Chapter 29-Ezra
Doesn’t this just take the cake.
“A fucking birthday cake. Son of a bitch,” I whisper to myself. I place a hand over my rapidly pounding heart as I stare into the mirror in Callie’s bedroom. Of all the things that might cause me to have a panic attack, I never would’ve guessed this. “What is wrong with you? Get a grip.”
I might’ve hurt Wyatt’s feelings. I need to go back out there and pretend I’m fine, thank him for the cake like a man he can count on and not some weakling with mommy issues.
But, I can’t. I’m shaking so badly I have to take a seat on the edge of Callie’s bed.
There’s a gentle knock before she pokes her head around the door. “Ezra?”
Glancing up, I try to put it into words for her but no words will come out. And, this beautiful, understanding woman doesn’t seem to need them. She knows. She gets me. She cares.
Callie walks over and wraps her arms around my shoulders. I immediately reciprocate by hugging her waist so tightly I’m scared I’ll steal her breath away but I can’t let her go. Don’t leave me, I think, desperately.
When I’m no longer on the verge of hyperventilating, she tips my head back and kisses my brow. “A bad one?” I nod. “Need a pleasant distraction?”
I release a shuddery breath. “That’s not what I need this time.”
“Tell me about it, baby.”
The simple command unlocks my mouth and all the pain buried deep in my chest. “I’ve not had a birthday cake since I turned thirteen. She baked a cake for my birthday and left four days later. I never understood why she would do that for me if she hated us.”
Callie strokes my cheek, her hazel eyes full of warmth and sympathy. “I don’t believe she hated you.”
“Then, why did she leave? If she didn’t love Dad anymore, okay. But what did Chase and I do? Was I supposed to wish that she would stay when I blew out the candles? Would that have changed things?”
Callie draws in a sharp breath like I just punched her. Her eyes close and tears slip out. Tears for me when I once accused her of crying crocodile tears over my brother like a heartless asshole. I love her so damn much and she deserves to know that but one thing at a time.
“Have you ever talked to anyone about this?”
I shake my head. “We don’t talk about it. He never wanted to talk about it. We played hockey twice as hard instead.”
“I think it’s time for that to change, don’t you? And, if he won’t talk to you, maybe you can find help elsewhere.”
“Yeah, maybe so. Callie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt Wyatt with my reaction.”
She runs her fingers through my hair, her nails lightly scraping my scalp and causing the most welcome tingles to scatter all the way down my spine and along my limbs. “You don’t have to worry about Wyatt. I told him Big Bird had to make an emergency bathroom visit. He’s five. He understands that.”
Laughter bubbles up from deep inside of me. She laughs with me, cupping my face. I hug her again, so grateful for them both.
“He’s waiting to have cake and open presents. He’s waiting for you. You feel up to joining us?”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t miss it. About the other night…”
“Which night? When we clapped cheeks on your sofa with your brother outside the door or when he showed up at my son’s hockey game?”
I sigh. “The second one. I swear I had no idea Chase was going to show up like that.”
Her warm expression tightens and she takes a step back. “I didn’t think you did. But, how did he know you were there?”
“He said he followed me. I’ll be more careful about that from now on.”
She nods, accepting my assurance.
My assurance is shot to shit less than two minutes later.
Wyatt has barely blown out his candles after the singing ends when an unexpected guest walks in - Chase.
“Hey, Callie. He pressed the buzzer and said he was family when you were in your room. I didn’t know you knew both Sokolov brothers,” some woman with a boy Wyatt’s age attached to her hip says, giggling as she smiles at me.
Oh shit.
Chase is staring at Wyatt, wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open. How the hell did he know to come here?
He notices us and stalks our way. “He’s mine, isn’t he? You kept it. The baby. You kept him. You hid my son from me.” I can’t tell if there’s more hurt or anger in his voice. His eyes are colder than I’ve ever seen them.
Callie’s speechless, looking for all the world like she’s the one on the verge of having a panic attack now. “Chase…”
“Ten thousand dollars. You agreed. If you changed your mind, you should’ve told me.”
Take him out of here, I pray, staring at Waela and silently willing her to shield Wyatt from this. But, Waela is staring at the Sokolov who broke her daughter’s heart and she looks more ready to take my brother out. Permanently.
“You-you-you didn’t want him,” Callie stammers, terror and guilt written all over her face.
“Only because I was thinking of you and your future.”
She lifts her chin, anger sparking in those pretty eyes. “Me? When did you really think of me, Chase? When you were getting busy with that other girl right after we… You told me you loved me. You made me fall in love with you and then you…”
“Jesus, Callie! I screwed up, alright? But this?! You took my money but didn’t tell me about my son!” my brother roars.
All the party noise has died. Adults and children are staring at this horrible scene unfolding, including Wyatt. I wedge myself between Callie and Chase, protecting her from the rage he struggles to control.
“I’ll give you the money back but you can’t just walk into our lives like this, Chase.”
“The hell, I can’t. A father has rights, Callie.”
Waela storms toward us, still holding the lighter for the birthday candles. “You! Get out! Get out of my daughter’s home. You are not-”
But, Chase ignores her as his fury shifts to me. “You knew, Ezra! You knew about this and you’ve been covering it up for her! Why? Just so you could fuck her?”
There are gasps from our audience. Fantastic. This is not a suitable conversation for a kid’s birthday party. “Chase, we need to talk but not here,” I urge, putting my hand on his shoulder. He shakes me off.
“Don’t touch me, Ezra. Don’t coddle me, you goddamn liar. You wanted my girl and now you want my kid, is that it?”
“Mama, who’s this man? He sounds mad. Do we know him?”
My heart sinks. Wyatt has silently joined us.
Callie grabs her child, holding him tightly and shaking worse than I was earlier. “He’s someone who needs to leave. This isn’t the place or time to-”
“I’m your daddy, little man. That’s who I am,” Chase announces, cutting Callie off while giving her a cruel smile.
“Get out!” Waela screams before turning on me. “And, you go with him!”
“Waela, please...”
“No, Ezra. You go, too. He’s here because you’re here. It’s your fault. Now, get out!”
“Grammy, no! My wish! It’s my birthday and my daddy was going to come home,” Wyatt whimpers, trying to escape his mother’s arms but Callie still has a death grip on him.
Charlie comes over on his crutches, looking more than ready to beat us both to death with them if we don’t leave his wife, step-daughter and grandchild be.
Callie gives me a pained look and whispers, “Please, make him go, Ezra. Both of you need to leave or… or I’ll call someone to make you.”
“You can’t keep me from my son, Callie!”
But, that’s exactly what she wanted from the start and it’s my fault he even knows. It’s my fault Wyatt’s birthday party is a disaster. Because I couldn’t resist her, couldn’t let her walk out of my life again.
I grab my brother and fling him out the door. I turn in time to see it crashing closed behind us. When I turn back toward Chase, his fist is already flying. Sucker punch right to the jaw. I deserve it for ever thinking I deserved them.
The anguished sobbing of a child reaches me through the closed door and my heart shatters into a million pieces.