Facade (16 page)

“Why, soon to be Mrs. Roberts, do you want to elope in Vegas?” he jokes.

“Nope, just want to go to Vegas.  I hear they have a few casinos.”

Feeling like I could pass out at any moment, Jacoby takes my hand, leading me upstairs.  He changes into a pair of cotton sleep pants, and I assume it’s because of Shelby since he usually sleeps naked.  I follow his lead and put on a matching pants and cami pajama set that I stole from Mira.

We’re under the blanket no more than ten minutes, when Shelby pops her head through the door.

“Daddy, Kylee, is it okay if I sleep with you guys?”

“Yeah, baby, climb on up.” 
Jacoby says, rolling her over to hoist her up. 
Thank God for wearing clothes.

Shelby jumps between us, nestling her head on my pillow more than Jacoby’s.  Usually
, I would mind someone snatching a pillow, but with her, it just seems right.  Motherly instinct rears her head again as I wrap an arm around Shelby, pulling her closer to me.  Even through the darkness, I can see Jacoby’s hundred watt smile.

“So this is what this feels like,” I say out loud, even though it’s more of a though
t.

“What’s that, Red?” Jacoby asks. 

“Being whole.”

“That’s exactly what this feels like.  Goodnight
, both of my precious girls.  I love you.”

“Love you
, too,” Shelby and I say in unison.

I drift off to sleep, dreaming of butterflies, cupcakes and rainbows. 
It’s crazy how a little bit of happiness can change your whole outlook on life.  A year ago, you couldn’t pay me to be in a relationship.  I think this would only work with Jacoby.  He makes me want to beat the demons, break the skeletons and fight my way out of the darkness I didn’t know I was living in. 

He’s my light in a dark tunnel and I’ll admit it to anyone who asks; sometimes, with the right person, love is worth everything. 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Kylee

“Who the fuck is banging?”  A muffled knocking sound’s coming from the living room.

Leaning back in my chair, I try to stretch my back that’s been in the same position for God knows how long.  Writing takes a toll on the body.  Not only do
my fingers cramp up, but I get writer’s ass, a stiff back and indentations from my keyboard all over my face.  Writer problems.

Whoever’s banging on my door like the damn police really needs to calm down.
I don’t know what day it is, but shit, can’t I get a few hours sleep?  I’m pretty sure it’s a Saturday, but I have no clue.  I look at my phone on the way to answer the door, and it’s not Saturday—it’s Sunday.  When did I lose a day?

Shuffling across the hardwood floor, my bare feet unhappy with the coolness, I reach the door, look through the peephole and see Jacoby on the other side.

“What’s with the pounding?” I open the door and Jacoby pushes his way inside.

“
Are you kidding me, Ky?  Nobody’s heard from you in
three days
! Mira’s freaking out.  She said she came over here but you didn’t answer the door.  What the hell’s going on?”  Jacoby relaxes a little when he sees that I’m perfectly fine.  Well, I probably look like shit but I’m alive.

“I didn’t
know it’s been three days, I swear, and I also didn’t hear her knock.  I sat down to write after you left the other day and it just poured out of me.  Come back here and take a look,” I say, starting to walk back to my office that used to be Mira’s bedroom, with Jacoby hot on my heels.

“You don’t answer your phone.  Fuck, it doesn’t even ring.”

“It’s on,” I show him the screen lighting up under my touch, “I just turned airplane mode on so I wasn’t bothered.  I really didn’t mean to worry anyone, I swear.” I feel guilty as hell for making him and Mira worry.

“I thought you were running from me,” Jacoby finally says, a sense of relief washing over him that I’m doing no such thing.

“No.  Yeah, I needed time to think, but I’m not going anywhere.  I just wanted to be sure that if I was going to give you more, I wouldn’t end up disappointing you.  I know what your daughter means to you and if I’m going to be your girlfriend, I need to be a role model for her, too.  Running isn’t setting a good example, now is it?”  I hope he understands what I’m trying to say.  When his eyes hit mine, I know he does.

“You’re actually going to be my girlfriend?  Like
, this isn’t a joke.  You’re in?”  His hesitance makes me laugh.  I feel like I just wrote this exact scene. 

A brilliant idea strikes and I know the best way to show him that I’m in this all the way with him.  I’m done hiding and there really is only one way to prove my intentions.

“Here, read this,” I say, standing up from my chair and motion for him to sit down.  “This is what I’ve been working on.  It’s kind of our story.  The heroine is all me and the hero, well, he’s you.  I didn’t realize that I was writing everything I wanted to say to you and how I saw us in the future until last night when I did a read through.  Read it and understand.”

Jacoby sits in the chair facing my laptop.  Since I’m sure it’s been at least three days since I’ve last showered, combed my hair or slept, I go straight to the bathroom to knock number one off my list. 

After a long luxurious shower, I brush out my hair, throw it in a bun and climb into some comfortable pajama pants and tee shirt.

