Chapter 4 - Kayla #2
As we walk through the mansion, Kelsey holds my hand, and Kira skips ahead, asking questions about everything.
The place is insane. It’s massive. It’s luxurious.
It’s covered in security. I want to ask him why he needs so many security guards, but I don’t want to sound ignorant.
I imagine a man as rich as him must get kidnapping threats.
Something along those lines. But I realize something I never knew about him before—he’s not just rich.
He’s the type of rich that even my analytical mind can’t seem to comprehend.
“I’ve put them both in the same room. But if they would prefer, they can each have their own?” he asks quietly, walking close to me.
“They would be better sharing a room, thank you.”
“Monsters under the bed?” he whispers, grinning. My heart stutters when I see that grin. It shouldn’t, but it does. And I hate that it does.
I nod. “Exactly. And this is all daunting and new for them. I’d rather keep it as smooth and safe as possible and give them plenty of time to adjust in their own way,” I say, trying to emphasize the idea that he shouldn’t spring any wild revelations on them.
“Their room is right next to yours,” he informs me, pushing open the door to the girls' bedroom.
The room is bigger than the apartment we just moved out of, and he’s taken the time to set it up especially for them. The shelves are stuffed full of toys and games. Their beds are done up in pink and blue with mermaid bedding. There are fairy lights hanging around the four-poster columns.
Kira screams in delight and runs over the shaggy purple floor, leaps onto her bed, and immediately starts jumping up and down.
“Kira,” I scold her. “We don’t jump on the bed, sweetheart.”
“This really is a castle!” she yelps in excitement.
Kelsey pulls her mouth tight.
I gently push her towards her bed. “Do you want to go and see?”
“It’s purple,” she whispers.
“I know, sweetie, but you…”
“You don’t like purple?” Josiah interrupts.
Kelsey presses her lips together and shakes her head.
“She'll get used to it,” I try to say.
“No, absolutely not. She should have exactly what she wants. What do you like, Kelsey?” he asks.
“Space,” she says.
“Space?” he knits his brows and looks at me.
I sigh softly and nudge her. “Tell Josiah what you like, Kels,” I encourage her.
“Space with stars and planets and…” she pauses, searching for the word.
“Galaxies,” I help her.
Josiah smiles, “Then that is what you shall have,” he declares. “In the meantime, you two explore the room. I am going to show your mom to her room…it’s right next door. Are you going to be okay in here?” he asks.
“Yes!” Kira shouts.
“Yes,” Kelsey nods shyly.
He reaches out and touches Kelsey’s shoulder. “Before you go to bed tonight, you will be smiling, I promise. Your first night here won’t be ruined with pink bedding,” he winks at her, enticing a smile from her.
“Thank you,” she whispers quietly.
“Kelsey, look!” Kira yelps, pulling toys from the shelves.
Josiah places his hand on my lower back to steer me from the room. I quickly step away from his touch as currents of electricity shoot up my spine and spread through my body.
He doesn’t seem to notice that I blatantly tried to dodge him, or he’s pretending not to care.
My bedroom is as big as the twins' room. It has elements of Japanese design, with silk bedding that has pearl-colored dragons embroidered into the fabric. There are white orchids and a Chinese Elm bonsai on the dressing table. The place is exquisite.
“I remember how fond you are of those,” he says quietly as I gently touch the leaves of the bonsai. “And the orchids,” he adds.
I bite my lower lip, not wanting to thank him. Why should I show gratitude when I’ve practically been taken prisoner?
“Dinner is at six,” he says firmly.
I nod without turning to look at him, because I feel like I’m about to cry, and I would hate for him to see that.
I hear him walk away. His footsteps fade down the hallway.
From the next room, I hear the girls giggling and playing.
Is this really real? I ask myself for the tenth time today.
***
I wish I could skip dinner, but I’m not going to poke the bear that is Josiah. The longer I can keep him playing nice in this weird situation, the better things will be.
The girls run past me to the dining room, having already explored most of this wing of the mansion. “Girls, don’t run in the house,” I call after them.
“It’s okay. This is their home. They can run, cartwheel, climb the walls…” he says, arriving behind me and making me jump.
“Oh, my word, Josiah, don’t sneak up on me like that,” I huff.
“I was hardly sneaking,” he muses.
I throw him a cold glare, then remind myself to play nice and quickly fix my face.
He steps aside to let me walk into the dining room first. Then, to my surprise, he follows me and pulls my chair out for me.
