25. Kennedy
Chapter 25
Kennedy
C harlie and Charlotte were both fast asleep when someone knocked on the door. I slowly extracted myself from the sofa, padding over to the entrance. I had a good idea who would be standing there. We had only been home an hour or two, but we were both exhausted after demolishing the takeout.
Assuming it was Eli, I pulled the door open.
There, in my doorway, with a face full of sorrow, was Storm. His right eye was starting to discolor, and his lip was swollen.
“Hello, Charlie.” I smiled sarcastically.
Storm barked out a laugh. “I deserve that.”
“You deserve a lot more than that,” I said pointedly. “What happened to your face? That’s quite the shiner. I thought Eli went for your nose.”
“Eli happened. I don't think I've ever seen that alpha throw a punch, so imagine my surprise when I learned he hits harder than any of our pack.”
I couldn’t stop the smile spreading across my face. “That’s what you get for being a manwhore. You know, if I was that bad in bed, you could have just said so.”
Storm’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Not at all! I was an ass. I was used to girls getting clingy, and I thought only with my dick and beer goggles. I wasn’t ready for commitment, and I was scared shitless.”
“Well, we find ourselves in a really fucked-up situation. Don’t we?”
“I…” He scratched at his cheek, appearing conflicted. “Can I see her?”
I stilled, my hand against the doorframe.
This moment had been running through my head ever since I’d realized Storm was Charlotte’s father. While I didn't approve of what he had done, and I thought he was a bit of a dickhead for it, I could kind of understand his logic.
Don't get me wrong—it was stupid fuckboy logic, but I could understand how it seemed logical to him. I didn’t want to forgive him for it. In fact, I wanted to slam the door in his face, but this wasn’t about me.
I was a mother, and Charlotte’s needs came before mine.
“I don’t want to withhold our daughter from you, Storm. I want to give you a fair chance, but I need you to understand that, if you fuck around when it comes to our child like you fucked around with me, I will not hesitate to put your body in a very shallow ditch, where no one will find it, except the bugs and the wildlife.”
Storm’s eye widened. The one that was swollen didn’t budge. “I think that's fair.” He nodded.
“I'm not a particularly angry person, and I don't hold grudges, but I will do unspeakable things to protect my child.”
He sighed. “So, she managed to get an idiot for her father, but she got a spectacular mother.”
“I would hardly call myself spectacular. We've just been struggling through.”
“Look at me, Kennedy. I promise you I am not going anywhere. I love kids. I helped my twin sister a ton when she was pregnant. The fact that I missed those early months with our daughter…?” His eyes started to fill with tears. “I'm going to hate myself for a very long time.”
“I want to believe you. The only way to know for sure is to let you have a chance.” I stood back, waving him in. “Come in. She’s asleep, but you can see her.”
Storm’s face broke into a grateful smile. Despite the bruising on his face, he was still the handsome alpha that I had been enamored with that night at the club.
“Is Charlie still here?” he asked, taking a few tentative steps into the apartment.
“He's fast asleep on the couch. I told him he could go home, but he didn't want to leave me alone.”
“You're never going to be alone again,” Storm assured me.
Ignoring how those words made my chest tighten with worry and hope, I led him to my bedroom. Charlotte’s cot, where we had moved her after the food arrived, was in the corner of the room. As adorable as she’d been asleep in Charlie’s arms, I wasn’t going to deprive the alpha of the ability to eat.
“Is she usually sleeping around this time?” Storm asked in a hushed whisper.
I looked at the small alarm clock on my bedside table, the numbers flashing five o’clock p.m.
“No.” I shook my head, whispering as well to avoid disturbing Char. “She missed her afternoon nap with all the commotion, so once we settled down, she conked out. I'm sure I'll pay for it later, when she refuses to sleep overnight, but I didn't have it in me to disturb her.”
“She’s so beautiful,” Storm said reverently as he gazed into the crib. Charlotte was fast asleep on her back, her arms splayed wide.
“She may look cute now, but she sleeps in some weird positions. I'll show you the photos.”
“Do… Do you have photos from when she was born?”
“I do.”
“I would love to see them. That is, if you don't mind. I feel like I've missed out on so much, and I want to know everything.”
