Inflame

Chapter 31

Lucy

I STRETCH as the sun shines through the window and realize I’m in bed alone. Glancing at my phone, I see that it’s after ten in the morning and jump out of bed so I can get ready for the day. It’s going to be a very informal baby shower with just my family and Kale’s, but I still want to look my best because, knowing Mom, there will be gobs of pictures taken.

When I finally emerge from the bedroom, I’m freshly showered with my blonde curls hanging loose down my back. I’ve been fortunate to have flawless skin throughout the pregnancy, and I keep it simple by adding bronzer to my cheeks and just a few swipes of mascara to my lashes, perfecting the look with a pale pink gloss.

Kale’s eyes widen when he sees me as I walk down the stairs. I’m wearing a charcoal-gray wrap dress with a V-neck to show off just how much pregnancy’s changed my now full breasts. The wrap sits just above my bump, effectively highlighting it, and even at eight months pregnant, I feel sexy. It took Charlie and me forever to find the perfect dress for the shower, but when Kale reaches me and pulls me into his arms, I know I picked the right one.

“You look absolutely breathtaking, baby,” he whispers in my ear. “And if we had more time, I’m be taking you back upstairs to unwrap you myself.”

I melt into his arms, about to tell him baby shower be damned, but I pull back when I hear a throat clearing behind us. Turning to see Ginger beaming at us, I give her a sheepish smile as I bury my face in the crook of Kale’s arm, causing him to laugh.

“Morning, Lucy. How are you feeling?” she asks.

When I turn back to her, she hands me a glass with a green liquid that I know must be her famous ginger-kale concoction. Taking a sip, I allow the cool liquid to run down my throat before answering.

“I’m still a little tired from the trip yesterday and my back’s killing me, but I’m no worse for wear. Just a few more weeks, right?” I say with more optimism than I’m feeling. Kale’s hand comes up to rub my back as he tries to soothe the soreness.

Ginger gives me a wink then smiles at her son. “It’ll all be worth it in the end, I promise. Once this one was born, I completely forgot all the mornings spent rushing to the toilet.”

Kale grimaces as I down the rest of the juice. “Okay, no more talk about pregnancy and bodily functions for the rest of the day. I want to enjoy this shower, not run away screaming.”

Patting his cheek, Ginger nods then takes the glass from me. “Can you two do me a favor?” she asks. “The twins are off picking up, umm, a package, and I’m still trying to get everything ready with Marcy. Do you mind running to the bakery to grab the cake? I ordered it specifically like you wanted but didn’t get a chance to pick it up this morning before everyone woke up.”

I look at Kale and shrug my shoulders, not minding getting out of the house for a while.

“Sure, Mom. Not a problem,” he tells her, and she hands him a piece of paper with all the information.

When we pass through the living room, Steve and Riss call out good mornings, and my sister is quick to cover whatever she’s wrapping. “No peeking, Lucy!” she exclaims, exasperation lacing her tone.

I’m thankful they’re here, even more thankful that Ginger opened up her home to them so they could spend the weekend with me and Kale.

“Okay, okay. I’m leaving. Just know if it’s any sort of crazy noisemaker, there will be payback one day.” Steve’s eyes widen with alarm, and I choke back my laughter. “You know, fifteen, twenty years from now.”

Shaking his head, Kale pulls me outside, and we settle in his car. He takes the scenic route, pointing out his old school and his favorite spot on the beach, and I enjoy the ride as the cool breeze whips through my hair.

When we pull up to the bakery, he leans in and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Be right back, babe,” he says and hops out of the car. I watch as he jogs into the store.

The cake must not be ready, because five minutes later, he still hasn’t returned to the car. The baby’s chosen this morning to be pushing onto my bladder, and if I don’t get to a bathroom soon, I’m going to have to change my dress.

I wait another minute or two until I can no longer stand it. Getting out of the car as gingerly as I can, I make my way inside the store, holding my belly and my bladder as I pray that there’s a bathroom inside.

Kale turns to look at me as the door chimes, and I barely notice the stern look on his face. “Bathroom?” I ask desperately, and the woman behind the register points to the back of the room. I let out a quick thank-you and sigh with relief when I find it empty.

Kale

“CAN I help you?” the person behind the register asks as the man in front of me moves away.

I’m looking down at my phone. Xavier just texted me that everyone’s at the house, and I don’t look up. “Yeah, order for Montgomery.”

As I look up, I hear a sharp intake of breath, which I echo when my eyes meet hers. Shaking my head, I can hardly believe my bad luck. Standing in front of me is Tara Jennings. I look out at the car and see Lucy fidgeting, and I’m more than anxious to pay and be on my way.

“Hey, Kale,” she says hesitantly.

Tapping my wallet on the counter, I motion to the register. “Let’s not do this, Tara. I just want to get my cake and get out of here.”

