Chapter 8
Cayla
Iwoke up to an empty bed. The other side of the mattress was still warm, but Orion was gone. I yawned and stretched at the same time while grabbing my phone. His text was waiting for me to open it:
Went to pick up OJ. Be back soon.
That was about thirty minutes ago. I couldn’t remember how far Shenell’s apartment was because we had run errands before dropping OJ off last time.
But I knew it was close, which didn’t sit too well with me.
For their coparenting to be effective, I guess it was for the best. I took a deep breath, put on some suitable pajamas, and headed for the kitchen.
I had been moving around better, and I think the pain meds had everything to do with that.
However, I could help out around the house, so I started to.
Cooking had been my little way of making myself feel useful here.
I was trying to show him that I wasn’t just another woman passing through.
I laid out eggs, bacon, and pancake mix, humming low as I moved around his kitchen.
I made sure to pull this meal out in particular because the last time OJ was over, he told me that he loved my fluffy pancakes.
The front door opened, and in came Orion’s voice, deep and commanding.
“Slow down, lil man.”
Before I could even wipe my hands, OJ shot through the kitchen doorway. His smile was big, and his little sneakers were squeaking across the floor with every step. He ran right up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Caylaaa!” His laugh was pure joy as he squeezed me tight. “You feel like a big pillow.”
I froze for a second and then forced a chuckle while I ruffled his hair.
“Well, good morning to you, too.”
He pulled back just enough to look up at me, then blurted out without hesitation, “Cay Cay, I don’t think you fat and ugly like Mommy said.”
My heart stopped. The words were too sharp, too familiar, like they’d been waiting in the air for me to hear them.
Bitches always pulled the fat card when it came to me.
It’s like the word ugly was attached to the back end of the word fat.
My face card ate the fuck down, though. Still, once I put on the extra pounds, I heard both too damn often.
I blinked, opened my mouth, but nothing came out at first.
OJ just grinned while swinging his arms. “I think you’re pretty. And you smell good too.”
I felt like crouching down so we could be eye to eye to have a conversation like this, but the sudden throb in my calf forbade that. Instead, I pulled out a nearby chair so I could be closer to his level. All while fighting the sting in my chest.
“That wasn’t very kind of her to say,” I whispered, more to myself than him. Then, I managed a smile and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for saying I’m pretty.”
He beamed like he’d given me the world. Honestly, his compliment is what softened the blow of the statement he said just before. He smiled again before giving me another hug. That’s when Orion stepped into the kitchen with his keys still in his hand.
“You're already eating up all the hugs, huh?” he teased his son, but I caught the quick flick of his eyes at me. Like he knew OJ might’ve said too much.
I stood from my seat and turned back to the stove. While flipping the bacon, I hid the ache in my chest behind my smile. Orion’s heavy steps carried him into the kitchen. His presence filled the room the way it always did.
“You already got her wrapped around your finger?”
Orion chuckled while shaking his head at his son. Then his gaze landed on me, and for a second, it softened. I flipped the bacon onto a paper towel, pretending I didn’t feel his eyes tracing me.
“If you keep cooking breakfast like this every morning, Cayla,” he said before briefly pausing, “I’ma start getting used to it.”
I glanced at him, trying not to let the compliment show too much on my face. When his head tilted to the side, I instantly smirked.
“Don’t get spoiled.”
His lips curved into that slow, dangerous grin that always threw me off balance. That grin he likely wore right before being balls deep in my goodies. He rubbed the back of his neck and then spoke casually.
“Listen… this weekend, I’m throwing my moms a birthday party dinner. It’s a family thing, and I want you to come.”
The spatula froze in my hand. Family? Already? I turned toward him with my heartbeat stuttering.
“You sure?”
He shrugged like it was nothing, but his eyes locked on mine, steady and serious.
“Yeah, I’m sure. If I didn’t want you there, I wouldn’t have asked. You’ve been holding me down, Cay. My moms need to see that.”
OJ piped up from the table. He had the syrup and a fork in his hand. He was waiting for his plate of food.
“Yeah, come! Grandma’s gonna like you.”
Heat rushed to my face. I laughed it off, but inside, my nerves tangled with something warmer. With something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I slid the last pancake onto a plate and set it on the table. My voice was soft when I finally answered.
