Текст книги "Untangle Me"

Автор книги: Chelle Bliss

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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

New Orleans Bound

Tom, Kayden’s roommate in NOLA, called a couple days before Christmas. The company would be closing down the apartment by the end of the month. They were heading home and locked his room before they left.

The day after Christmas we left for New Orleans. He needed to pick up his remaining clothes and personal belongings. Sadness filled us as we drove to New Orleans, it would be a goodbye trip. Dread filled me the closer we got, I’d fallen in love with this city… it had become part of us.

I parked the car in the parking lot and we sat for a moment. This is where we began; the love, passion, and crazy journey we’d experienced together.

Kayden looked around the parking lot surveying the cars. “I don’t see my truck, Sophia. It’s missing,” he said. I covered my eyes with my hands, my stomach felt uneasy. “It must have been towed; I’ll call them when we get inside.”

“I’m sorry, baby,” I said through my palms.

Kayden peeled my hands off my face. “Shit happens, babe. I’ll get it back, come on,” he said as he reached for the handle and I did the same.

I walked next to Kayden, holding his hand as we approached the apartment. He paused before placing the key in the door. The apartment looked exactly like it did when we left in October, minus some personal effects and the television in the living room. A fold up chair was propped against the wall and some trash was strewn across the kitchen table.

I walked away from Kayden, turning the corner to his room. I stopped in the hallway, his bedroom door was open and the doorjamb had been damaged; someone had pried the door open. My heart sank as I walked through the door. ”Your TV is missing,” I exclaimed.

“What?” he asked, as he rounded the corner behind me. Kayden came to a halt, staring blankly not saying a word. The flat screen television no longer sat on his dresser beside his Blu-ray player. It was missing too, along with all of his movies. I heard rustling behind me as Kayden disappeared in his walk in closet. “Mother fucker,” he said.

I could hear things crashing to the floor. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“All my fucking tools are gone. Everything is gone.”

I wrapped my arms around him as he squatted on the floor. “It can’t all be gone, baby,” I reassured him.

His body crumpled to the floor. This is bad, very bad. Kayden didn’t have much to his name, and the little he did have was precious to him. I held him, kissing his head in silence. I wanted to give him the time to gather his thoughts. “I’m okay. Fuck. I told you I have a fucking black cloud following my ass around.”

I grabbed his face, looking into his eyes and kissed him. Not a lust filled kiss, but one filled with love and understand. “We’ll figure it out, we need to call the police,” I said.

Kayden stood helping me up off the closet floor. We searched his bedroom taking inventory of everything that remained. It only took us a couple minutes to figure out that everything of value vanished.

I felt responsible. I made him return to Florida with me; if he’d stayed in New Orleans he’s still have his things, but we might not have survived as a couple if he did. I didn’t think I could be any sadder than I was when we were driving here, but I could never have imagined this—Merry Christmas and Happy fucking New Year.

Kayden placed a call to the police to report a burglary. We searched the entire apartment while we waited, but very little remained. The kitchen had been stripped, the bathroom cleared of everything except one towel and a partially used body wash, and his bedroom was ransacked, even his jar of change had disappeared.

“I know it was that fucking bastard, Tim. The other guys wouldn’t do this to me, I’ve known them too long.” He shook his head in disbelief. “He didn’t have a dime when he started living here, Tom told me he quit right after they left. He was the last one in the apartment.”

The police officers wrote down all the missing items and asked basic questions. They would file a report, but didn’t bother to take fingerprints from the doors or surfaces in the room. They gave us a copy of the report number in case Kayden needed it later. They said that his property had probably been sold off by now, no hope of recovering it.

He had nothing left but me.

“What do you want to do, Sophia?” he asked.

“I’m exhausted. Can we go to sleep and figure everything out tomorrow?” I asked him, rubbing my eyes.

“Yes, let me lock up tight first,” he said as he checked the front door and then proceeded to the kitchen.

“What are you getting?” I asked him as he was going through the drawers.

“A knife, I want to keep it on the nightstand just in case,” he said as he picked a shiny large knife out of the drawer, “one more thing.” He walked to the door and grabbed a chair nearby and jammed it under the doorknob.

“Paranoid much?” I asked him.

“We can’t be too careful, especially with you here. I have no idea who was in here or has a key,” he said to me as he began to shut off the lights. “Come on baby, I need to hold you.”