She gives me a scowl but turns to the shelf behind her and finds the box with my name on it. Setting it in front of me, she checks out the design, her eyes darting up to mine. “Who’s expecting?” she asks curiously, and when I glance back to the car again, her eyes follow mine. She nods in understanding and moves to ring up the cake.

Her eyes widen when the door chimes, and I turn to see who’s just entered. My worst nightmare is about to come true as I watch Lucy shuffle in, her eyes frantically searching mine. My heart sinks, knowing that the jig is up and I can’t keep her separated from my past, but instead, she asks for the bathroom and gives Tara a grateful look when she points her in the direction. She closes the door behind her, and I move to pay as quickly as I can.

“She’s beautiful, Kale,” Tara admits, but there’s something underlying in her voice that I don’t like.

“She’s the most breathtaking woman I’ve ever seen,” I counter, causing her to bristle.

“When are you due?”

Rolling my eyes, I hand over my card, ready for this to be over. “Tara, like I said, let’s not do this. We aren’t friends. We aren’t anything. And the last person I want to talk about this with is you.”

“Kale, don’t be like that. We were something once upon a time. Don’t act like we weren’t.”

I close my eyes, trying to control the fuming anger that’s beginning to build within me. The woman I love is less than fifteen feet away, and the last thing I want to do is reminisce with the girl who nearly destroyed me. The longer Tara takes to process the transaction, the more panicked I become. Suddenly, all the times Lucy asked me to open up replay in my mind and I’m cursing myself for being such a goddamn pussy and not taking her up on it.

Resting my palms against the counter, I look Tara directly in the eyes, mustering the most serious tone, trying to hide the desperation lacing my voice. “Look, whatever we had was a lifetime ago. Right now, my very pregnant girlfriend is right behind that closed door and she has no idea about you or any of our past together. The last thing I want to do right now is upset her, so can you please process the transaction so I can get the fuck out of here?”

My face drains as a wicked smile crosses her lips, and I know I just fucked up with that admission. Before I can remedy the situation, I hear the door behind me open up, and my heart begins racing. Steeling myself against the counter, I let out a deep breath as Lucy slides up beside me.

“Oh, Jesus, that was a close one. I’m not sure I would’ve made it if I weren’t wearing a dress. I swear, this little guy must think my bladder’s a trampoline because he sure is having fun pressing up against it at the most inopportune times.” Once she stops talking, she looks at Tara and gives her an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, first-time mom-to-be. I have a problem with my filter, especially when I forget I’m in public.”

“That’s okay. I have two of my own, so I know exactly how you feel. There’s no mercy when it comes to your baby and your bladder sometimes.” Tara’s eyes are on me as I look up, surprised at her admission. She raises her brow at me then looks back at Lucy, holding her hand out. “I’m Tara, by the way.”

Lucy grabs ahold of her hand for a shake at the same time that she rests her other one on her belly. “Lucy. Nice to meet you.” I watch as Tara’s eyes trail down to her belly, and I quickly sign the receipt and grab the cake, but it’s too late.

Tara turns towards me, cocking an eyebrow. “No ring? Kale, you surprise me. It only took you about three days to propose to me. Why the wait? You were all so eager for a wife and a baby. I’m shocked you haven’t already tried to lock her down.”

Lucy’s eyes dart back and forth between us, and she clears her throat. A tight smile crosses her face. “Apparently you two have a history I’m not privy to, but for your information, Tara, it’s 2014. A baby doesn’t equate marriage anymore. Where I come from, it’s perfectly acceptable to have a child out of wedlock.”

I go to take Lucy’s hand, but she holds it out of reach. Tara’s jaw sets as she looks at Lucy, and the tension between the two permeates the air. A smirk forms over Tara’s face.

“Maybe where you come from that’s true, but the Kale I knew would never have a child without making sure he’s going to be a permanent part of its life. I just find it odd that he hasn’t done that with you. I guess it’s just one of life’s little mysteries.”

Lucy visibly pales then collects herself and stands up straight, squaring her shoulders. In that instance, I realize that Mom was right. Lucy’s much stronger than I was giving her credit for, and I was a fucking fool for thinking she couldn’t handle it.

“It’s obvious you two have some sort of unfinished business. If you don’t mind, I’m going to wait in the car while you figure it out.” Without another word, she brushes past me, hurrying to the car.

“Oh, Kale, I hope I didn’t upset her,” Tara says in a fake sugary voice that sets me over the edge.

Leaning across the counter, I respond in a slow, deliberate fashion. “After being raised by a single mom with twin sisters, I never thought I’d ever say this, but what the hell. You’re a fucking cunt. You know that?” I pause as her eyes widen. “A fucking selfish, manipulative cunt, and while I may never forgive you for what you did, I’m happy as hell I didn’t get saddled down with you. The reason I proposed to you was because I thought I loved you, but I don’t see how I could’ve ever loved someone like you.

