Things were good.
Shane hadn’t returned to my job, and I saw Rafael almost every night since the evening we tried for a baby together. Even the tension at home after my argument with Kaden dissolved into a vague discomfort, though it was one neither of us wanted to address. I wondered with some guilt if Kaden even realized why he’d upset me so much.
Kaden had asked me about my stomach, though, and I’d told him about Rafael escorting me to the doctor. He seemed relieved to learn that Rafael did truly care, but when he changed the topic to my pregnancy, I shied away from it. I still wasn’t over the sting of his words, and I wasn’t ready to tell him the truth.
It was a week and a half later that all the demons and lies in my life caught up with me at the same time.
Kaden and I were scheduled together until closing, and everyone else had gone home. To be honest, I was finished up already and could have left, but after my bad experience closing alone, I was reluctant to leave Kaden behind.
As I wiped up some tables that were already spotless, I grew increasingly aware of the awkward silence hanging in the air. Kaden had never been a huge chatterbox but the quiet between us now was noticeably uncomfortable. Soon it felt stifling, like I couldn’t breathe.
Maybe it was finally time to air out the past.
I let out a deep sigh, but before I could speak, Kaden interrupted.
“Skylar, are you mad at me?”
I looked at him across the empty café. He frowned at me, more in concern than anger.
“Um,” I began, which made him wince. Probably not the answer he was looking for.
I sighed again and got up, crossing the room so there wasn’t a huge distance between us.
“No, I’m not mad,” I said.
Kaden wasn’t convinced. “But?”
I bit my lip, but knew there was no back-pedalling now.
“There was something you said a couple weeks ago that upset me,” I admitted.
We sat down together in one of the booths, Kaden on the seat and me in a chair on the opposite side of the table. It felt weird being this awkward with my friend and roommate, and I knew it was right to finally sort this out. It wasn’t fair to either of us to keep living like this.
“Well? What was it?” Kaden asked, firm but gentle. “I can’t apologize if I don’t know what I’m apologizing for.”
That made me feel even more guilty. Kaden had no idea why I was upset. Had he been too afraid to simply ask me?
I rubbed my arm sheepishly. “You asked about me and Rafael.”
Kaden nodded.
“And you wanted to make sure I knew him well before I got pregnant with him.”
“Right,” Kaden confirmed.
“And you seemed relieved when you found out Ididknow him well enough for your standards.”
He bristled a little bit at that comment, and I knew it was my own fault for letting my hurt feelings seep through. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you made it seem like you’d be disappointed in me for sleeping with some random guy and getting pregnant with him,” I explained.
Kaden shrugged like he didn’t get the big deal. “Yeah? I mean, I know condoms can break and everything, but I know you well enough that you wouldn’t do anything unsafe. You would never intentionally try to get pregnant with a stranger.”
When I winced, Kaden’s eyes widened. “Wait. You got upset just now. Is that it?”
I felt that gross feeling curl in my gut again. “Yes.”
“Why?” Kaden demanded, surprised. “Sky, if anyone’s gonna do something like that, you’re thelastperson I’d think of.”