A small part of me did feel bad for him. Despite all the stress and suffering having a child so young had caused me, I wouldn't have changed it for the world. Charlotte was my everything, and Storm really had missed out on a lot by not being there with her. The joy of watching her sit up and interact with the world for the first time was downright euphoric. She was starting to move around, like she would be crawling any day.
“I've got some photo albums I can show you,” I told him.
He gazed down at our daughter, his face full of wonder. “I can’t believe I helped make her… She’s beautiful. She’s all you, Kennedy.”
Even though I had dark hair, her brunette curls were all her fathers.
“I want you to know, Storm, that I'm never going to keep your daughter away from you. You're welcome to come here whenever you want. I'm not exactly going to trust you to be alone with her anytime soon, but as long as I’m here, you’re welcome to come by and spend time with her.”
“I will. I promise. The last thing I want to do is overwhelm you, but I want to spend every possible minute with her.”
“I'm sure I'll be spending a bit of time at the pack house as well. I can bring her with me.”
Storm looked at me, a small, rueful smile on his face. “As far as surprises go, she is pretty amazing.” He looked back at Charlotte. “Do you have plenty of support? Actually, what the hell am I saying? I haven't been around. So, you haven't had anywhere near the support you’re meant to have…”
“I'm not going to lie—it hasn't been easy. Unfortunately, most other omegas I know, who have children, have packs, and I just can't really relate to their lives. Still, I don't have a single regret. I've got a few months left of my master’s, and then I will be able to provide for us.”
“Are you working, as well as studying?” he asked with a frown.
I shook my head. “I worked up until a few months before Charlotte was born, and since then, we've been surviving off scholarships and my meager savings. Now that she's getting a little older, I'm probably going to have to look at getting a part-time job to help make ends meet.”
“Let's pray that she's got your brain, then, because you’re clearly a lot smarter than me. Also, if you want, I can give you my twin sister’s number. I’m sure she would love to get to know you. She’s also an omega, a single mother, and her son isn’t much older than Char. She knows a lot more than me about raising a baby. Don't get me wrong, I intend to learn, but I am under no illusions that I'm going to learn particularly fast. So, in the meantime, I want you to be able to reach out to someone who is competent.”
My eyebrows rose in disbelief. “Actually, I would really appreciate that. It’s been a struggle finding friends with children.”
Not that I had tried particularly hard. Most friendships required time and effort, which I was shockingly low on. With looking after Charlotte and studying, I barely had time to look after my basic needs, let alone attempt to make friends. I was so thankful for Beth, because she didn’t give a damn that I was a mother. From the sounds of it, though, Storm’s twin would understand what I was going through.
“Also, forget about getting a part-time job. I’ve got some savings that I’ll transfer to you immediately.”
“Storm, I can’t let you?—”
“Please.” He cut me off, turning to me with a pleading look. “I should have been supporting you from the start. If I had been around to financially help you, you probably would have been in the pack house or in a better place. Not that I'm judging you in any way, because clearly, you have done phenomenally. I want to help because I should. She’s my daughter, and you’ve had to shoulder the burden for far too long.”
I watched him for a long second as he held my gaze. His eyes were desperate, pleading.
“Okay, I would appreciate that.” Storm turned back to Charlotte, a wistful look on his face. “Once you've showered the stench of blood and puck bunny off you, and she wakes up, you're more than welcome to hold her.”
Storm’s head whipped in my direction as he gave me a scared look. “I’m not sure I should hold her. She's so tiny, fragile. What if I hold her wrong?”
“She's not made of glass, and we can always do it with you sitting on the sofa for the first few times, until you get used to it. Didn’t you say you have a nephew?”
“I do… but he’s a boy, who has a general death wish and likes to jump off every surface he finds. He’s kind of hard to damage. Girls are so much smaller! You're being so fucking nice to me when I don't deserve it.”
I shrugged. “I don't think you're completely hopeless yet.”
Storm decided to go home to shower. He had been in such a rush to talk to me, he hadn’t even thought about the smell. As we walked out of the bedroom, Charlie was awake and sitting up, his hair sticking up in all directions.
“Dude, have you seen how cute your baby is… Oh, fuck, Eli got you good.” He laughed.
“Yeah, yeah, I deserved it.” Storm waved him off. “I’m going home to shower, then I’ll come back this evening. You staying?”
“I don’t see the point of going anywhere.” Charlie shrugged, throwing his arms over the back of the sofa in a casual gesture.
