Page 15 of Ky
“That is true,” I said with a nod. I held up the remote. “Here, you can change it. I just kind of had it on for background noise. I have no idea if you like to watch the news or anything when you’re…”
I let the words trail off as my mind raced to think about the things I did know about Chris. I hated that I suddenly realized that I knew him, but not that many personal details. I mean, sure, I didn’t know that many about most of the guys in the club either. Like I didn’t know if Brand ate breakfast the moment he woke up or waited until after he’d showered. Or if Mouse preferred one type of woman over another. And hell, I had no idea if the prez even took women back to his place, let alone had sex. Suddenly I felt a bit selfish and stuck in my own little world.
“Nope,” he said, snapping me out of my heavy thoughts. “I usually come in and make something to eat, then shower. Such an exciting life I live.” I could hear the humorous sarcasm in his tone.
My head turned and I met his eyes.
“As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. Not for nothing, dude, but you seem pretty happy to me.” My response was something I hadn’t meant to say, but it was truthful, nonetheless. He did seem happy and almost like this was the life he was meant to have.
“Yeah,” he said, his head tilting back as his eyes looked up at the ceiling. “It’s pretty fucking perfect.” He let out a short laugh.
There was a long moment of silence as we both watched the shore out the windows before us. I half wished that Ingram would rouse and give me an excuse to break away. But then again, that was also an awkward situation.
“This is weird for you,” Chris said and though it should have been more of a question, the tone of it made it feel like he was making a statement pulled from my soul. I didn’t say anything because that would be admitting too much. “You should start with getting her checked out, make sure everything is alright not only with the baby, but with her. I don’t know what’s going on, and I’m not asking to know. But I will say this, then leave it at that, she needs to know she’s safe and welcome here. That she will be taken care of no matter what.”
He shoved off the couch and wandered into the kitchen, leaving those words to sink in. He was right and I wasn’t even hesitant to agree.
“How do you like your eggs?” Chris called out.
“Over easy,” I answered automatically.
“Toast?”
“Yeah.”
“White, wheat, or sourdough?”
That was when my head cocked to the side and I stared at him blankly. He was holding a skillet in one hand and an orange spatula in the other.
“Whatever the fuck you’re having,” I said shaking my head at him with awhat the fucklook plastered on my face. “And I swear I will fucking throw one of these surf magazines at you if you ask me if I want bacon or sausage.”
His soft chuckle danced across the room and into my ears. That was when I cracked and was glad that my face was turned away from him because I couldn't stop the smile slowly spread across my face.
“You don’t have to cook for me,” I said as a sudden wave of something I couldn’t explain ran through me.
“I know.” His words were slightly drowned out by all the shit he was moving around.
“It’s fucking weird.”
“No, it’s not,” he replied like it was as simple as letting myself believe it wasn’t.
He didn’t say anything else while he worked and I didn’t even try to open my mouth and fight the silence. Using the TV as a distraction, I flipped through the channels until I found something I might have been able to focus on.
“Good morning,” Ingram said softly as she padded across the wood floor. She took a seat beside me, leaving a cushion’s distance between us.
“Mornin’, Ingram,” Chris called out, his voice soft and soothing. “Are eggs okay?”
“Oh, yes,” Ingram said, perking up and sending a wide smile his way.
Then she was up, heading towards the kitchen and asking if she could help cook. Of course, Chris said no. Then he was asking if he could make her an omelet, and proceeded to give her an insane list of veggies for her to choose from to put in it.
“Come eat, Kynas—Ky,” Ingram called out. I could hear the hesitation in her tone and the shaky unsureness in her choppy breath.
I didn’t have to look at her to know that her eyes were closed and that her mouth was moving as she silently repeated ‘Ky’ three times in a row. And as I turned my attention to her, I found out I was right. Though she was all grown up, it seemed like some things hadn’t changed.
Chris moved about like nothing was out of the ordinary, setting steaming plates around the table and going back for utensils.
“I, um, have to get to work,” I said after I had cleared my place. I paused, looking at Ingram wondering what the hell I was supposed to do with her.
