“Me?” he says, pointing his finger toward his chest. “I’m the only option you have. You’ll be on the streets without me.”
I can’t believe these two are brothers. They are complete opposites.
“And so would your niece or nephew,” I remind him.
He shakes his head in disappointment. “Kai, you know our family doesn’t need this right now.”
“That’s why I’m trying to make the best of it and take care of my responsibilities.”
“Whatever,” he says, crushing his beer can.
“Is Mike going to be okay with it?”
He lets out a sigh. “He’s never here. I don’t even know why he still pays for rent.”
I guess Mike is the third roommate. Knowing he’s never here gives me more hope of not being surrounded by yet another stranger.
The sound of the doorbell echoes through the house, causing my stomach to sink. My nerves have been at an all-time high since Kai dropped me off after talking to Kevin. They both had to go to work. Kai said he would come by after work so we could finally do this.
I’ve been dreading it all day; knots of anxiety tighten in my chest with each passing moment. No matter what I do, my body refuses to relax, and the weight of anticipation bears down on me like a heavy burden. I’ve tried to distract myself by keeping busy to ease my stress. I know it’s not good for the baby, but the unease still lingers.
“Blakely!” my mom yells.
Oh, God.
I can’t breathe.
This feels worse than finding out I was pregnant.
I steady my balance as I grasp the railing and head downstairs. My mind is racing with endless thoughts of what she will say.
Kai is wearing nice black pants and a button-down shirt. He must have gone home and showered before coming here.
Tiny little patters of feet run toward the front door. “It’s you again,” Bryn says.
Kai smiles and nods his head.
“What’s going on?” my mom questions. “You know you’re still grounded.”
Tears burn behind my eyes. If only he were here to ask for me to hang out.
“Bryn, can you go upstairs, please?” I ask as I avoid eye contact with my mom.
“Uh-oh. Are you in trouble again?”
“No. I want to talk to Mom and Kai for a minute.”
She looks between us three before walking upstairs with her doll in hand.
I grab Kai’s hand. Both of us are standing in the doorway. The energy of this house dropped lower than it had before. It’s like a dark cloud is swirling around us. I didn’t think I could feel lower than I’ve had these past couple of months. But here I am, feeling lower than low.
My mom crosses her arms over her chest and raises her brows, waiting for one of us to speak.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “We have something we have to tell you.”
“Blakely. I know you two like each other a lot. But you’re not ungrounded and having him come over will not make me unground you any faster.”
Fuck.
