Exposed - Chapter 5
Saturday
Matt
“What on earth?” Tanner laughed. “Kidnap a child? That’s ridiculous. No. What an absurd conclusion to jump to. This is Young Jacob of course.”
I wanted to laugh too. But I had no idea who Young Jacob was. And I was pretty sure Tanner had definitely done something illegal. Like drugged this boy and brought him to his house. “Tanner…”
“Jacob has come with me willingly. Haven’t you, little man?” Tanner looked down at the boy and then back up at me. “Jacob nodded consent. You just couldn’t see it because he’s hiding. So we’re all good.”
Nothing about this was all good. I walked around Tanner and crouched down. “Hey,” I said.
The boy pulled on Tanner’s pant leg as he tried to get away from me.
Tanner picked him up. “Matt, stop scaring the child.”
Me? I tried to get on eye level with the boy, but his hat dipped down again. “Hey, Jacob. Do you know this man?”
“Sí.”
Did he only speak Spanish? I didn’t know enough Spanish to ask him what I needed to. “How do you know him?”
He didn’t respond.
Maybe I should call Kennedy or Mrs. Alcaraz? “Jacob, do you understand me? Do you know this man?”
“Yessie. Tanner is my abuelo.” He hugged Tanner’s side tighter.
I looked back up at Tanner. Um…what? That wasn’t possible. Tanner was too young to have a grandchild. Maybe a kid this age. But definitely not a grandson this age. “I don’t think that’s right.”
“You heard the boy,” Tanner said. “This is my grandson, Jacob. And Jacob, there’s no reason to be scared of my friend. Remember the game we were just at? He was the coach. You saw him on the field.”
“Of the football team?” Jacob said up to Tanner.
“Yes, the Empire High football team.”
Jacob turned to me and pushed up his hat. “Hiya, Coach.”
I smiled. Well, that was adorable. “It’s nice to meet you, Jacob.”
“Can we play football?”
“Um…sure. I need a word with Tanner real quick, though.”
“My abuelo?”
“Yes. Your abuelo.”
“Down,” Jacob said after he started wiggling and Tanner didn’t immediately set him down.
“Sorry, little man. Still getting used to your demands.” Tanner set Jacob down on the ground and turned to me. “Children, am I right? You needed a sidebar?”
“What is happening right now?”
“I’m hanging out with my grandson.”
“We both know you’re not old enough to have a grandson.”
Tanner laughed. “Sure. Was there anything else? Because I’m really scared he’s going to start crying and I won’t know what to do with him if he cries.”
“Luckily I’m great with kids. If Jacob starts crying, I’ll be able to handle it.”
“I know. It’s all so wonderful, don’t you think?” Tanner clapped me on the back. “You’ve had so much practice with all your friends’ kids. You’ll be great with Jacob too.”
“I don’t want any part of this kidnapping scheme.”
“Get off it, old chap.”
What? I had no idea what was going on with that cute kid. But that could wait. “Tanner, did you plan that homecoming float fiasco?”
“Fiasco? I think that was an A+ grand gesture in my book. Everything is going exactly according to plan, Matt.”
I knew it was you. “What the heck? You knew Brooklyn was alive and didn’t tell me? And then you played that song…for…what purpose?”
“Because grand gestures bring lovers together.”
I shook my head. “Not even a little.”
He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I saw her come out of the school. If you ask me, it looked like it went very well. High-five, my man.” He lifted his hand.
I was going to kill him. “Is that why you said Kennedy and I weren’t a good match? Because you knew Brooklyn was back in town?”
“No, I hadn’t run into Brooklyn yet. I knew about your lackluster match because I checked my…” He coughed. “Thingamagig. Unrelated events. I knew that because you hooked up with Kennedy and I checked thingamagigs.”
“Great. So I fucked Brooklyn in the auditorium. Are we a good match? Spoiler alert, Tanner. We’re not because she’s married.”
“I’m sure it was more of a love-making sort of deal.
And honestly, it’s a tricky situation. I can only give you my best advice.
No checking anything. Because technically the two of you hooked up in high school.
Way before I met her. So I’ll never be certain for sure. But I feel pretty good about this.”
“She’s married, Tanner.”