We crawled in bed and embraced each other in silence. There was no television for background noise, no guys laughing in the living room being obnoxious, just silence. I snuggled against Kayden wrapping my body around his, enveloping him until he fell asleep.

I woke to Kayden’s voice; he was talking to someone on the phone. “No one contacted me. When was it auctioned off?” he asked. I heard the sound of his fist slamming down on the kitchen table out of frustration. Kayden muttered a few more words before he appeared in the bedroom doorway.

“What happened, sweetheart?” I asked rubbing my eyes.

“They towed my truck over six weeks ago and when I never contacted the towing company, they auctioned it off last week.” His face was pale and he looked like he was going to be sick.

“We’ll figure something out. Fucking shit, it’s all because of me,” I said a tear streaming down my cheek.

“Just another fucked thing in my life, thank God for you, Sophia. Come on; let’s get the fuck out of this place. I want to go see Bourbon,” he said, holding out his hand to me.

I got dressed and put on my make-up while Kayden went to the mailbox to see what had accumulated since the guys had left. As he rifled through the pile, a pink envelope fell on the table. It was addressed to him, but I didn’t see a return address.

“What is it?” I asked him out of curiosity.

“I don’t know, but it’s to me. There’s no address, but I know the handwriting,” he replied with a hint of anger.

“Do I even have to ask?” I asked. I knew in that moment that he hadn’t being entirely truthful, Lisa was still a problem, a thorn in my ass. Why didn’t he tell me?

“Yes, it’s Lisa’s handwriting. I didn’t think she knew where I lived. I have been so careful about never letting anyone have this address. My mother doesn’t even know where I live,” he said to me as he flipped the envelope over and ripped it open.

A picture was the first item to fall. It was a photo of two people, Kayden and Lisa, the same fucking photo she texted me many months ago. He pulled out a card, and a letter fell, landing on top of the photograph. I didn’t move to pick it up. I didn’t like even having the image of that photo in my mind, let alone the contents of a letter. Kayden grabbed the letter, but didn’t open it. He opened the card and sat in silence as he read the message.

“Is it from her or one you sent her?” I asked him pissed off.

“It’s from her.” He looked stunned and worried.

“What did she say?” I could feel my heart starting to pound harder in my chest.

“Read it,” he said, handing me the card.

Kayden,

I’ll find you… no matter where you are. You’re MINE, and I’m yours—always. We’re meant to be together. You can’t deny fate or destiny. We’ll be together again… I promise you.

Love Always,

Lisa

The bitch couldn’t take a hint. She was relentless, like a rabid dog unwilling to stop. “What’s in the letter?” I asked him, still holding the card in my hand.

“It’s a letter I wrote to her after I was arrested,” he said to me, putting the letter back in the envelope with the photo.

“I don’t want to read it. I can only imagine what it says. I’m sure you declared your undying love for her, and now she’s reminding you.’ I threw the card on the table.

“Have you told your probation officer that she has been contacting you?”

“No, I don’t think he’ll care,” he said. He placed everything back into the envelope. He walked over to the trash can and threw all the mail, including the pink envelope, inside.

“Don’t throw that out. You need to talk to him about her and show him all the messages she’s sent you, including the ones online,” I said.

“I’ll think about it, Sophia. I could get in trouble for any response I’ve sent to her,” he said to me, worry in his eyes.

“Kayden, she isn’t going to stop… she’ll always be between us. You need to stop her. This is the only way right now,” I told him as I reached in, pulling out the pink envelope. “This is coming home with us. It’s evidence; maybe we can use her words against her.”

“Fine, I’ll think about talking to him,” he said to me as he disappeared into the bedroom.

I had to try to put her out of my mind. I needed to convince him to share her messages with his probation officer; she just couldn’t be allowed to torment him this way. She had played enough games, but she wouldn’t come out the winner. I needed to get that photograph out of my mind and I needed coffee.

We headed to the French Quarter and straight to Café du Monde. New Orleans had grown colder since we last spent time there. The coffee helped warm my hands as we strolled down Bourbon Street. A loud noise caught my attention drawing my eyes down the street.

Police cars and motorcycles cleared the way, leading a procession of people down Bourbon. Above the roar of the motorcycles I could hear the faint sound of a Dixie band. “Look, Kayden,” I said, pointing down the street. He grabbed my arm, moving me on the sidewalk and out of the path of the oncoming crowd. “What is it?”

“It’s a wedding, sometimes weddings march down Bourbon just as they do for a funeral. They’re all celebrations of life,” he replied, holding my hand.

