My mouth fell open before I could compose myself. There was no need for her to get mad at me for trying to help. “Your car can barely make it down the road. It took six tries to get it started this morning. We’re about to have twins. Who you’ll be driving around. In this car.”
Her eyes became thin slits, arms going over her chest, accentuating the fact that it had also gotten even larger, something I’d been trying like hell to keep from ogling. “My car will do just fine for now. I’m not getting a new one until I can afford to get myself one.”
My growl had very little heat behind it. It might not have been a battle I could win just yet, but it wouldn’t dampen the fact that we were having twins, that I was having babies with this woman. “Fine. You’re still letting me take you out tomorrow. We’re celebrating.”
Lips tugging up at the corners, she said, “Fine. But right now, you need to get me to my next class so I’m not late.”
10
Kate
He took me to class without mentioning the car situation again. I liked my car just fine. It wasn’t fancy, it had some quirks, but it got me where I needed to go… when I had the money for gas. No way would I admit that him bringing the twins into the equation made me want to jump on his offer. They deserved to be driven around in something safe and comfortable. But it would have to wait until I had a better job that could fund such things.
The way he’d taken the surprise of twins was just another tribute to how amazing he was. He wasn’t even a little mad that I’d kept something so monumental from him. Finally having the weight of that secret off my shoulders was a relief. I already kept so much from him, but this secret had made me constantly sick of the lies, the deceit, the whole of my life. He deserved better.
That one thing had been revealed to him, but the rest would have to stay hidden. I myself was still reeling with the notion of twins. A boy and a girl. The reality that taking care of two children mostly on my own while I attempted to finish school was something I had yet to evaluate… and would probably wait until the very last minute to do so.
When I got to class, I did my best to pay attention and was relieved when we were released to our work. It kept my mind off other things, such as my family, my living situation, the man I was bound to fall in love with.
While I was working on my laptop, a text came through on my screen.
Kai: I’m bored.
I rolled my eyes. What did he think it was going to be like coming to Tennessee? He must have expected me to chaperone him around the city and show him all the cool things. The reality was, if he was sticking around here during the next month, he was going to be very, very bored. My schedule was jam-packed. There wasn’t much room for going out, for having fun. Not anymore. I worked almost every day and had classes when I wasn’t working. Also, sleep had become essential to my existence.
Me: How sad. Maybe Ava wants to hang out?
Kai: Tried that. She’s busy. She screamed when I told her about the twins btw. We’re all coming to eat in your section tonight to bug you.
Me: Great.
Kai: I know you’re excited. You’re just good at hiding it. Also, my parents want to come this way and celebrate. Mom can’t believe you’re having twins.
Me: Great.
The news made my stomach hurt. My own parents probably would have loved the idea of it. Twins, another new thing to flaunt around their country clubs. I could just imagine the poor babies in matching clothes, being carted around by my mother, my dad making witty banter with his chums about the spectacle of it.
I squeezed my eyes shut, shoving all thoughts of them from my mind. Thinking about them was off-limits. But with the mood swings and the hormonal upheaval, I often couldn’t avoid it. Especially since in any normal life, it would have been something to share with my family, not hide from them like I was forced to.
Kai: I’m guessing you’re busy? Or is there some other reason you’re being rude?
I growled.
Me: Currently creating an algorithm to solve the values in a rectangular subset of a grid in constant time.
Kai: Ha. That one’s already been created, toots.
I laughed out loud. Everyone in the room looked my way, so I hid behind my computer. It was bad enough I was the pregnant loser who everyone knew slept around. My old acquaintances pitied me for getting knocked up. So I didn’t speak to any of them.
I had forgotten that Kai was probably more trained in that field than I was. Which would make for good conversation if I ever ran out of other things to talk to him about. But he was still a mystery to me. There was so much I’d never learned about him in all our witty banter and joking over the last year.
Me: What kind of car did you find yourself?
That seemed like an appropriate question. The type of car a guy drove usually said a lot about them… I assumed. I hadn’t been lying when I told him the relationship thing was new to me, because it was. I didn’t know what it entailed aside from sex. Which was something I would probably be avoiding for some time given my current situation.
Kai: A truck. Crew cab. Thought the size would be good for all of us to fit.
His answer almost made me laugh again, but the sweetness of it kept me from doing so.
Me: Hmmm. I pegged you