“Hmm,” Tanner said. “Interesting. Did you not speak with her before you made love? You really should speak with her. It’s been years. But trust me, I have this all sorted out.”
“I don’t trust you at all.”
“Well you should. Whenever you put your love life in the hands of someone, said person needs your undivided trust. And I promise everything is working out according to plan. Nigel and I have it all under control. We’ve been planning it for days, and usually our plans only take a few minutes.”
What? Nigel had just yelled at all my friends about keeping Brooklyn a secret. There was no way. I turned to Nigel.
Nigel pressed his back against the wall like he was trying to blend into it. But his orange lederhosen made that impossible.
“What the hell, Nigel?”
“Enough with the vile language,” Tanner said. “My grandson is very impressionable.”
“Nigel, you knew?”
He stayed pressed against the wall and didn’t even blink.
I walked over to him, grabbed him by his orange leather straps and pulled him off the wall. “Talk.”
“I didn’t want to,” Nigel said. “Master made me. I like Kennedy. Very much so. I think you two are very suitable. But it’s not my specialty. I just like to serve. If you need to punish me, I understand.” He turned around, waiting for me to spank him.
“Stop presenting your butt to me.”
“It might make you feel better,” Nigel said.
Good Lord. I looked up at the ceiling. “Why are you both hellbent on ruining my life?”
“We’re not,” Nigel said. “We’re trying to make it better. The best. Only the best for our best friend.”
Were they really trying to make my life better? Because it didn’t feel that way right now. “Well, Kennedy and I broke up.”
Nigel gasped. “Why?”
I looked at Tanner. “Because I wasn’t in love with her.”
Tanner nodded. “And because you’re still in love with Brooklyn. What are you doing here, Matt? You need to go talk to her.”
“I don’t even know where she is. I…” my voice trailed off. “I said some pretty terrible things to her and walked away.”
“Well, it seems like you both owe each other an apology.” Tanner pulled out a slip of paper from his pocket. “That’s her number. Go get your girl back. You can thank me later.”
I looked down at Brooklyn’s cell number.
How was she alive?
I’d looked for her for so long.
I’d held out so much hope.
How?
Tanner sighed. “I can see all those questions floating around in your head. Go to her, ” he said in a very commanding way.
“I’m not sure I’m ready.”
“You’ve had 16 years to get ready.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I had 16 years to mourn her. I never thought I’d see her again.”
“ Go to her, ” he said again.
“Or go to Kennedy,” Nigel said.
“Nigel!” Tanner said. “Seriously, stop it. Go back to the wall.”
Nigel just stared at him.
“To. The. Wall.”
“No,” Nigel said. He stuck his lower lip out.
“What are you doing?” Tanner asked. “Put that away.”
“No.” He stuck his lip our even further.
“Why are you doing that with your face?”
“I’m used to being the most adorable little boy in the room and I’m feeling very threatened right now.” Nigel pointed to Jacob.
“You’re jealous of my grandson?” Tanner asked.
Nigel nodded.
“Well, we can get you a grandson too, I’m sure. If that’ll make you feel better, Nigel.”
“I can have a child too?” Nigel looked so excited.
“No,” I said. “You can’t just get another kid. Where did you even get this first one?”
“He claimed me if anything,” Tanner said. “He asked for it.”
“That’s not how that works. Who are his parents?”
“Ah, I’m so glad you asked. I figured you might, so I asked him that exact question earlier. And his response is very cute. You’ll enjoy it. Young Jacob!” Tanner called.
The naked little boy ran back over. “Yessie?”
“Who’s your mom?”
“Mommy.”
“But what’s her name?”
“My mommy’s name is Mommy.”
“Precisely.” Tanner smiled at me. “There you go.”
I had no idea what that proved.
“Don’t let me and my grandson distract you. You have things you need to go do. Romantic things. Go to her. ”
“While I order myself a grandson,” Nigel said.
I opened my mouth and closed it again. I was so lost. But there was no way Nigel could order a child. He barely knew how to use the internet. And I was pretty sure it seemed more like he wanted to be the child? He said he was jealous of Young Jacob. I mean Jacob.
I needed to get out of this house and clear my head. I put Brooklyn’s number in my pocket. I just needed a second alone to figure out what to do.
And I knew where I always did my best thinking. Talking to her. The old her. The one I knew.