Page 156 of Tainted

“Did you tell Banana Girl about the baby?”

“No, but I didn’t need to. She’s just waiting to hear it from you,” he replied.

I bit my lip, debating whether or not to say it. “Maybe something sweet will make me feel brave,” I admitted softly. “Like a candy apple.”

His brow raised, but a smile tugged at his lips. “A candy apple?”

I nodded, a slight grin slipping through my defenses. “From Luna’s.” The last part came out quieter, almost like a confession.

He studied me for a moment before nodding. “Aite. Let’s ride.”

Kenyon and I drove in comfortable silence as the city lights blurred past, heading for the boardwalk. By the time we arrived, the sky was dark, and the soft hum of the ocean filled the air. The salty breeze lifted my hair, and the sound of the waves calmed the nervous flutter I hadn’t been able to shake all day.

When we finally reached Luna’s Sweet Treats, I couldn’t help but smile at seeing the candy apples waiting for us. After we grabbed our order, I didn’t wait until we found a spot to settle. I had been thinking about Luna’s all day and finally had it in my grasp.

“How brave are you feeling now?”

I chewed, enjoying the sweet-salty combination. “I don’t know yet. I think I need a few more bites.”

“You’re scared to tell Banana Girl how nasty you’ve been?”

Kenyon thought I was laughing at his joke, but watching his stride made me think about Banana Girls’ comment earlier. I would never admit it to her, but she was right.

“Have you told your mom since you’re talking?”

“It’s no point if you’re not keeping it.” His blunt honesty replaced the calmness between us with eggshells. “We need to talk.”

“You’re initiating the talk? This should be good.”

“If you weren’t carrying the Golden Child, I’d trip you for being a smart ass right now.”

We found a quiet spot to sit near the edge of the boardwalk, where Kenyon leaned back, glancing at me with a slight smirk.

“What do we need to talk about, Kenyon Elijah?”

“I have a decision to make, and I can’t do that without knowing where your head is. So what are we doing?”

“What kind of decision?” I asked slowly.

“Javier wants to give us a promotion. I don’t know if I want it, but saying no doesn’t guarantee a normal life. I wouldn’t even know what that felt like. Especially with my brother still in it because I’d never leave him hanging. So I might as well get some money for my trouble instead of doing it for free. But I might have a kid to think about. You to think about, so I feel stuck and don’t like that feeling.”

“That’s because you want to control everything and everybody.”

“It’s not just that. When I think about the shit that makes me happy, it ain’t this.”

“What does make you happy?”

“Cars. You most days,” he smirked, causing my lips to form a thin line, “This baby, but I’m always gonna be Eric Keyes’ son.”

He flattened his palm against my stomach, and it was impossible not to return his smile. It seemed like the moment Kross uttered the magic word, this bump appeared overnight.

“That doesn’t have to be all that you are. You know that otherwise, you wouldn’t be looking at warehouse space.”

“You are nosey as fuck, you know that?”

“I actually wasn’t trying to be. You left your stuff in the living room, and Banana Girl asked me to get it up.”

“Yeah, okay. You sure you’re okay with that?”

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