Page 50 of Crashing Into Me
“Hattie-Mae Smith’s cooking has surely been missed.” Maureen finally said.
A few moments of quiet passed between them, and Maureen turned her head to him.
“Have you given any more thought to getting a ring for Kimberly?”
She knew this was a sore subject, but needed to keep him talking in the event he revealed more than he was letting on.
“No, mother, I did not, and I do not plan to buy one.”
“Kayden, how will it look to others if your wife doesn’t have an engagement ring or a wedding band?” She asked, seriously surprised at his answer.
“Frankly, I don’t care how it looks,” he replied, with a calm and even tone. “This is a marriage I’m being forced into. This is your requirement. I don’t love nor like her, but because it’s the only way I can move on with my life, I’m doing it.”
He lied to her face without a flinch. He was getting better at this than he thought.
“So, it’s OK, I’ll jump through the hoops. I’ll marry her, but only because I don’t want to see the company my father built turned into a joke,” he said, and that part was the truth. “If she wants a ring, she can buy one herself.”
Maureen didn’t know what to say back to him. He was serious, and she doubted anything she would say would change his mind. This worried her now as she wasn’t sure if Kim would even be able to do what was needed of her. That Lana girl had totally changed her son’s DNA.
“But you loved her once, Kayden. Surely those feelings can’t all be gone,” she replied, grasping for hope.
It was all she could get out and not very convincing even to herself.
“Once upon a time, I did, and then she slept with my best friend while I was hospitalized and needed her. She doesn’t care about me, Mom. She never did.”
“She made one mistake. You can’t hold it against her forever.”
“That’s funny. I recall saying something similar to you a few years ago,” he replied and walked away from her into the grass.
That stung. She didn’t know what to say. Kayden took another sip of his drink, feeling rather liberated, then he turned to her, a slight grin on his face.
“Why do you like her so much is the real question.”
He honestly wanted to know. There wasn’t a whole lot to Kim other than physical looks, and it didn’t matter how pretty someone was if they were ugly inside.
“She may not have been there for you after the accident, but she was there for me when your father died.”
Kayden’s face softened as he remembered how much of a wreck his mother was during that awful time. He and Kim were very over at that point, but she did stay by Maureen’s side almost every day. They became good friends because of it, but it annoyed Kayden to have to see her all the time.
“I understand that, mother, I do. But it doesn’t make someone a good person or wife either. How is it fair to force me to marry her? Why her? Why someone who doesn’t care about anyone other than herself ?”
Maureen was at a loss for words again and couldn’t come up with a worthy rebuttal. She thought about his words and knew he was right. Kim wasn’t the best choice for her son on a love level. It was the one thing that kept her marriage to Vincent, all those years, fresh and exciting —the true love they shared for one another. As she searched her mind for words, she could find none and felt a slight pang of remorse. Kayden shook his head and started walking towards the door, past her, where he disappeared inside.
She stood there on the porch and smiled as she recalled him saying that he understood why she liked Kim. Understanding was the first step to accepting, and sooner or later, he would learn to trust her again. She walked into the house, closing the doors behind her, with new hope for Kim in tow.
AFTER GRABBING HER purse,Maureen hugged Kayden as he walked her through the foyer and to the front door. Outside, he opened the car door for her as she climbed into her rental. Asmuch as he loved his mother, he couldn’t wait until she was back on a plane heading for New York.
“Drive safe. Love you,” he said and closed the door.
He watched her back out of the driveway and head down the road all the way down the hill. The car made its way to the roundabout and disappeared when she turned on Patterson. He walked into the house and closed the door behind him. He had no idea where Kim was, but as long as she was downstairs and nowhere near him, he'd be fine.
He went into the living room, snuffed the last of the embers in the fireplace, and turned the lights off, making the room almost pitch black. The moonlight shone through the glass doors, reminding him of the night he and Lana stood on the porch, admiring the view. When he turned around, Kim was standing behind him, completely naked, a sly grin on her face. He was instantly exhausted with her.
“I’m too tired for this shit,” he said as he tried walking past her. She hopped into his path, blocking him, and he dropped his head. Kayden grabbed the couch throw blanket and tossed it to her, but she let it hit the floor and slid it out of her path with her foot.
“This is something we both need,” she replied, and slowly walked towards him.
He was getting really pissed now.
