Chapter Forty-Three
Mikayla
I’m definitely a little crazy. But this matters to me… so fuck it! I am who I am!
It’s Friday night. I’ve already worked a full shift, but I need to get this done before tomorrow. The two-bedroom house needed to be cleaned, sheets changed, and the kitchen stocked before they arrive.
I can’t believe they all agreed to come—to stay here. As is my way, I clean with music blaring, my ass shaking as Lizzo belts out “It’s About Damn Time” over the Bluetooth speaker I brought with me.
I shake my ass, and twirl as I bob my head. It’s always time for Lizzo, and she’s a great cleaning companion.
The kitchen gleams, and the refrigerator is full of yummy snacks. I’m so nervous I can barely see straight. I also haven’t really been sleeping well, my excitement invading my slumber.
“Sunroof” by Nicky Youre & hey daisy comes on, and I realize I’m done. There’s literally nothing left to clean.
“You have two choices,” a deep voice says from behind me. His big hands grab my breasts from behind.
“And what are they?” I ask breathlessly.
“I can fuck you here,” he murmurs huskily in my ear, “or I can take you outside and fuck you on the porch. We don’t have time to wait until we get home,” he adds, sucking my earlobe into his mouth, then tugging it between his teeth.
My nipples tingle, sparks of electricity dance over my skin whenever he touches me. It’s all I can think about!
“Too late!” Caine yells out, grabbing my waist and placing me on the island in the kitchen. “Perfect height,” he growls.
He gives me no time to even respond before he yanks off my sweatpants and panties. He unbuckles his belt and drops his pants, then grips my ass, his fingers digging into my flesh.
“Fuck!” I groan. And then he’s inside me and my body screams with pleasure. “Caine!” I scream as I adjust to him.
“I waited,” he growls before thrusting inside me. “I waited,” he repeats.
In and out, his dick glides through me, his strokes sending me higher and higher until I can’t climb any more. I’m so high I’m terrified of the fall.
“Love me, baby, let go, just love me,” he groans from above me, like he knows what I’m feeling. “Fuck baby! Come!”
I erupt! Screaming my release, my arms wrapped tightly around his chest. I go completely rigid.
Caine thrusts forward one last time and groans, dropping one hand behind me taking his body weight.
I feel my pussy convulse around him, milking his dick as I come down. My body tingles, I feel so… free.
“Heartbeat Song” by Kelly Clarkson comes over the speakers, and I smile into his neck.
“Let’s get to bed, we have guests coming in the morning,” Caine says.
“Wait!” I yell as I pull on my clothes. I grab the disinfectant and spray the counter.
“Seriously?” Caine asks, his deep voice a rumble.
I turn and look at him over my shoulder. I roll my eyes and grab the paper towels I brought and wipe off the counter.
“Last thing people need to come home to,” I say, tossing the towels into the trash.
I turn the music off on the phone and we walk home, his hand in mine, and I smile as he brings my hand to his lips.
“You’re nervous,” Caine whispers against my neck as we lie in bed.
“What if they won’t tell us what happened? What if they hate me?” I blurt.
I’m wide awake! You’d think I drank coffee before bed, I’m that wired.
Caine sits up, and I follow suit. “We aren’t going to get sleep tonight, are we?” he complains.
I bite my fingernails and shrug my shoulder. “My heart won’t be able to withstand it if they reject me.”
“Darlin’, no one is going to reject you,” he says. “They are excited to know you.” He cups my cheek and caresses my skin with his thumb. “Be excited, but please don’t for a second think they don’t want to know you.”
“So… you think they’ll tell us about reconnecting with Dad?” I ask.
Caine drapes his arm over my shoulder and pulls me against his chest. His skin is so warm, I can’t help but cuddle against him. And I stifle a yawn.
With his lips against my temple he says, “I think they just want to know you. And if you want to know about your dad, they’ll share what they feel comfortable sharing. Remember, some things are private.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, my eyes drooping.
“I love you.”
“I love you, sweet man,” I tell him, cuddling into him.