I watched, riveted to the scene in front of me. A parade of people danced down the street following the band on their journey. The bride wore a mask and carried a white umbrella, the groom on his tuxedo with a matching black mask covering his eyes. They laughed and danced as they moved down the street. The wedding guests followed behind cloaked in the same facial mask, dancing and singing. People cheered on the sidewalk as the parade danced past. At the end of the parade two sets of parents were carried in a rickshaw, waving their hankies in the air, smiles decorating their faces.

“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like it,” I said, staring down the street watching the wedding disappearing in a sea of people.

“It’s uniquely NOLA, one of the many reasons I fell in love with this city,” he said and I felt his sadness about leaving here, like losing an old friend.

We wandered around the city for the entire day, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. The memories would have to carry us until we could afford to come back someday. New Orleans had become a second home, filled with memories, both good and bad. We made plans for Mardi Gras months ago that wouldn’t come to fruition anymore. My heart ached the more we walked, I wanted Kayden with me, but not by force, by choice. His phone rang as we walked by the casino.

“Hello,” Kayden answered.

I watched him intently. He received very few calls, and usually they were only to deliver bad news. I nervously waited to hear what the person wanted from him.

“Okay, I understand,” he said before ending the call.

“What’s up, baby?” I asked.

“It was Dean from the office; they want to clear the apartment tomorrow.” Kayden looked like he had just lost his family pet. I could always read his eyes, they were so expressive and the windows to his soul.

My heart sank. I wasn’t ready to leave NOLA. I thought we could ring in the New Year here, in Jackson Square. “It’s okay, baby… I know we wanted to stay a little longer, but we can leave tomorrow.”

He wrapped his arms around me, tucking my head under his chin. “I’m sorry, Sophia. I wanted this trip to be so much more. I didn’t think we’d have to leave so soon, I thought we had a couple more days.”

I wrapped my arms tighter around his body, burying my face in his neck. My eyes filled with tears knowing this was truly our last night in New Orleans. “Take me home, Kayden. Make love to me in the bed you first made love to me.” We couldn’t take the bed with us in my tiny SUV; it would be another casualty Kayden would suffer.

We rode in silence, hand in hand, through the streets of New Orleans. Kayden stared out the window, resting his cheek on his hand. I didn’t speak, giving him time with his thoughts.

The apartment felt lifeless as we walked through the door, entirely opposite to the lively atmosphere I had experienced during my previous trips. We kicked off our shoes, leaving them by the door, only the thud of them hitting the baseboard filling the room. Kayden grabbed me, lifting me into his arms and carrying me into the bedroom.

He placed me on the bed gently, the hallway light illuminating the room. Kayden lay down next to me, propped on one arm. Looking into my eyes he cradled my face in his hand. He leaned over slowly, touching his lips to mine. My body tingled, coming to life, a sense of need filling my veins as his tongue caressed my lips. The tip of his thumb pressed the corner of my mouth, gently opening me to the invasion of his tongue.

Kayden possessed my mouth, controlling my every thought and feeling. He lifted himself off me, leaving his thumb near the corner of my mouth. His eyes never left mine as I capture his digit between my teeth, enclosing it between my lips. He watched me intently as he stripped off his shirt. I sucked his thumb, swiping my tongue across it, pretending it was his cock. I moved my head forward and back giving me the ability to suck the entire length. His eyes glazed over before closing, reveling in the sensation. I stared at him as he used his free hand and feet to pull off his pants. His cock sprang free, hard and glistening, the tip weeping.

I pushed him on his back, releasing his thumb. My mouth watered, needing to taste him. I licked his lips slowly before dragging my tongue down his neck to his torso. My tongue tracing each ripple and muscle on his taught stomach. I paused at his hips, biting and sucking the sensitive spots making his body quiver. His cock nudged my chin, calling for my attention. Keeping my eyes glued to his, I licked the tip. Kayden tasted of salty sweetness, a taste uniquely Kayden—one that I craved. I swirled my tongue around the tip, his hips bucking as I pulled his length inside my waiting mouth. He filled me, stretching my lips. The hardness of his cock and the softness of his skin moving across my tongue caused wetness to seep from my pussy. His cock nudged the back of my throat causing me to gag.

“Fuck,” Kayden said. “I love when you gag on my cock, baby.”

