Page 61 of Falling for the Unexpected

“Let me go get her,” Kyle said when we heard Stella waking up.

The three of us spent the rest of the day together. I felt content hanging out at the house with Kyle and my daughter even after the crazy afternoon. I woke up Sunday morning in Kyle’s arms. It was a perfect way to start my day. Then, my text alert went off, and with it, my bad mood started.

Brad:So you and Kyle, huh? I wonder what he would think if he knew about the night we first got together.

I swallowed hard, gripping my phone so tight I could hear it start to crack. Brad still knew how to hit me where it hurt. I hadn’t told a soul about the night Brad and I met. I wasn’t proud of my actions that night. I had done things I was ashamed of and had never done again. Kyle had told me about his mother’s drug addiction and how she eventually died of a drug overdose. I also knew he was still angry with her even after all this time—

I felt it just then: fear, panic, and desperation, all at the same time and in equal measure. I never wanted him to view me in the same way he viewed his mother.

Me:What do you want?

Brad:Well I wanted a place to stay but I guess that won’t be happening.

Me:No it won’t and that has nothing to do with Kyle.

Brad:Well I wouldn’t get too attached.

Me:What is that supposed to mean?

Brad never answered my last text and it left me feeling unsettled. I wanted to tell Kyle the truth, but I feared he wouldn’t understand and eventually it would be a deal-breaker for him. I couldn’t lose him over a one-time mistake three years ago.

*****

A week and a half later, it was Wednesday evening, the day before Thanksgiving.

Kyle was at my apartment where he spent a majority of his time now. He’d slowly brought a few things over, taking over a drawer in both my bedroom and bathroom. We hadn’t really discussed it, but it felt natural and the three of us had fallen into a rather comfortable routine, our lives seamlessly blending together.

Tonight, like most nights, he’d come straight here after work, still in his suit. We had enjoyed a home-cooked dinner, and then I cleaned up the kitchen while Kyle had put Stella to bed. Now, we were relaxing on the couch, snuggled up and watching some crime drama Kyle liked and just enjoying each other’s presence. This was how I’d always wanted my home and family life to be. I wasn’t even watching the show. I stared at the screen but I was listening to beat of his heart. Right now, my life was better than I could have ever imagined it. Perfect, really.

But the past several days hadn’t been all sunshine and roses. A couple things had been weighing on my mind, more and more. There was Brad’s weird text that I was hoping was just him blowing hot air because he never followed through on anything. Add to that, I hadn’t yet told Kyle about the threat. If Kyle’s history with Brad wasn’t so ugly, I may have shown him the texts. I hated not telling him the truth, but everything was going good and the old Simone kept whispering:Don’t ruin it. It could all blow over, right? God, I hoped so. I really did…

“So are you ready to tell everyone about us tomorrow?” he asked during a commercial break. He looked down at me with a huge smile on his face.

It made me feel good to know he wasn’t having doubts about announcing our relationship—but my doubts were still there. I reached up and tousled his hair, feeling the silkiness. I needed the comfort that I got from touching him. “I’m ready as long as you aren’t having second thoughts,” I answered.

He gave me a look. “Are you kidding me? I’ve been dying to tell everyone for weeks now,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t like sneaking around and it’s not necessary—”

“Aren’t you worried that someone might have a problem with it?” I interrupted.

I sat up and leaned back against the armrest, facing him. I knew Kyle was probably right and that everyone would be okay with us being together. I was just absolutely terrified of rocking the boat. I still felt this irrational fear like there was a chance I was jeopardizing Stella’s happiness by doing something that might make the Thompsons reject me or view me in a different way. I knew I was taking that thought too far, but having been abandoned and ignored my whole life, I couldn’t bear the thought that they might ever have a bad opinion of me and ultimately decide they didn’t want me in their lives.

Kyle frowned at me. All I wanted was for him to take me seriously. He took my hands in his, squeezed lightly, and looked me straight in the eye. “No,” he said bluntly. “If anyone can’t accept it then that’stheirproblem. I want to be with you and I don’t want to hide it anymore.”

My stomach tightened and my heart raced at his certainty. His confidence definitely made me feel better.

“So… are we showing up together?” I asked, cautiously.

“Of course we are,” he said reassuringly. He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead then pulled back. “We’ll be leaving there together so there is no reason for us to drive separate cars. I also have a surprise for you so pack a bag for you and Stella. You two are going to stay the night at my house tomorrow night.”

As wonderful as that sounded, and as excited as that made me, I couldn’t help but be cautious. “Um… okay,” I started, trying to focus on the positives, like Kyle taking the next step and inviting the two of us to his house, “but I’m a little worried about where Stella will sleep.”

“Just trust me,” Kyle said, with a huge smile on his face. When he looked at me like that, I couldn’t deny him anything.

“Ok,” I said, smiling back. I burrowed back into his side, and when his arm came around me securely, I hoped things would always be like this.

*****

Kyle and I pulled up to Jim and Marla’s house, and suddenly, I was hit with a bout of anxiety. I tried to discreetly wipe my sweaty palms on my pants, but Kyle noticed and gently grabbed my hand.