“Okay, I’ll see you later,” Storm said before turning to me. “Thank you,” he whispered, pulling me into a hug.
I relaxed into him, even though I probably shouldn’t have. I needed to keep my guard up, but his scent was painfully familiar, under all those unsavory ones.
After he left, Charlie busied himself tidying up the kitchen while insisting that I stay on the sofa and put my feet up. Pulling out my phone, I found my text thread with Eli.
Eli:
Are you okay?
If Storm upsets you more, I will hurt him.
I’m coming over. I’m worried about you.
The last text was sent only two minutes ago. Instead of texting back, I hit the call button.
“Killer,” he answered on the first ring.
“Hey,” I greeted warmly. “I'm happy to hear your voice.”
“Is Storm there?”
“He just left. You did some pretty impressive work to his face.”
Eli chuckled. “Don't tell him, but I'm pretty sure I fractured my hand from hitting his fat skull. It was worth it, though. How are you feeling, Kennedy?”
I took a deep breath, straightening the blanket on my lap for the third time. “I'm not really sure. So much has happened in a short period of time.”
“Storm… I'm not going to make any excuses for him.”
“He’s your pack mate, he’s your family.”
“Family can still be idiots.”
“I’m not going to deny that.”
“How’s your morning sickness? I’m worried about you being stressed out while pregnant. It’s the only reason I didn’t hurry down there immediately. I know you and Storm needed to talk, and having both of us in your apartment is probably going to be overwhelming.”
“Thank you. I know that must've been really difficult for you. I appreciate it.”
“I want you to know, this changes nothing between us. I'm still all in when it comes to you.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “Because this feels like a big deal.”
Eli sighed, and I could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose. “It is and it isn't. In some ways, if Storm wasn't such an ass, this would be amazing. Kennedy, you’re part of our family now. The good and the bad.”
“I’ve never really had a family before,” I admitted. “At least, not one that paid any attention to me.”
“Well, that changed the moment I saw you at the library. You blew me away then and have continued to do so since.”
Tears gathered in my eyes, and I resisted the urge to ugly sob. I didn't know if I should vocalize my worries to Eli, or if I would just be piling a load of my stress on him.
“Do you mean that?” I asked. “Because, if I'm honest, part of me feels like the only reason all you guys are on board is because of the babies…not me.”
Eli was quiet for a moment. “I’m coming over.”
“Wait—what?” I said, but he had already hung up.
Staring at my phone, I tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Two minutes later, there was a knock on my front door. Frowning to myself, I got up, throwing the blanket off my legs and padding over to the doorway. Surely, Storm hadn't had time to go home and shower, get dry, and come back? Eli definitely wouldn’t have had time to get here.
The door swung open, revealing a very grumpy-looking Eli.
“Hey, what?—”
Eli gently grabbed my face, pushing us back into the apartment. “Clearly, I have fucking failed you, Kennedy, if you do not understand that I am obsessed with you. I need to say this to your face—I am pretty sure I am in love with you. The only reason I haven't been shouting it from the rooftops is because I wanted you to take time to adjust. Don't, for one second, think that the only reason I'm in this is because of the babies. They are amazing bonuses, but they aren't you.” His tone was firm, resolved as he looked me dead in the eye.
My brain short-circuited. What could I say in response to that? My heart was pounding so violently, I was sure Eli could see it through my sweater.
He loved me.
Me.
“Oh,” I said lamely.
Eli’s face broke out into a grin. “Oh, indeed, killer,” he said before leaning down to kiss me.
When we broke apart, his eyes went to something behind me. Turning, I saw Charlie standing in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against the frame, a dish towel slung over his shoulder.
“He's been obsessed with you since your first date. I’m starting to think you're a bit oblivious, Kennedy. Never fear, that's what we're here for. Now, you haven’t eaten in over an hour and could use a snack. Any cravings?”
“Uh…apples and almond butter?” I was too dazed to even think before speaking.
“Coming right up!” Charlie declared before turning his gaze to Eli. “I was wondering when you would turn up.”
“I couldn't stay away,” Eli admitted. “I drove over here almost an hour ago, and I've been sitting outside, waiting.”
Charlie frowned but laughed. “That’s not exactly giving her space.”
Eli shrugged. “It’s the best I could do. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm kind of obsessed with her.”