My face flushed with his praise, embarrassment filling me with knowledge that I couldn’t fit his entire shaft in my mouth. I wrapped my hand around his hardness, moving in rhythm with my mouth. I squeezed slightly as I reached the tip, driving back down with force. Twisting my hand and flicking the top with my tongue to change the sensation, Kayden neared the edge.

He reached down grabbing my hair. “Baby, stop, I. Want. To. Make. Love. To. You,” he stuttered out as I sucked him harder and deeper than I had before, each word stammering out as I reached the tip of his cock.

My mouth released his tip causing a popping sound to fill the air. Kayden grabbed my arms dragging me up his body, his hair scrapping my skin. He rolled us over, his full body weight crushing me. He plunged his tongue into my mouth… claiming me. His hand slid down my skin capturing my breast in his palm. His lips broke from mine traveling down my body, sucking me in his mouth. Overwhelming need consumed me; I need to feel his cock inside me—filling me completely.

“Kayden, please,” I begged.

He licked my breast, circling my nipple with his tongue causing my back arched in an unspoken invitation. I watched as he pulled his lower lip into his mouth between his teeth causing the hair below his lower lip to stick out. He rubbed his hair across my nipple, pricking my skin, causing goose bumps to form across my flesh. I moaned writhing from the feel of his scratchy hair against my erect peak. He captured my nipple, sucking it hard flicking it with his tongue.

“Please,” I moaned.

Kayden slid his hand down my thigh, running the tip down to my core. I gripped his shoulders to stop from crying out, needing something… anything inside me. His finger slid easily inside me, his palm grazing my clit. He moved it slowly, torturing me. I needed more friction, my body so close to release.

He moved his body between my legs, his erection lying firmly against my pussy. He rocked against me, kissing me to muddle my moans. Using his hands, he rubbed the end against my opening, moving a small circle, wetting his cock—my body still not accustomed to his size. Starring into my eyes, he entered me slowly, stopping halfway. He paused, looking at me he said, “Slow, Sophia. I’m going to make love to you, I want to savor you.”

I whimpered as he slid the remaining length inside me. My body stretched to accommodate him, relishing in the mixture of pleasure and pain. Kayden moved inside me at a steady pace, never wavering, slowly gliding back and forth. Every nerve ending in my body ignited, his cock the spark lighting the fuse.

Our eyes remained locked, his face almost touching mine. Our lips tangled together, but I couldn’t close my eyes... I didn’t want to miss a moment of him. He reached between us, placing my clit between his fingertips, squeezing in a pulsating rhythm. My world exploded as my pussy clenched, holding him hostage... my body his prison.

His stroke deepened as his body grew tense. “Sophia…,” he moaned, his body shuddering, collapsing on top of me.

“I love you, Sophia,” he whispered in my ear. “Being here, with you now, puts my mind at peace.”

“I love you, too, Kayden. I’ll always be here for you,” I said.

“I’d follow you anywhere. My life is wherever you are, not a specific place, but you. You’re my home.”

I opened my eyes staring at the blank wall in front of me. The same spot that Kayden’s television used to sit. I knew this would be our last few hours in New Orleans. This room held so many memories for us. Each trip had been filled with a roller coaster of emotions.

My heart grew heavy as tears stung my eyes. A single tear ran down my face falling on to Kayden’s chest. I didn’t wipe it away before it fell, not wanting to wake him.

“What’s wrong, baby doll?” Kayden said in a husky sleepy voice.

Shit. I tried not to wake him, letting it fall on his chest instead of wiping it away.

“Just thinking about how this is our last couple of hours in New Orleans.”

Kayden and I jumped from the sound of someone knocking on the door.

“Did they say when they were coming?” I asked, scrambling to find clothes as Kayden slipped on his shorts.

“No,” he said.

Kayden walked out of the bedroom leaving me naked and alone. I dressed as quickly as I could, picking up my clothes from last night. I could hear male voices, but I couldn’t make out the words. I didn’t hear a door close, but I heard strange noises coming from the next room. Kayden appeared in the doorway.

“They’re here to clear out the apartment already, Sophia. We have to start packing and leave, too,” he said. It was real, we were really going to pack everything up and leave NOLA behind. “The guys are already clearing the furniture out of the living room,” he said.

“Okay,” I sighed. I shoved everything I could fit in my suitcase. Kayden walked around the apartment grabbing everything he wanted to take before the other guys could grab them. He carried it all in his room, placing it on the floor.

“Hey Kayden, you taking your bedroom furniture?” a man called yelled.

