Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 116231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
“Your parents were supposed to watch them.”
“I’m home waiting for them.” That’s all I tell her. “See you soon.” I disconnect the phone and then look up at Kylie.
“I should go,” she says, and I shake my head.
“You aren’t going anywhere. It’s Sunday and I want you here.” I kiss her and the doorbell rings. “Holy fuck, did they call from the driveway?” I mumble. When I walk over to the door and open it, the kids are all standing there, Nora with an unfazed look on her face.
“Daddy,” she says, coming in and kicking off her shoes, and then she shrieks, “Kylie, you’re here!”
“I’m so excited to see you!” Kylie replies, her voice as animated as Nora’s is as she gives her a hug.
Westley and Vincent come in, and I look out to see Josephine backing out of the driveway. I close the door and then look at Westley going to the living room, followed by Nora who skips. “What is going on?” I ask Vincent.
“I want to live with you,” he announces, folding his arms over his chest.
“I’m going to go and…” Kylie says, and I nod at her as she leaves the two of us.
“Come sit with me.” I motion with my head to the side and sit on the step, and he sits next to me. “What’s going on?”
“I want to live with you,” he repeats, and I see him angrily wiping the tears away from his face. “I hate her.”
“Vincent,” I say his name, “you don’t hate her; she’s your mother and no matter what happened between the two of us, she loves you very much.” He doesn’t say anything. “Even though I would love to have you live with me full time,” I put my arm around him, “your mother would miss you terribly.” I bring him to me and kiss his head. “We are going to have you talk to someone,” I tell him as he looks up at me. “It’ll be good. You can talk to them about everything you are going through and what you feel.”
“Okay,” he agrees softly, “but when I turn fourteen, I can decide where I want to live.”
“Why don’t we see how you feel then?” I tell him and he gets up. “Did you guys eat?”
He shakes his head. “You hungry?” He tries not to smile. “Forget that question, when aren’t you hungry?”
“Kylie,” I call her name and she shouts back.
“Yes.” She walks into the room. “What can I do for you?” She looks at me then looks at Vincent.
“The kids haven’t eaten, so you want to go change and we can go and get something to eat?”
“Um.” She looks at me then back at Vincent. “I could stay here.”
“Go get changed,” I say between clenched teeth, and she glares at me, making Vincent laugh.
“She’s mad,” he whispers to me. “I don’t think she liked that.”
“I did not,” she confirms. “Remember that when you get a girlfriend.”
“You’re Dad’s girlfriend?” he asks, and Kylie literally puts her hands in her face, and she groans.
“I didn’t mean it,” Kylie starts to say, and I laugh.
“She’s my girlfriend,” I admit to him.
“Cool,” Vincent says.
“Go and tell your brother and sister we’re going out to eat,” I urge and he nods before walking out of the room.
“I’m so stupid,” Kylie says. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” I ask her, laughing. “Baby, I was going to tell them we are together at lunch.”
“We really need to talk about things before you just go and do stuff.”
“Daddy.” Nora runs into the room. “Kylie is your girlfriend?” she asks with her eyes big and then she smiles at Kylie.
Westley comes into the room next. “Kylie is my girlfriend,” I inform them. “We like each other a lot.”
“Do you stay here when we aren’t here?” Westley asks her. She looks over at me and I smile at her.
“I do,” she replies, “but I don’t go in your room.”
“I’m glad, I didn’t want him to be by himself.”
“I was fine, buddy,” I assure him, “but I’m better now.” Then I look at Kylie. “Can you go get dressed so we can go eat? I’m starving.”
“Yeah, me too,” Vincent adds.
“I need a snack,” Westley says.
“I’m going,” Kylie concedes, and she walks to me, and I wrap my arm around her, stopping her from going up the stairs. “Knox,” she says my name.
“Hurry back.” I look into her eyes and bend my head to kiss her. “The kids are hungry.”
“All I have to do is get dressed. It would go faster if you let me go.” She puts her hand on my cheek, and I give her one more kiss until I let her go, and she runs up the stairs to the bedroom.
Less than two minutes later, she’s running back down the steps wearing a pair of jeans and my sweater. “That’s Daddy’s.” Nora points to my sweater.