Chapter 24 – Kylie
twenty-four
Kylie
The elevator doors open and I step out, a canvas bag around my shoulder with the bouquet of flowers I just bought at the farmers market wrapped in brown paper in my arms. I pull out my keys and walk into the apartment.
Walking straight to the kitchen, I put everything down on the counter before heading over to the living room and grabbing a vase from one of the hutches I have there.
I fill it with water and place the flowers in it when my phone rings from my bag.
I leave the vase with the flowers in the sink, walking over and drying my hands on my pants before opening the bag and seeing Knox is calling me. Again.
I look down wondering if I should answer. It’s the second time he’s called me, and I avoided it the first time. I’m going back and forth on whether to answer him when my finger decides for me. “Hello.” I put the phone on speaker before walking over and grabbing a hand towel.
“Kylie,” he says my name.
“She’s not here right now,” I try not to laugh, “but I can take your name and number and she’ll get back to you.”
He laughs. “Very funny.” I can’t help but smile as I pick up the vase and put it on the towel before placing it in the middle of the island. “I called you.”
“I know.” I lean onto the counter, looking down at the phone. “What is this, two thousand and five? No one calls anyone anymore. We text,” I inform him.
“How am I supposed to ask you to come over for dinner through text?” he asks and I stand up, looking down at the phone. Seeing the time tick by, my heart pounds in my chest. “Isn’t that like an informal invitation?”
“No,” I reply.
“No to dinner, or no to it’s not informal?” He chuckles and I can hear him moving in the background.
“I’m not sure,” I say, “I really haven’t—”
“Well, we were going to have tacos,” he tells me, “even though it’s not Tuesday, but it’s the option that won.”
I put the bottom of my foot on top of my other one. “We?”
“I have the kids, and I was thinking you would like to come over and have dinner with us.”
“I…” I start to say, “I don’t really--”
“Kylie,” he says my name and I close my eyes.
I’ve been thinking about him nonstop since I opened my eyes yesterday.
I went out of my way to keep myself busy by going to not one but two Pilates classes, something that is going to hurt tomorrow.
Then I decided to go to the farmers market.
On a Sunday. A Sunday when there are so many people it’s hard to even walk, but I did it.
“It’s just dinner.” The thought of having dinner with him and his kids scares the shit out of me.
“We are even having nachos,” he says in a whisper.
“Well, are they loaded nachos or just chips and salsa with queso?”
“Loaded.”
“Well, how can one say no to loaded nachos?” I close my eyes. I can’t even believe I’m actually saying yes to this.
“Perfect, I’ll send you my address.” I look over and see it’s just after four.
“What time do you eat?” I ask him, looking down at my yoga outfit.
“Usually between five thirty and six, but you can come over whenever you want. Now is good.”
“I just got home,” I tell him. “I have to shower and then I’ll come.” I pick up the phone and head to the bedroom with it. “And I have to pick up dessert.”
“You don’t have to pick up dessert.”
“I’m not coming empty-handed,” I inform him as I turn on the shower. “That’s nonnegotiable.”
“Fine, then come whenever,” he states. “See you soon.” He hangs up and I look down at the phone. Everything in me is telling me to text him an excuse to get out of it. And I mean everything. Every fiber in me is telling me this is a bad idea.
“It’ll be fine,” I tell myself as I step out of the shower.
I walk back to my phone and press the address he sent me and my maps open up, showing me it’s a twenty-minute drive.
I head to the closet, rushing as I slip into a pair of light-washed jeans that are loose and then slip on a white bra and a white high-neck sleeveless tank top.
It falls just above the waist of the jeans.
I slip on a white long-sleeved button-down shirt with blue stripes.
I roll the cuffs up to the middle of my arms. I brush my hair and tuck it behind my ear, the curls still there from Friday, and I put on a pair of sneakers before rushing out of the house.
I stop at the small bakery near my house, opting to bring cinnamon buns instead of cupcakes. I second-guess the decision the whole way to his house.
I pull up to the address and take a second, holding onto the steering wheel, my stomach feeling like it’s going to come out of my throat.
I see his SUV parked in the driveway as I take in his house.
It’s a house I can totally see him in. Modern yet sleek.