“Nah, I don’t have room,” Kayden responded.

“I’m sorry, baby,” I said. Kayden shrugged and continued throwing his clothes in bags haphazardly. Shit, this isn’t how I wanted him to leave New Orleans. I helped him pack everything he owned into large black garbage bags. Cold air filled the apartment; my body breaking out in goose bumps from the wind whipping through the small space. Everything about this ending was bone chilling and mind numbing.

Placing the last few items in the SUV, Kayden closed the trunk and looked at me.

“That’s it, baby. We’re standing in the same spot I first touched you—the day that changed my life.” He wrapped me in his arms, cocooning me in his warmth. My body shivered from the memory of his lips first touching mine. “Let’s go sweetheart, I’m exhausted and we still have a long drive back to Florida.”

I watched as NOLA disappeared in the rearview mirror, a gloomy sky framing the buildings. I gripped the steering wheel trying to distract myself from the sadness that filled my soul. Kayden reached out, grabbing my hand, placing it against his lips.

“We’ll be okay, sweetheart. We’ll be back here someday,” he said kissing my fingers.

“I know we will. I just want you to be okay. I know how much you love her.”

“I love you, Sophia. New Orleans is a place, you’re my life.” Kayden held my hand for hours, stroking my fingers in a reassuring rhythm. The scenery changed signaling our miles traveled, from bayou to palm trees. We grew more tired the closer we got to my home—our home.

“I’m going to call Jim and see if we can stay the night. Is that okay with you?” he asked picking up his phone, waiting for my answer.

“Please, I’m beyond exhausted and can’t make it another four hours.”

Jim told Kayden how to get to his place; he lived in a small trailer park near the Florida border. I needed to sleep, I didn’t give a damn where.

“I want you to be prepared,” he said.

“For?”

“I know you’re thinking it’s a regular trailer or RV, but it’s neither. He lives in one of those small pull along trailers. It has one bed, I don’t even know where we can sleep.”

“I’ll sleep in the car for all I care; I just need close my eyes. It’s almost dark and we have hours still to drive, I won’t make it,” I said.

“Can I get a beer or something?” he looked at me with a pained look on his face. “Just a little something, Sophia, please?”

I couldn’t imagine how mentally exhausting this had been for Kayden, I could barely form a thought. “Yes, sweetheart, we’ll find some place to stop.” Truth be told, I needed a drink.

We pulled into the liquor store we found; Jim’s place was only a mile from the freeway. It looked like trouble… half of the letters were missing on the sign, people standing in the doorway, parking lot filled with pot holes and chunks of cement. My stomach twisted into knots just thinking about Kayden walking in the door. “You stay here,” Kayden said.

“Why?” Like hell I’m going to let him go in alone.

“This place doesn’t look right. I don’t want to kick someone’s ass because they say something shitty to you,” he said.

“Then I’ll go in, you stay in the car,” I said. I wouldn’t wait behind in the car worrying about what he was doing or what someone was doing to him. I couldn’t take the chance of Kayden winding up in a brawl. This looked like a local hangout and we were the outsiders.

“Are you fucking crazy?” he asked gripping the steering wheel.

“Are you?” I replied staring him in the eyes. He didn’t have a hope of winning this battle. “Either we go in together or I go in alone, your choice.”

“Damn it,” he said hitting the steering wheel.

“Trust me; they’d fuck with you before saying anything to me.”

“You’re so naïve, Sophia. Come on, let’s go… You’re not going in there alone.” Kayden reached for the door handle and I didn’t give him a minute to change his mind.

Kayden held my hand pulling me close to his body. I could feel eyes watching us as soon as we climbed out of the car. I kept my head held high, trying to show no fear. Inside my heart pounded and my hands were shaking slightly. Look like you belong here, I repeated to myself as we approached the doorway. The sea of men standing near the entrance parted, granting us access. I didn’t notice until this moment that I had been holding my breath. I inhaled deeply, my lungs filling with the smoky air inside. I stifled a cough, not wanting to draw any more attention than we already were.

I looked around the room, trying not to be too obvious. People dotted the interior, standing near a bar, sitting on benches lining the walls, and just milling around… It had to be one of the oddest places I had ever walked into. The sign on the front of the building said liquor store, but this had the feel of a local watering hole. Behind the bar a large selection of booze lined the walls.

“Can I get a bottle of vodka, please,” Kayden asked the older gentleman. The man didn’t seem to be happy to serve us.