Caine holds me close, moving our bodies back down to the mattress so we can lie down. And with his arms around me, I allow myself to relax into sleep.
I wring my hands as I stand beside my brother at baggage claim.
“You have to stop,” he berates me, scowling at me.
“Fuck off,” I tell him, but I smile when he hip bumps me.
Then I see them. My aunt smiles at me, her eyes genuine and happy. A man walks beside her, but I don’t know who he is. On her other side is my uncle. My breath catches as he gets closer, his resemblance to my dad overwhelming.
“Jesus,” Jack says, and I know he sees it too.
“Can I hug you?” my aunt Maggie asks me. Her eyes are so hopeful.
I nod and feel a tightening in my chest as she wraps her arms around me. She’s taller than me, her body soft, but warm and comforting. I find myself squeezing her tightly.
When she pulls back, my eyes move to my uncle, and I can’t help the sob that escapes me. I blink rapidly when he pulls me into his arms.
“I’m so sorry,” Walter whispers, one large hand cupping my head as his other pats my back.
I open my eyes and see Jack hugging Maggie, and I smile. She leans back and takes his face between her palms.
“Just like your father,” she says, and I see that she too is crying.
Maggie introduces us to her husband Martin, and we make our way to Caine’s SUV.
“I hope everyone is hungry!” Caine says, a little smirk on his lips.
I smack his leg. He’s making fun of me. I may have gone overboard. But I was excited.
The car ride is easy, filled with fun discussions about their plane ride, and Caine explaining to them where we are and the history of the area. I hold his hand in my lap.
I have so many questions. Like when did my dad reach out to them, and why? Why didn’t he tell us about his siblings?
I’m hurt that he chose Mom, and I don’t understand why we couldn’t have a relationship with his family. I always just thought he was an only child.
We get them situated in the little cottage, Caine helping with their luggage.
“Sit,” Walter says, extending his hand to the L shaped sofa in the large living room. “I can see you’re about to explode. No reason to delay the inevitable,” he adds sounding so much like my dad it causes an ache around my heart.
“When?” I ask once everyone is sitting.
“When did we reconnect with your dad?” Walter asks.
I nod.
“As I’ve already told you, when your dad was diagnosed, a mutual friend called me and told me Phil was sick,” Walter says, his face turning red, and his eyes begin to glisten. He clears his throat and continues. “I made him give me Phil’s number.”
“Dad didn’t tell you himself?” Jack asks.
“It’s not so simple,” Maggie interjects, placing a hand on Walter’s shoulder. “Things with Phil… everything… it was hard.”
“I called him and invited him over to my house. We cried,” Walter says. “I wanted to be angry, but he was sick. My big brother was dying, and I couldn’t be mad at him,” Walter says. Tears spill from his eyes. And I feel so guilty now, asking these questions.
I grab a box of tissues I placed on the side table and hand them to him.
“He loved your mom. Right or wrong, he loved her. And he adored you two,” Walter says, pointing at me and my brother with a sad smile. “He told me about you Micky, about your classes. I was so proud to hear you decided to go into medicine,” he adds.
My brows furrow and he smiles.
“I’m a nurse,” Walter tells me. “How do you think your dad knew all those facts and was able to help you with those classes?” He explains. I find myself smiling at my uncle as he nods his head. “I was thrilled because I got to spend time with my brother, and I got to learn about the two of you.”
“Why didn’t he tell us?” Jack asks, and I can hear the pain in his voice. “Why didn’t he tell us about you?”
Maggie and Walter exchange a glance, as though having a silent conversation.
Jack and I look at each other, and we have our own silent discussion. I nod, giving him permission.
“We’ve made the decision to disconnect from our mother. You know that. We told you that we don’t have a healthy relationship with her. And our trip to Seattle was the nail in that proverbial coffin,” Jack explains. “Just be honest with us. I promise it won’t surprise us.”
Maggie nods. “Okay.” She tucks a dark curl behind her ear. “Your mom was…”
“Their mother’s a bitch,” Caine says from beside me. “It’s okay, just say it, it’s freeing,” he says, lifting his arm and motioning with his hand in a circular motion.
