Coming Home (Only Time Will Tell #1) (35 page)

“Seriously. I can see with my own two eyes then if it was her or if we’ve pinpointed the wrong person. I just can’t believe she’d do this to have you. Has she done this before?” I ask.

He shakes his head and releases my hands, rubbing his palms down the front of his jeans. “No. But, then again, I haven’t been madly in love with anyone else. They weren’t a threat.”

The sound of Nod’s high pitched “Awwww” has my cheeks flaming over the fact he said that in front of them. Here’s to the start of forever, or at least a couple of days for me to sort through our conversation, along with dealing with the demons that will haunt me for a while.

It seemed like a great idea when the words came out of my mouth, when I decided I wanted to be here when he told her. But, now that I’m here, I want to retreat to safety, feeling like I’m adding fuel to the fire when it comes to Josie. For all I know she could have those guys on speed dial, waiting for me to be alone and to carry out their threat.

Kyle has poked around the apartment and not seen any sign of Josie.

This place feels even emptier than before, like the memories are laid quiet, ready to pounce on me when my mind has nothing else on it. I haven’t even thought about going in his room, not after last time. The room will just hold the image of him and Josie together, even if it was a set up.

He left me to my own devices while he went to grab some things and I can’t move. This place feels alien to me right now. Kyle walks down the hall from his room and cocks a brow. “Are you okay? You haven’t moved since I left you alone fifteen minutes ago.”

“I know, it’s just weird, I don’t feel like I should be making myself at home.”

He throws something on the glass table attached to the kitchen island before striding over to me. He’s changed and now wearing sweatpants and a tight white shirt. He makes my mouth water when he’s dressed so simply. “But it is your home. I want you to be comfortable,” he states, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead and resting his hands on my hips, making my heart flutter.

“That’s easy for you to say, but it’s not going to be my home forever. I don’t want to get too attached to this place.”

He leans back and inspects my expression, sucking in his bottom lip and letting it flirt back out. “Are you planning on leaving?” he asks.

“Well, yes. This is just temporary, isn’t it? Just until we’re on top of things.”

“That wasn’t my plan. When I asked you to move in with me, I didn’t mean until all of this blew over. I meant forever.”

Forever is a long time, especially if forever is like these last few weeks. I could be dead or rocking in a corner before this week is out. “K.C., you can’t ask that of me when I don’t even know where I stand with you. It’s not like we’re together and to be honest, I can’t see that ever happening because people seem to be getting in the way of us even figuring out the basics to another relationship.”

“We’re not? I thought we were.” He smirks, the edge of his mouth smirking at me, but shaking showing the nerves from this conversation.

“When?” I laugh. “When did you ask me to be your girlfriend?”

He winces a little before sliding his hands from my hips to my backside, pulling me closer to him. “C.J., I think it’s safe to say I don’t expect to ask you to be my girlfriend, especially when it makes me feel like I’m a teenager again. If you’re in my life, you’re just mine. No one else is going to compare to you and no one else makes me feel complete like you. It’s just the way it is. You’re mine and we’re together. We don’t need a title, not yet, anyway,” he winks at me.

Shit
! Yes, I have always thought about being with him until the day I die, but why does he have to say things that make me think that that said title is his wife. It’s not like I’d say no, but I don’t know how these next few days are going to pan out and to be honest, I’d rather him not think about marriage just in case this all blows up in my face and he hates me for eternity.
 

Obviously, he could be thinking of another title, but I’ll be damned if I can think what it would be. “You’re so romantic.” I laugh uneasily, trying to not show my unease. “Do you know when I can get my things?”

“We’ll get them in a few days. I don’t want you going there too soon making you feel worse.”

“Okay. Where am I sleeping then?”

He smiles and kisses my nose before pulling away from me and grabbing my hand. “That is something I want to show you.”

I follow behind him clutching his hand, with each step feeling more and more queasy as we walk towards his room. Once we’re at the door, he stops and drags me in front of him. “I’ll let you go and pick your spot.”

My eyebrows hurt from scowling so hard at him. “You think I’m sleeping in there? In the same spot that I found Josie in? I don’t think so.”

He rolls his eyes and shakes his head, pushing the door open and me through it without answering my argument.

I try and fight against him but he insistent when it comes to me seeing his room. It smells strongly of paint and new furniture; that new wood smell you get when you have something delivered. Gazing around the room, I can see that the whole place has had an overhaul. Completely white and accented with navy blue bedding and curtains.
My
canvas is still above the new bed though, still looking like it’s pride of place.
 

“Surely you didn’t do all of this this morning?” I question walking around the room and running my fingertips over the new wood dresser.

He comes up behind me and grabs a lighter, lighting a few candles that sit on top. “That’s true. After you told me what you did about Josie being in here, I decided to do it over. I couldn’t sleep in here knowing that.”

I smile weakly, even though he can’t see me before ducking out of his way and taking a seat on the bed. “Do you know when she’ll be back? It feels like there’s an elephant in the room waiting for her to find out. How do you think she’ll take it?” I ask, playing with the few beads randomly sewn on the comforter.

“Not long. She texted me while I was getting those bits to say she was on her way. Are you sure you want to be here?”

I want to say no and make him take me back to Nod’s, but I need to face her with him. She needs to see she hasn’t won. “No. I’m okay. We’re in this together.” I smile weakly again before getting up, shaking away all my problems. “Do you want a coffee?” I ask as a way to change the subject.

“You’re a cute little house wife already.” He jokes, sneaking a kiss to my cheek. “I’d love one, thank—” He stops mid-sentence and strains his neck towards the bedroom door. “That sounds like she’s back. Are you staying in here, or are you coming?”