“Ten bucks,” the man said.

I looked around while waiting for our purchase. People were drinking out of brown paper bags, no cups, just their bottles wrapped up hiding the contents. What exactly is this place? The man placed the bottle on the counter wrapped in the same brown bag all the patrons were drinking from. Kayden grabbed the bottle, immediately pulling me towards the door.

We walked out at a quicker pace than we entered the store; walking through the crowd still stood near the door. The men were talking, but I couldn’t tell if they were talking to us.

“No man, we’re good.” Kayden said.

I looked at him, “What did they say?”

“They asked if we wanted to buy any drugs,” he said.

He heard things I didn’t, probably saw things that I missed.

“No,” he said again to the men as we reached the car doors.

We climbed in and closed the door. Kayden didn’t waste any time, starting the car quickly and locking the doors.

“What was that place?” I asked once safely inside.

“I have no fucking clue. I’ve never been in a place like that, and I’ve been in some crazy ass places,” he said shrugging his shoulders.

I laughed. “Baby, one word I could never use to describe you is boring. I’ve never had a dull moment since you’ve entered my life and there’s always a new experience.”

This man had made my life more complicated, but more full of life, than I had ever thought possible. I couldn’t stop laughing thinking about all the crazy shit that’s happened in the last six months. Kayden added the color to my gray life.

Kayden found Jim’s place easily with the help of the GPS. Under a large oak tree, the white tiny trailer sat, within thirty feet of a train track. I expected it to be small, but I never imagined it would be puny. I don’t know how the three of us would fit inside that small dwelling, but I didn’t care. I just want to close my eyes and sleep.

“If you want to go, I’ll make up an excuse. We can just visit for a little while,” he said.

“Oh no, I’ll be fine, Kayden, I’m just tired.”

The door to the trailer opened and a tall thin man emerged. He approached the car wearing a pair of gray sweatpants, a white t-shirt, and a goofy smile. Kayden climbed out, but I gave them a moment giving myself a little pep talk. Just breathe…

“Dude, it’s so fucking good to see you,” Jim said wrapping his arms around Kayden.

I climbed out of the car, walking towards the guys.

“You too, man.” Slapping him on the back Kayden turned his attention towards me. “Jim, this is Sophia.”

I held out my hand to greet Jim, but he wrapped his arms around me, enveloping me in a hug. “It’s so good to finally meet you, I’ve heard so much about you,” Jim said.

“It’s good to meet you, too.” Kayden had told me wild stories about Jim and his carefree lifestyle. I was happy to meet another friend of his, one that he’d been friends with for years. Jim helped Kayden find a job after his arrest; he was already working in New Orleans. Jim knew his troubled past and rotten luck in love, he didn’t judge Kayden, and for that I already liked him.

“Lemme show you guys around,” Jim said walking towards his home.

There wasn’t much to see, but we walked around listening to him. The trailer consisted of one room, filled with a bed, couch, television, and mini kitchen. There was a small closet attached with a bike inside. Jim lived modestly, but he had been kind to offer us a place to stay for the night, but where were we going to sleep? I didn’t quite know until Jim started emptying out the closet.

“I’ll put my bike outside for the night. I have a mattress I can put on the floor for you two. Don’t mind my clothes, just move them out of the way if you need to,” he said.

Kayden looked at me, watching my reaction for anything resembling horror, but I didn’t move a muscle. I didn’t care where we relaxed and slept for the evening, even if it was a closet.

“You guys want to order pizza?” Jim asked.

“That’d be great.” Kayden responded.

Jim couldn’t seem to sit still, he seemed nervous. I don’t think he was used to having people in his cramped space. Kayden and I sat on the couch while Jim moved around the space, talking non-stop with Kayden about work and life. I sat quietly on the couch listening to the boys, watching them interact. I know Kayden had missed his male friends; Suzy and I were only so much fun. Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice Jim heading for the door until the noise it made me jump.

“Where’d he go?” I asked.

“He wanted to smoke some weed, but I told him he needed to go outside,” Kayden said.

I kind of felt guilty in that moment. It’s his home and I’m the guest. I didn’t smoke it myself, but I didn’t think poorly of him for it either. “Why?”

“I told him you don’t smoke and that you work in a school… you can’t be around that type of shit, Sophia.” Kayden looked at me like I was crazy for even needing an explanation.

“Oh, he didn’t have to for me. I feel bad you told him that Kayden. It’s freezing ass cold outside,” I said.