I can’t help but giggle, hiding my face in his biceps.
“Well, then,” Maggie says, laughing. “That’s one way of saying it.
She’s a bitch.” Maggie’s cheeks turn red, and I can see she isn’t one for swearing.
“Anyway,” she says. “It was impossible to have a relationship with Phil with her. She was so angry, selfish. But he loved her. We couldn’t say anything, and when she got nasty, even though he knew she was in the wrong, he couldn’t say anything.
He hated fighting with her. And she knew it.
” Maggie shakes her head and begins to cry.
“How could we be angry at him when we knew he loved her?” she asks, choked, as tears fall down her cheeks.
“Oh, sweetheart,” her husband Martin says, pulling her into his arms.
After a moment, Maggie composes herself. “So… you what… just called him?” Jack asks, looking at our uncle.
“Yes. I wanted him to know I wasn’t angry.
And we discussed everything. We reconnected and Heidi never knew we were speaking again, at least from what I know.
Or if she did, Phil never told us,” Walter says.
“And I’m so grateful for that time. Even though it was a short few years, I got those moments with him.
And for a little while I had my brother back.
” His nostrils flare, and I know he’s fighting his tears.
“We were worried about telling you because, to be honest, Phil worried Heidi would feed you garbage about us,” Walter says, looking at Jack.
“Phil worried about you the most with her.”
“What?” Jack asks, clearly shocked. He fists his hands on his lap before shutting his eyes.
“He said you were close to her. You loved your mother, and your dad was proud of how protective you were of her, but you couldn’t seem to hear anything close to criticism when it came to her,” Walter says.
“So clearly telling you about us,” he explains, his hand pointing between himself and his sister, “Phil thought you’d side with your mother. ”
“But he wanted us to connect,” Maggie interjects. “He told us that we just needed to wait. So, we were trying to give you time. I had your phone number, Micky, and was going to call you.”
My eyes widen. “Really?” I ask. “She never even mentioned you. No one did.”
Maggie nods and smiles. “We were going to call after you took your boards. Walter told me it would be better to wait, the stress of his death, studying and taking the test. I didn’t want to compile the worries. But then you left Washington, and we didn’t know where you went or why.”
“I drove,” I explain. “Mom…”
“Mom slept with Micky’s boyfriend,” Jack blurts.
“Fuck,” Walter mutters. He shuts his eyes and shakes his head.
“It took her breaking my sister’s heart for me to see,” Jack whispers. I watch as he swallows. I take his hand and squeeze it.
“I’m not broken, and you made sure of that,” I remind him.
“She’s toxic and I’m just so sorry it took so long for me to figure that out!” Jack says vehemently. He squeezes my hand and swings my arm.
“You’re both where you’re supposed to be.
Mikayla is home now,” Caine says, taking my hand, threading his fingers through it.
“Mick needed to get out of there, and I needed her to find me. So, it all ended up the way it was supposed to.” He kisses the top of my hand and places it on his stubbled cheek.
“Well, aren’t you two the most disgusting duo alive,” Jack says before pretending to gag.
“I will kick your ass,” Caine says, narrowing his eyes at my brother.
“Mikayla won’t let you.”
“Wanna bet!” I say, swatting my brother’s knee.
“You’re adorable,” Maggie says, a giggle in her voice.
“Jack is an asshole.” I roll my eyes. What? He is.
“Your dad would be so happy,” Walter says. “He was worried you two would be estranged because of her. But it’s the exact opposite,” he whispers reverently. “Phil would be proud.”
I feel a heaviness lift from my soul, yet a tightness still lingers in my throat. I look at my brother and squeeze his hand, and he smiles at me. The two of us, fuck have we had a bumpy road. But I love him. And he’s been there for me in ways I never imagined possible.
When we sit down at my house for dinner, the mood shifts—there’s laughter and joy. And even though my heart has lost so much this past year, as I look around the table, I realize I’ve found so much more. I have hope now. My heart may ache, but it feels full.