"Look who's here, Sebastian."
The boy stopped flopping around in the water and turned his head. His brown eyes grew big as he hurried out of the pool, his little wet feet slapping on the concrete as he headed straight for me.
"Mama!" he shouted just before he crashed face-first into my thighs, little swimming floaties still attached to his arms.
"Oh, Bash," I said, kneeling and planting kisses all over his wet cheeks, forehead, and neck. "I missed my baby."
"Mama, mama, mama," Sebastian kept saying as his little arms tighten around my neck and I squeezed him right back. The separation had been wearing on us both. He'd grown so much since the month before, and when had he started looking like Miguel?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Brando
Go and get your woman.
Those words were easier said than done. I couldn't get my woman if I couldn't find her. It had been nearly a week since the night in the parking lot. I kept thinking that maybe something brilliant would come to me. An impressive line to get her attention, remind her of our attraction. Her words had been harsh, but I'd seen the way she looked at me, the way she responded to my touch. My gut told me she'd said those things to let me off the hook and I refused to make it easy for her. Any self-respecting man wouldn't keep risking rejection. I didn't care. I just wanted her.
The lights in Carina's apartment were off, so I went into the restaurant, hoping to find her. Even though the room was full of people, it felt hollow. I knew right away she wasn't there. It was the craziest thing—the ability to sense someone's presence, or lack thereof.
"B?" a familiar voice called out. Only one person had ever called me that. I turned to see Tayia sitting at a booth near the window. A pretty smile stretched across her face as she waved me over. I sent one last look around before going to her table.
"Hey, T." I used my nickname for her, too. "Long time, no see." I bent over and placed a kiss on her soft cheek. An infant slept in a carrier next to her on the bench. The same baby that half the town had assumed was mine—even the father.
"Who were you looking for?" One of her brows lifted with curiosity. I hesitated to answer, not sure if I was ready to share just yet.
"You." I deflected with a sly grin. "I was looking for you, of course."
"Nice. I'd almost forgotten how smooth you were." Tayia's eyes lit up with amusement. "How are you?" She brought a mug of coffee to her mouth and sipped. I wondered if the brew tasted anything like when Carina made it.
"I'm all right." I shrugged, aiming for nonchalance, though not being able to find Carina had me a little on edge. "Business at the shop is picking up. It keeps me occupied. How about you?"
"Exhausted, of course." She glanced down at the baby. "But happy." She did look sleep-deprived, but there was a glow on her face. She'd always been beautiful to me, but the truth was, I never stood a chance with Tayia. When we met, she'd been going through a rough time with her stepbrother, Blake, and needed a friend. She used my shoulder to cry on, and I put ink on hers. As it turned out, their story had been a very complex one.
Harley arrived at the table and set a steaming mug of coffee in front of me that I never ordered. I shot her a confused look.
"What?" She glared at me. "My coffee's not good enough for you?" She twisted her lip into a smirk and walked away. Harley was right, though; her coffee wasn't good enough for me or anybody with a pulse for that matter. It tasted like shit.
"Uck," I resisted the urge to spit the coffee back into my cup. "How are you drinking this?"
Tayia looked down at her mug, took another sip then shrugged.
"It tastes okay to me."
"Then you must be extremely tired." I snorted a laugh, then pushed the cup away. I was half convinced that Harley had brewed an extra special pot of coffee for me. It was strong enough to defend itself in a back-alley fight. The worst part was that I couldn't tell if she was trying to be a smart-ass or she had put forth an honest effort. It had been impossible to figure her out sometimes. Tayia's baby woke up and started to cry, signaling that it was time for her to leave. I walked her outside and helped load all the baby junk in her car. A diaper bag, stroller, and some other shit I couldn't even explain. She handed me the baby while she messed around with the car seat. I didn't know the first thing about kids or how to hold them. The baby had been positioned awkwardly in my arms, and I knew I was doing it wrong. When she finally reached over and took the baby, I'd never been more relieved. The whole scene lasted probably less than a minute, but it felt like an eternity. Having kids wasn't something I'd thought much about. I remember holding Tayia's hand during her first ultrasound. She needed a friend, and of course, I'd been there. I would have done anything for her, been anything she needed. I watched Tayia drive off, then glanced up at the darkened windows above the restaurant. What Tayia and I could have had was nothing compared to what I'd already felt for Carina.
The black SUV Carina gotten into the other night drove past the restaurant. Her mother. When the car didn't stop to drop her off, I'd gotten into my car and went after it, wondering if Carina was in there. Then I started thinking about the possibility of her pulling a repeat from the other night. What if she had jumped out and was wandering around somewhere in the dark? I owed it to myself to find out for sure, so I followed at the farthest distance I could, as inconspicuously as I could. The car traveled down a long winding road to a remote part of the island, the area owned by the Ristos. The brake lights lit at the end of the path, then turned onto the road that led up to an enormous house that sat on a hill overlooking the ocean. Silverwood Mansion. Everyone had been familiar with the name. The Spot, a place where racers gathered was a quarter of a mile away with a clear view of Silverwood towering above.
A massive metal security gate opened, the SUV drove through, then the gate closed behind it. Shit. I sat there with my lights off, trying to figure out my next move. I thought about calling her but realized it would be impossible because I didn't have her phone number. We'd slept together twice. Why didn't I have that essential piece of information from her?
Fuck it.
I drove up to the gate and was met by a giant spotlight beaming down, blinding me. I lifted an arm to shield my eyes as someone began speaking through the intercom.
"Yes," a male said through the speaker. I wasn't sure what to say that would gain me entrance. That part of my plan hadn't been very well thought out.
"Um..." I hesitated.
"Brando, is that you?" the voice asked, and I immediately recognized it as Jamie Risto.