I sit down, clearing my throat awkwardly.
“Mac and cheese!” Kira declares happily.
“And chicken nuggets!” Kelsey adds.
“How did you know?” I ask quietly.
“I went to speak with Stella and…”
“Did you…” I stammer in shock, wondering if he told her the truth.
“I had the chef make a note of all of their favorite foods,” he interrupts me.
I nod quickly, nervously fidgeting with my napkin.
“So, girls,” he asks once the dinner is dished up and everyone is happily eating. “Do you like Chicago?”
“Oh yes, we went to the park, and there were ducks and swirls,” Kira says, still chewing.
“Swirls? What is that?” he asks, grinning at her.
“Squirrels,” Kelsey answers for her sister. Kira nods in agreement.
“That’s what I said,” she declares. “We threw nuts at them,” she adds.
“Do you mean you fed them nuts?” Josiah laughs.
“Oh no, we throw it. Then the swirls must try to catch it, and then we knock them on the head like this,” Kira taps her forehead.
“And the squirrels don’t mind?” he laughs.
“No, they pick up the nuts and put them all into their mouths like hamsters inside their cheeks,” she explains.
“My father used to…” Josiah starts, and my heart leaps into my throat. Is this how he is going to ease them into the truth?
I can’t help myself when I interrupt him.
“Kira, eat your food, I’m sure Mommy’s boss doesn’t want to hear all your stories in one night,” I tell her, trying to drop the hint that I want to maintain the story I’ve told the girls and that I'm not ready for them to know anything else yet.
Josiah glares at me but doesn’t push.
“My favorite dinner is cheeseburgers,” he declares, continuing his conversation with the girls.
“Then why aren’t you eating cheeseburgers?” Kelsey asks. I’m surprised how quickly she’s warming up to him.
“Because I wanted to try your favorite food tonight. Maybe tomorrow night we should try mine?”
“Okay, I’ll try yours. But it better be good,” Kira nods sternly.
***
After dinner, I send the girls up to their room to play for a bit while I start clearing the table.
Josiah stops me. “We have staff who do this, Kayla,” he scolds me.
I sigh and put the plates down. “I’m going to head up to bed, then. Thank you for dinner.”
Kelsey comes bursting back into the dining room and surprises me to my core by bowling into Josiah with a hug. “Thank you so much!” she yelps. “I love it.” Then she bolts out again.
I knit my brows.
“Galaxy,” he shrugs. “I had them set it up while we were eating dinner.”
“Josiah…” I sigh.
“We have to tell them, Kayla.” His voice is stern. Not negotiable by any means.
“Not yet,” I say tensely.
“Soon,” he declares.
“Just give me some time, Josiah. This is a lot. And for them…” I sigh.
“The bottom line is that my children will know that I am their father, sooner rather than later,” he snaps angrily.
“And I am asking you for a bit of time!” I snap back at him.
His eyes flare, and I push my chest forward, not backing down.
“I’ve lost five years already. I won’t lose any more time,” he snarls.
“You made your choice five years ago. I’m not the one who put me in a situation where I had to raise them alone. So don’t you dare try and push me now before I’m ready!”
He seems taken aback. His jaw clenches and the muscles ripple across his face.
I don’t bother waiting for a reply; instead, I storm out of the room and leave him to his own thoughts.
Before going in to check on the girls, I take a moment to calm myself in my own room.
I call Izabel, because she always helps me smile, even in the worst of moments.
“Girrrrrrl,” she sings into the phone when she answers. “I’ve been waiting to hear from you. Tell me everything. How was your first day? Is your boss hot?”
I laugh, already feeling better.
“My first day was a bit crazy. Um. I actually moved. The job comes with some perks. We moved into a mansion. The CEO insisted we come and stay at his place because my apartment was too far to commute every day. I mean, this place has wings. Like the east wing takes fifteen minutes to walk to from the west wing,” I tease.
“What in the world. So, you are living in luxury there? How are my girls?”
“You should see their room. It’s incredible. They are having the time of their lives,” I say, truly meaning it. The girls really do look happy, and it’s the main thing that’s holding me together through all of this.
I chat with Izabel for twenty minutes, catching up, telling her things without mentioning that Josiah is their father. I feel bad for keeping this from her, but I’m not ready. I’m not ready to accept any of this fully.
When the call is over, I wander into the girls' room to get them ready for bed with a bubble bath in the giant new tub in their private bathroom.