“Alright. I’ll come.”
Agreeing to be around his family had fixed a morning that I thought started off on the wrong foot. Orion gave me that look again, the one that made me feel seen, and for the first time in forever, I felt like maybe I belonged somewhere.
Agreeing to go to this dinner party with Orion had me on the fritz for the past couple of days.
I had him go to my place and bring a couple of dresses and shoes that could possibly be suitable for the event.
I wasn’t too sure how I would do in heels just yet, but I wanted to give it a try.
My hair was in flexi rods, and I was forming a light coat of sweat on my nose, trying to take out what I wanted to wear.
A couple of days ago, Orion brought down a standing fan from his room.
So, I hit the switch on it to try to cool my body temperature down while I got ready.
Wrapped in a towel with my makeup done, I stared down at the three dresses that were laid out across the made bed.
I couldn’t choose. More importantly, I didn’t know which shoes would go with it, and if I could even wear them.
“Shit,” I mumbled under my breath.
I wanted to wear whatever option made me look slimmer, so I grabbed the ice blue silk gown and then stepped into it.
I looked in the full-length mirror for a while, debating whether this was the option I wanted to go with.
A soft knock tapped against the bedroom door just as I was smoothing lotion into my arms.
“Cay,” Orion’s voice carried through, low and calm.
“Yeah?” I called back, my stomach knotting with nerves.
His mother’s birthday dinner was only a few hours away, and I’d already changed outfits twice, trying to find the right look.
The door eased open, and there he was, framed in the doorway with a sleek black box in his hand.
He stepped in with the faintest smirk tugging at his lips, looking so damn good in his all-black suit.
He rushed over to help me zip up the back of my dress before speaking.
“I got something for you.”
My brows lifted. “What’s that?”
He set the box on the bed and slid it toward me. “Open it.”
I hesitated, then lifted the lid. Nestled inside were the most delicate pair of heels I’d ever seen. He had great damn taste, and I smiled as the silver Rene Caovilla sandal heels shimmered under the light like they had been dusted with starlight. My breath caught in my chest.
“Orion…” I trailed off as my fingertips brushed the crystal straps, “these… these are crazy expensive.”
He leaned against the dresser, arms folded, watching me like he was trying to read every flicker of doubt across my face.
“You’re worth it.”
I glanced down at the shoes again, at how dainty they looked compared to me.
“I don’t know if I can even pull these off.”
He pushed off the dresser and came closer, tilting my chin up with his knuckle so I had no choice but to look at him.
“Stop playing. You're gonna walk in there tonight and shut it down. My moms is gonna see exactly why I brought you.”
“You always know what to say, huh?”
He smirked and then let a small smile creep onto his face before he spoke.
“Nah. I know the truth.”
He reached into his pocket, and his eyebrows furrowed at whatever was plastered across his phone.
“I gotta take this, beautiful,” he quickly said before exiting the room.
It was the look on his face as he stared at his phone that had me momentarily in my thoughts.
I could see in his eyes a hint of surprise and anger all wrapped in one.
I picked up one of the shoes out of the box and then put it up to my dress while looking in the mirror.
The sparkles went so well with the color of the gown.
That alone made this dress the perfect choice.
That, and because Orion had already zipped me up, and I’ll be damned if I asked him to unzip me just for me to try on a different dress.
After finishing my hair, touching up my makeup, adding accessories, and then sitting on the ottoman at the foot of the bed to put on these shoes, I was ready to go.
When Orion came back into the room to get me, his facial expression wasn’t the same as when he left.
Whoever had called him had blown his mood, but I could tell that he wasn’t trying to show me that.
“You ready, beautiful?”
“Yup…” I was messing with the clasp on my Pandora charm bracelet.
He walked over and helped me. I gave him a small smile to thank him once it was securely on my wrist.
“You’re so damn pretty.”
His bold eyes were staring intensely into mine, and I swear he had a brown girl blushing.
“Boy, stop giving me compliments before we don’t even make it to your mother’s party.”
I stood from the bench and had to brace myself. He reached out and grabbed my arm, which helped me balance.
“Let me grab you some slides or something because I don’t know if you're going to last all night in these heels.”