“Here,” I snap quickly. “I’ll come down when I’m ready,
if
I’m ready.”
 

“Okay. I’ll make it as quick as possible. I love you,” he adds as he leaves the room, the noise coming from the elevator sounding like it’s right next to me. After this, my life is going to be hell. Not only will this carve the path to me telling Kyle, it’ll also have me turning into a wreck whenever I leave the apartment. I look around trying to find something to keep myself occupied with, but there is nothing here that is mine. I have nothing to do. Except, sit, listen and wait. And that doesn’t sound like it’s fun at all.

The elevator pings and I hear Josie’s heels click against the floor, walking in the opposite direction. When they stop, I brace myself for her reaction, and I had every right to. She screams at the top of her lungs, “Kyle, where the fuck is my stuff?” before her heels start growing louder. “Kyle? Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?”

He doesn’t even attempt to be diplomatic, or calm. “Really? You think I need to explain myself to you? What the fuck have you been thinking these last few weeks?”

“Thinking? I’ve not. I’ve been doing your God damn job because you can’t even be bothered to come into the office any more, but I don’t see how that has anything to do with my room being completely empty!”

My interest gets the better of me. I cautiously get up, eager to not make a sound and start walking towards the lounge. They’re still shouting at each other, with no signs of calming down.

“Are you really going to stand there and act like you have done nothing wrong? Have you not considered that I know what you’ve been doing? Stealing my Mom’s pills for starters, you think I wouldn’t figure that out?”

“I didn’t steal anything!” she screams and its ear piercing.

His shadow starts moving around on the floor, and I can sense that he’s stressed, even if he wasn’t shouting his head off. “I found the sleeping pills, Josie. I know you drugged me!”

She’s quiet, not responding for a moment until, “You went through my things?” her voice just above a whisper.

“Of course I did. Did you not think that eventually I’d confront Cat? Did you think I’d just accept it?”

“We hoped you would. It would have been a hell of a lot easier if you just listened.”

I grip the wall and begin shaking as she blurts out all the truths in the world that I need to hear, minus the attack. She didn’t deny the pills, I only hope that Kyle registered the, “we,” because it’s sunk in with me. It makes me wonder if she’ll just keep going. I hope she does and I hope the other person is his Mom.

“Easier? Why can’t you understand that I love her and nothing is going to change that? Nothing. Not even you sending Antonio and Carl to attack her.”

They’re both quiet and although I can barely stand through nerves, I walk out from the hallway and over to Kyle. Standing beside him, I look at her, gripping onto the back of his shirt for support. She’s not saying much, but she sure as hell isn’t denying it.

“By the looks of it, neither of you listen.” She scoffs. “Looks like those two old goats are getting sloppy in their old age, clearly didn’t do a good enough job if she’s still standing.”

“Josie. I want you out of here, now! Your things are there.” He says pointing to the paperwork on the side, but she doesn’t move. She just narrows her eyes at me and then at him.

“Fine, I’m gone. But can I just say, if you’re going to shut me out of your life for carrying all of this out, you had better have a word with your Mom. You can’t shoot the messenger on her own.”

Kyle stiffens and Josie scoffs again before adding, “She must care for you, Kyle. She wasn’t happy once she found out I’d used the drugs on you, and she won’t be happy that you’ve moved
her
in here. She knows Catalina isn’t good enough for you, everyone knows that.”
 

Kyle throws his hands in the air and I lose my grip on him. “Will you stop with your bullshit! Can’t you just take responsibility for your own actions? Why are you dragging other people into this?”

“I’m not. Your Mom gave me those pills!”

Something snaps inside of me. And for once, I believe everything she’s saying. “Is that why you two were having that heated discussion the other night? I was told she wasn’t happy with you. Did she give you those to use on me?”

Kyle looks at me his eyes popping out of his head.

“Who rattled your cage?” Josie snaps.

“You!” I snap back, taking a step closer so I’m not so hidden by Kyle. “Was she pissed at you for using them on him and not me?”

She sags as if speaking to me is the least interesting thing in the world. “Yes! I would love to know how the hell she thought I could use that to my advantage.”

Kyle’s head darts between the pair of us, his mouth slack for a brief moment. “You’re serious?”

“Yes, Kyle,” she bites. “You can’t trust anyone these days. You just have to realize that some people do it for your own good. Unlike her,” she nods her head towards me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kyle’s eyes narrow and my body begins to shake all over again. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, my voice quivering.

“You know damn well what I’m talking about. Don’t stand there like you’re innocent. You’ve lied to him from the start and don’t deny it.”

The room fills with a suffocating atmosphere, shrinking in around me as I take a mental guess that she’s on about, what I think she’s on about. His Mom knew, so why wouldn’t she tell Josie if she knew she could use it against me.

Kyle’s voice drops to a whisper as he crosses his arms and puts distance between us. “What’s she talking about?”

“That’s right, Kyle,” she laughs menacingly and I can feel my world slipping away from me.

I try and intercept her but the moment my mouth opens, she’s in there like a bullet.

“Your
little princess
has lied to you. Hidden something pretty important from you,” she continues.
 

I look into Kyle’s eyes and I can tell from his expression, he’s going to believe whatever she says, even if it’s a lie now. I can feel the panic seeping out of my pores, clogging up the air I’m breathing.

Her lips seem to move in slow motion as the words seem to echo around the room, “She was pregnant.” My stomach starts to heave as the one thing I wanted to tell him is thrown out like it’s bait. Something that is a big thing just chucked around like a football. “I can tell by the look on your face you didn’t know, and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t need to confirm it with words. Her actions speak loud enough.”