’s acceptance, but I would take this. At least he wasn’t acting completely unreasonable.
“I can give you time. Just know this is serious. I’m not going anywhere,” Kyle stated to Trent.
Trent nodded and went back to eating his dinner. The rest of the night went smoothly even if Trent was a bit distant. We had dessert and then Ian, Erik, and Addie all started to leave.
Addie gave me a huge hug on her way out and whispered in my ear how happy she was for her brother and me. The fact that she accepted our relationship meant the world to me. It was obvious she’d already known about us and it was nice to know she’d been in my corner all this time. If anyone had a right to be weird about it, it was her.
I was walking back to Kyle, who was sitting in the living room watching television with Jim, when I noticed Trent standing on the back porch alone, drinking a beer. I changed direction and decided to go to him.
“Hey, can I join you out here?” I asked, not sure if he wanted company.
“Sure,” he answered, tipping his beer back to take another sip and staring out into the backyard.
“So I guess we gave you quite the shock at dinner, huh?” I chuckled, hoping to lighten the mood.
“You could say that,” he responded dryly.
My attempt at some levity was failing. “I know Kyle is your best friend, but I just wanted to let you know that I really care about him. I’m sure you think he could do better than—”
“What?” His tone was sharp. “You think my problem is that I don’t think you’re good enough?”
“Well, yeah,” I said, thinking it was obvious.
He stared at me. “Simone, you are amazing. Any man would be lucky to be with you. My brother was a complete idiot for letting you go.” He sighed and shook his head. “I’m not worried about you being good enough for Kyle. I’m worried about Kyle being good enough for you and Stella.”
That surprised me. Kyle and Trent were best friends. He should have known how wonderful his friend was.
“I don’t get it…” I started, stumped.
“Kyle is a great guy, but he’s never had a real relationship before. He had a pretty screwed up childhood, and even though their grandmother was great, he never really dealt with the loss of both his parents.” He sighed and took another sip of his beer. “I just don’t want him experimenting with you and my niece. He will make a great husband and father someday, but I’m not sure he’s ready. I just don’t want him to hurt you guys as he tries to figure out how to be what you both deserve.”
“Oh…” That was all I could say. The fact that Trent was worried about us warmed my heart. However, I completely disagreed with his assessment of the situation.
I walked over to him and placed a sisterly kiss on his cheek. “Thank you. Thank you for wanting the best for me and Stella,” I said, my breath catching. To have so many people care about us was the best possible feeling. I was still getting used to it, though it got easier every day. “And I truly believe Kyle is the best for us. Just watch him with Stella. They are crazy about each other and I’ll let you in on a little secret”—I leaned in—“I’m crazy about him as well.”
Trent assessed me, and while he still had some worry in his eyes, he smiled at me. “Well, if you’re happy, then I’m happy for you,” he said softly. He gave me a fierce hug. “And if Kyle gets out of line, I’ll beat his ass,” he added for good measure just like a proper big brother.
We both laughed and I knew that Trent would come around. Once he saw Kyle with Stella, he’d know everything was just how it should be.
A little while later, we were all saying our goodbyes. Marla pulled me aside, and at first I was a little worried about what she had to say. Jim had already made it clear that he was perfectly okay with the situation, even teasing Kyle about his duties with Stella. He was good-humored about it and laughed with Jim, holding Stella in his arms. It was obvious they had a bond. Even Trent seemed to realize it and was grinning.
“I just wanted to tell you that while I’ll always be sad things didn’t work out between you and Brad, I’m so happy for you and Kyle. You have both been through so much and deserve all the happiness in the world,” she said, her voice full of emotion. She hugged me tightly.
I could feel the tears well up in my eyes as I hugged her back. This woman was exactly what I had always wanted in a mother and I could only hope I would be as wonderful of a mom to my daughter as she was to her children.
Kyle and I waved as we got into his car. We drove toward his house and I couldn’t get the smile off my face. I was so relieved with how Thanksgiving dinner had gone that I had totally forgot Kyle had a surprise for me at his house until we pulled into his garage.
“Are you two ready to see your surprise?” he asked, waggling his brows.
“Yay! Prize!” Stella shrieked from the backseat.
I got out and took Stella from her car seat and followed Kyle into the house. I was still a little concerned about us spending the night here since his house wasn’t well suited for a toddler. It was the main reason we never spent much time here, especially overnight.
Kyle placed the leftovers Marla sent home with us in the fridge and then grabbed Stella out of my arms. “Follow me,” he commanded and then started to climb the stairs. At the top of the stairs I noticed a baby gate. Had he childproofed his house for Stella? Before I could ask about the gate, he directed me to the closed door of the bedroom I had stayed in the night of my birthday.
Kyle had the most ridiculous smile on his face. “What’s going on?” I asked, completely confused. I was nervous, but excited too because he looked absolutely ecstatic.
He took a deep breath. It was kind of cute how nervous he seemed to be suddenly. “This might seem a little fast, but I really wanted to have another option for us to spend our nights together. I don’t mind going to your apartment. I just would like you to spend more time here.” He was rambling a little bit, but continued before I could respond or even react. “I don’t want you to only come over here when you don’t have Stella. I want her to feel comfortable here as well so I turned this into a room for her.”
Kyle then pushed the door open and
I took in the sight before me. He had a crib that could convert into a toddler bed up against the shared wall with his bedroom. There was a toy box in the corner, a dresser against the opposite wall, a large rug in the middle of the hardwood floor, and in the closet were a few brand new outfits already hanging up.
I looked up at Kyle, speechless. I couldn’t believe he would do this for us. It was overwhelming. This wasn’t just a gesture—it was a promise. His to me and to Stella. That he was serious, that this wasn’t some fling but something more permanent. His actions spoke volumes. And it filled my heart to the max.
“What do you think?” he asked quietly. I had been silent for so long he was probably starting to worry about my reaction. Or the lack of one. I was just stunned, utterly blown away. A million things were running through my head, and I felt even more emotions inside me about to explode.
Still speechless, I stared at him, the room, and then Stella—and promptly burst into tears. I immediately felt him wrap his free arm around me. Stella babbled on but I felt her little hand in my hair, as though stroking it in comfort. When I calmed down, I looked up at him, hiccupping out a response.
“Oh Kyle, i-it’s p-perfect. I can’t believe you did this for her. For us. Thank you!” I went up on my toes and kissed him soundly. This was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me or for Stella.
“There’s more,” he said, breathless and, to my amusement, a little dazed by my kiss. “I wasn’t sure about everything a toddler needed for the bathroom but I did purchase a couple things for her. I know, I went overboard but… it was important to me that you and Stella both feel at home here. Whenever you want to be here. If I’m missing anything we can go out shopping tomorrow.”
Again, I had tears streaming down my face, just staring up at him for several long minutes. “Babe, what’s wrong?” Kyle finally asked, sounding worried.
Falling for the Unexpected (Life Unexpected Book 1) Page 24
