Page 37 of Mending Scars

Doubt replaced the joy. I glanced over at Ky and Kamden, who were laughing at the table. Her eyes found mine from across the room, and they told me everything I needed to know.

Fuck all the doubts.

Molly had never looked at me that way, even at our best times. Kaiya’s love for me was always written all over her face. There was no reason I should be doubting her.

Our eyes remained locked as I walked back to the dining room. I leaned down and kissed Kaiya before handing her the sonogram. She excitedly gave it to Kamden. He scanned over the picture as a grin tipped up his lips. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

“We won’t find that out until between eighteen and twenty weeks. I’m only about twelve or thirteen weeks now,” Kaiya answered.

Kaiya told Kamden about what we had learned at her appointment throughout dinner. Once we were finished, she started collecting the dishes from the table as Kamden asked, “What are you doing?”

“I’m cleaning up—you did enough tonight,” Kaiya replied as she stacked the plates and began putting the dirty silverware on top of them.

“I don’t think so—you need to rest.” Kamden took the dishes from her.

Kaiya rolled her eyes. “I’m pregnant, not dying.”

Kamden chuckled. “Enjoy it while it lasts. Once you pop out that baby, you’ll get all your old chores back.”

“Seriously, go rest, Warrior. You’ve been stressing yourself out too much.” I stood and rubbed her arms. “It’s not good for the baby.”

She sighed. “Fine. I’m gonna go lay down. You coming?”

I kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll be right there.”

Kaiya turned and walked away. You could see the exhaustion in every weary step she took—she was so stubborn sometimes.

Kamden had taken most of the dishes off the table, but I grabbed the remaining bowls with the leftover spaghetti and salad in them and carried them into the kitchen.

I set the bowls on the counter as Kamden began loading the dishwasher. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” I leaned back against the counter. “I just wanted to say that I think it’s great what you’re doing. I know it means a lot to Kaiya.”

“Yeah. I can’t keep hurting her like I have been. That night I pushed her” —he shook his head and scowled— “was an eye-opener. I hadn’t realized how bad I was.”

Before I could comment, Kamden looked up at me and changed the subject by asking, “You’re going to take care of my sister and the baby, right?”

I could hear the warning in his tone. I stood tall and crossed my arms over my chest. “Of course. I love her.” And I wasn’t a punk bitch who ran away from their responsibilities.

Kamden looked me up and down. “You better.”

I never understood why Kamden and I’d never gotten along. Maybe older brothers were always assholes to their sister’s boyfriends, or felt they had some kind of territory to mark, but he had another thing coming if he thought I was going to let him intimidate me.

I stepped up to him. “Look, let’s get this straight. I don’t give a fuck what you think. Kaiya and our baby are the only things that matter to me. Get your own shit together and let me worry about Kaiya.”

His jaw clenched as we stared each other down.

“Ryker?” Kaiya called out from her room.

I kept my eyes locked on Kamden’s as I replied, “Coming, babe.” I held his stare and said, “I’m going to take care of Kaiya and the baby. You handle your business and I’ll handle mine.”

I brushed past him to go down the hall. I heard dishes roughly clanging together as I entered Kaiya’s room and shut the door.

She was lying down on the bed, propped up with pillows under her back as she read a book. She glanced up at me and smiled as she closed it and set it on the nightstand. “Hey.”

“Hey.” I flopped onto the bed and scooted next to her. I pulled her body into mine, and she curved up against me and rested her head on my chest. “Big day today, huh?” I asked.

I played with her hair as she traced my abs through my shirt. “Yeah, I was just thinking about what we’re going to do when the baby comes.”

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