The front door is brown with eight windows and it’s surrounded by more windows on the side of the door as well as all the way to the roof.
I grab the bag from the passenger seat, picking up my phone, and tucking it into my back pocket.
I nervously walk up the paved driveway to the front door and take a deep inhale before I press the doorbell.
I can see him walking to the door and I can’t help but smile when he opens it. He’s wearing a pair of black joggers with a black Warriors T-shirt. “Welcome,” he greets me, putting his hand out to the side and then moving to let me step in.
“Hi, am I late?” I ask him, not sure if I should go in for a side cheek kiss or a hug.
“You are right on time.” He closes the door behind me.
“I was just going to put the nachos in.” He looks down at me, both of us not sure what to do.
“You look very pretty,” he compliments softly.
My breathing comes in slowly. “But then when don’t you look pretty?
” I swallow down the lump. “Come in,” he says before turning to walk into the house.
I take a look around to see the ceiling in the foyer is open all the way up to the top of the house.
The room on the right is the formal living room with a baby grand piano in the corner, which is in front of what must be the formal dining room.
The staircase is very modern, all wood but open between.
I make my way into a hallway and then enter where I think they usually hang out.
The room opens again like it does at the entrance, making the family room light up in the natural light from the windows taking up the entire back of the house.
The massive U-shaped couch faces a television and fireplace.
“Guys, come and say hi to Kylie,” he urges, and I see the kids pop up from the couch, with Nora being the first one who comes over to me.
“Kylie,” she chirps my name with a huge smile, “we’re having tacos.” She’s looking at the white bag in my hand.
“I brought dessert.” I hold the bag up and she tries to peek inside of it. “It’s cinnamon rolls,” I whisper and her eyes go big.
“With frosting or without?” she asks and I don’t know if it’s a good answer or not.
“Both,” I answer and she nods her approval.
“Phew,” I say, wiping my forehead, “glad I passed the test.” I joke with her and look over to see Knox in the kitchen leaning back on the counter, watching us, his arms folded over his chest.
“Hey, Kylie,” Westley says to me, his eyes on his game and he doesn’t move from the couch.
Vincent is like his father and gets up, coming over to me. “Hey,” I say to him and hold up my hand for him to give me the high-five I taught him at the game.
“At the end,” he suggests, “we should open our hand like boom.”
“We can try it,” I say, repeating the special handshake and the boom makes it. “That’s even better.” He smirks like he knew this all along.
Nora goes back to the couch, following Vincent as he falls over the side of it and rolls back on.
I walk into the kitchen, putting the cinnamon rolls on the counter.
“Can I do anything?” I ask him as I walk around the island to stand next to him.
My hands itch to touch him, and my body shivers to have him touch me.
My eyes focus on him as if my life depends on it.
“It’s all good,” he assures me. “Can I get you anything to drink?” he asks and I shake my head.
“I’m good.” I look around, seeing a pan on the stove and hear the frying of meat.
“I just started the meat for the tacos,” he says and I nod. “I made a bit of meat for the nachos too. I hope that’s okay.”
“Hey, chips and cheese with meat,” I joke with him, “you already won.”
He chuckles. “What did you do today?” he asks me, walking over and stirring the beef.
“I went to two workout classes,” I tell him, and he looks over at me.
“Two?” His eyebrows go up.
“I had pent-up energy.” I wink and he chuckles, looking down into the pan. “Had to get rid of it.”
“That’s a good way.” He looks over at me. “I know another way.”
“Do you?” I ask and we are both flirting with each other, and I have to wonder if he’s as turned on as I am. “And what is that?”
“Better if I show you, after the kids go to bed.” I’m about to tell him that he’s dreaming if he thinks I’m going to have sex in his house with his kids, when Vincent asks.
“When is dinner ready?” He looks over at us. “I’m starving.”
“In a couple of minutes,” Knox replies. “Come and set the table, you guys.”
Vincent, Westley, and Nora all get up and come into the kitchen. “Where are we eating?” Westley asks.
“Can we eat in the dining room?” Nora asks and Knox nods his head.
“Sure.” He walks over and grabs the plates, putting them down.
“Let me help,” I offer and Nora is the one who speaks up.
“Okay, take those,” she points to the plates, “in there.” Her hand moves to the side where there is another hallway.