??Why would you say that?”
He frowns and decides now is a good time for a beer. “I was in a similar situation. As soon as I was told there was a baby, I bailed. I thought there was no way in hell I was the father because we used protection. I refused to believe it.”
“And where’s the child now?” I ask, swallowing hard. I don’t know how I’m going to feel if my dad tells me I have another sibling somewhere.
“There isn’t one, or there wasn’t. The woman… she caused a lot of problems for you, your mom, Harrison and me. I don’t know if she ever was pregnant, but I knew I was going to wait until the baby arrived before I took responsibility.”
“Because you didn’t believe her?”
He nods. “I didn’t. And I had good reason not to. She knew I would never be with her the way she wanted me to be, that I would never love her the way I loved your mother. I used her to cope, to numb my feelings, and when I came back here, she did everything she could to destroy what I was trying to build.”
My father’s words sink in. I don’t want to believe Dessie would lie to me, but it seems convenient she just found out she’s not only pregnant but also far enough along to miss a few cycles. I know she has a stressful job, but her body is her career, how would she not know she’s months along?
“What am I going to do?” I ask both of them.
“Not make a decision at the water tower is my suggestion,” Nick says.
“What do you say we head home? Your mom is probably pacing the floor and likely pulling her hair out. Don’t be surprised if she wrings your neck and hugs you after the fact.”
“Maybe I’ll head to Nick’s for the night,” I say, laughing.
“You’re more than welcome, Noah, but I think you should probably be wherever Dessie is, and at least talk to her about what you’re feeling.”
We climb down the ladder, leaving my beer behind with the intent to come back for it in the morning. I hug Nick and tell him I’ll be by later to see everyone. Dad hands me a helmet and I slip it on before climbing on behind him. The roar of the engine reminds me when I was a child and he’d take me out for rides. Oh, how I wish I could go back to being free again.
25
Peyton
My heart races as I wait for Kyle to show up. It wasn’t easy to get here in the sense that my mother is watching me like a hawk. Seriously, she needs a hobby. I know she thinks I’m fragile, but I’m getting stronger every day and it’s not because of the exercises Xander has me doing, it’s because I know being with Noah is impossible. Deep down I’ve always known, but couldn’t ever bring myself to separate my dreams from reality.
I watch Kyle as he walks by the window I’m sitting next to. Thankfully, they’re tinted and he can’t see me staring at his ass, let alone the other women who have happened to notice him. Suddenly I’m embarrassed and for the life of me I can’t figure out why. Maybe it’s the women at the other table, saying crude things about him or maybe it’s that I’m embarrassed for Kyle because he has to put up with stuff like that.
The hostess escorts him to the table she sat me at earlier. She touches his arm and throws her head back in mock laughter, almost as if he’s said something funny to her when he hasn’t even taken his eyes off of me.
Being under his scrutiny is weird. Kyle’s good-looking and a month or so ago, I would’ve jumped at the opportunity to be stared at by him or any other man for that matter, but knowing Noah’s in love with me, leaves a gaping hole in my heart – the part where I would love another – and I’m not sure anyone is going to be able to fill it.
Kyle bypasses his chair and kisses me on my cheek. He lingers there for a moment, allowing me to breathe in his cologne. There’s no denying my attraction for him, but right now it’s not enough.
“Thank you for calling,” he says as he sits down. Immediately, he puts his napkin on his lap and pushes his silverware aside so he can rest his elbows on the table.
“Technically, I texted,” I point out as I try to mirror his posture, but I can’t. Being in a wheelchair prevents me from sitting up higher. In fact, I feel short and awkward.
“Do you want to sit in the chair?” Kyle points to the vacant chair behind us, where the hostess moved it out of the way.
I nod eagerly and do my best to pull myself away from the table; all while the women not far from us watch our every move. Kyle picks me up effortlessly as if I weigh nothing and sets me down, maneuvering the chair until I’m pushed in and comfortable.
“Better?”
“Yes.” How he knew I needed this, I’ll never know because I don’t plan on asking. It’s better to leave the kind gesture alone instead of ruining it with an inquisition. “How do you ignore them?” I ask, motioning to the table behind him. The women have gone from a casual glance over their shoulder to full-on staring. Most likely trying to figure out where they know him.
“Same as you, probably.”
“I’m not famous.”
“Your father is though. You get hounded by the media too.”
“How do you know? Did you Google me?”