“That girl out there? She doesn’t need my fucking ring, and she’s certainly not getting it out of obligation. I know deep down in my fucking soul that I’m going to spend the rest of my life with her, whether she has a ring or not. When I do propose to her, and that’s a fucking when, not an if, it won’t be because she’s carrying my kid like I did with you. It’ll be because I can’t spend another fucking day with her not having my name. Because I can’t fucking breathe at the thought of a life without her. Because I love her so goddamn much that I won’t run the risk of someone as beautiful, as kindhearted, as loving, as absolutely fucking perfect for me slip through my fingers. And you know what, Tara? I already feel all those fucking things, but unlike you and me, I want to do it when she’s ready, not because fucking society and a pregnancy test prompt me to do it.”

My chest is heaving as I finish, and I know I should feel bad for my tirade, but I honestly don’t. It’s been brewing for ten years, and it feels fucking good to finally get it out. Tara’s looking down at the counter, avoiding my eyes. I grab the cake, ready to get the fuck out of here.

“Now if you don’t mind, I have a baby shower to salvage, a pregnant girlfriend to grovel to, and a mom and best friend that are going to say, ‘I told you so.’ Have a nice fucking life.”

As I stroll out of the cake shop, I resist the urge to call her a cunt again. Mom would be appalled, but I know Kaylie’d be cheering me on. When I get into the car, I hand the cake to Lucy and she takes it without even glancing down at it. I place my hand on the back of the headrest and try to get her to look at me.

“Baby…” I plead, but she just keeps looking out the window.

“Don’t, Kale. I’m not sure what the hell just happened, but I’m pretty good at putting two and two together. Can we not ruin what is supposed to be a happy day?”

I let out a deep sigh, and lean in to press a kiss against her hair. “That’s probably a good idea. I love you, Lucy,” I whisper against her, and her only response is a single tear the falls down her cheek, and my heart plummets, knowing that I’m the one who’s causing her to cry.

Lucy

I’M CLENCHING my fists together, taking in deep breaths as I wonder what in the hell just happened. When I came out of the bathroom, I could sense a weird vibe between Kale and the woman behind the cash register. She was staring at him with a strange expression, one that was an odd mixture of malice and affection. It made no sense, and I didn’t fail to notice the way Kale was gripping the counter tightly. His jaw was set and he looked annoyed, angry even, so when I walked up, I tried to lighten the mood.

That Tara woman’s words flow through my brain like an endless circular river of information as I try to piece it all together. Is this what Kale’s been keeping from me all along? And the shit Xavier mentioned he’d gone through? Is Tara what he meant? I’m overwhelmed as the puzzle pieces start to fit together in my mind, and for a brief moment, I begin to freak out.

“I have two myself.”

The thought that one of them might be Kale’s enters my mind, and I visibly begin to shake. Leaning my head back against the headrest, I close my eyes and try to calm my breathing as I push the thought out of my mind. There’s no way Kale would be an absent father.

The next worst-case scenario sets in, and as upset as I might be with him, my heart breaks at the thought that he should be father already but clearly isn’t. If I’m right, then Kale and Tara were engaged and expecting once upon a time, and now that they’re clearly not together and without a child, the thought that she miscarried sends a shiver of empathetic pain through my veins.

Suddenly, it all makes sense. The way he held me in fear the night after the first ultrasound, the guilt over not protecting Lily, the overprotectiveness when it comes to Sprout. Whatever happened with him and Tara, he’s been terrified of repeating, and the toll of it all begins to take hold. I don’t understand why he felt the need to keep this from me. After everything we’ve been through, why couldn’t he tell me? A million questions roll through my mind, and all I know is that I don’t have an answer to a single one because Kale didn’t trust me enough to let me into that part of his past.

Resting my hand protectively on my belly, I try to force all the doubts away, but it’s nearly impossible. Everything I was afraid of in the beginning of our relationship starts to turn around in my head again, and as much as I don’t want to consider the idea of my being an obligation, it’s pretty damn hard to push out of my mind.

As I glance back into the bakery, I notice Kale leaning in close to her, and I have to tear my eyes away. It’s clear to me that he still has pent-up issues in regards to her, and until they’re vanquished, I have no idea how we’re going to move forward.

It’s not long before Kale joins me in the car, and I can feel the tension rolling off him. I want to lean over and comfort him, to let him know that I’m here, but I force myself to sit still. I’ve told him that plenty of times, given him many chances to open up, and now that it’s been brought to the surface, I have no desire to discuss it. I don’t want him telling me the truth just because his ex decided to do it for him.

This is supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life, a celebration of the life we created together who’s not that far off from entering this world. The last thing I want to do is have this conversation in the car on the way to his mom’s house, so when he tries to talk to me, I put a stop to it. I’m so close to breaking down into sobs, but I bite the inside of my cheeks in an effort to keep the tears at bay. It’s a lost cause though, because when Kale leans in close and presses a soft kiss to my cheek with a promise of his love, I have nothing to say as a lone tear spills over onto my cheek.