“I’m taking a nap, wake me when you’re done,” I yell as my head hits the pillow.  I doubt my eyes are even going to stay open long enough to get a response
.  Nope, I yawn and that’s all she wrote.  No pun intended, although quite clever if I do say so myself.

A few hours later, I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to write another forty thousand words.  Walking out of my room into the hall, the glow of my computer monitor is coming from my office.

“You’re still reading?” I ask, poking my head in the door to find Jacoby propped with his feet on the desktop and laptop in his lap.

“This is really good, Red.  I’m at the part where Shelby asks to sleep in our bed.” 
My heart smiles, knowing he’s about to read the few words that express how I really feel about him.

His eyes scan each line, following the words and his lips turn up in a grin.  I know he’s reading that specific part because he looks up at me, eyes glossy
and at a loss for words.  After reading the line a few more times, he looks up at me again and I nod my head.

“I make you feel whole?”

“You do.  I love everything about you.  I’ve tried to fight it for so long.  Putting it all down on paper really helped me see what I need to do with myself and how to make what we have right.  I love you, Jacoby.  I love you no matter what.  You’re a dad, okay, I can work with that, as long as I have you.  You work crazy hours, as long as I have you at the end of the day, all is right in the world.  The best part about
us
is you love me no matter what, too.  We’re kind of made for each other.”

Jacoby places the computer on the desk and rushes to me, picking me up and kissing me over and over again.  Each time his soft lips touch my skin, I get more lost in the moment, not caring about anything but being in his arms.

“So where do we start?” Jacoby asks.

“You read it.  Call it an instruction manual if you wish, but you know what I’m looking for; what the end result should be,” I say, smirking.

Jacoby licks the seam of my lips, asking for permission to kiss me senseless, and that’s exactly what happens.  I’m completely lost and loving each and every second of it.

“Wait, I have an idea,” Jacoby says, stopping the attack on my resolve
.  “You need to go see Mira so she knows you’re alive.  She’s really been a basket case.  I’ll meet you at my house later tonight.”

“Um, okay, I guess.”  I’m starting to wonder if Jacoby’s been dipping into some meth.  The guy is looking around and plotting in his head.  I see the gears in his brain working overtime.  I’m a little concerned, but turned on at the same time.

I quickly throw on some clothes and set off for Mira’s, leaving Jacoby behind in my apartment as he wishes.  If I find out he’s wearing my panties or some weird shit, there’s going to be a serious conversation in order.

I show up at Mira’s just as she’s getting in her car to leave.  She eyes me suspiciously and starts to walk away, ignoring the fact that I’m walking straight toward her.

“Mira, wait up.” 
I know she sees me, dammit.

“Oh, I’m sorry.  I’ve been scared shitless that some creeper kidnapped and threw my best friend in a well.  It doesn’t look like you’ve been putting lotion on your skin, so what the fuck happened?” Mira turns around
, angrier than I’ve ever seen her.

“I was just lost in writing, that’s all.  I was home this entire time.  Why didn’t you use your key?”  She still has one, so what’s the problem really?

“If you were on some crazy sex bender I didn’t want to be a part of it.  I knew when you left after our Pitch Perfect dance party something was off. I knew you were freaking out about Jacoby and his daughter.  I figured you were either dead or letting the first string seniors at U of M run a train on you, trying to fuck Jacoby out of your mind.  I didn’t want to walk in on either scenario.”

“Well, I’m glad you think so highly of me.”

“You don’t get to flip this around.  You leave my house late at night after coming over because you’re upset.  You don’t answer your phone or the door.  You scared me.  Don’t fucking do it again or I’ll cut you out of my wedding.”

“Skylar proposed?” I know I wrote it
, and I know he bought a ring, but did he actually grow the balls to do it?

“He did.  It was magical and I wish that my best friend was the first person I told.  I tried to keep it in,
Ky, I really did, but I had to tell someone.  Danny’s so happy for us.  I was worried he would freak, but he and Melissa already gave us their RSVP.”

“I’m so happy for you, Mi.  Let me see that ring.”  Mira thrusts her left hand forward
, and in true Skylar fashion, it’s a one of a kind ring that proves his and Mira’s relationship is as unique as the black diamond in the center of red rubies.  It’s absolutely gorgeous.

“I really do have to go, though.  I’m not ignoring you.  Skylar needs some dinner
taken to him at the shop since he’s going to be there for a few more hours.  You know how he gets when he’s hungry.”  Boy, do I.  The kid’s worse than a woman on her period craving a candy bar and potato chips at the same time.

“Okay, I’ll come by next week and we’ll catch up.  I need to meet Jacoby at his house
, anyway.”

I hug Mira goodbye, get back in my car and head toward Jacoby’s house.  I really hope he’s had enough time to do whatever was important enough to cut off my kiss and kick me out of my apartment.

Pulling up, I see his car in the driveway.  Instead of knocking like I usually do, I push in the access code on the garage panel and walk into the house.  I find Jacoby typing away on my laptop in the dining room.

“What are you doing?”

“Hold on, give me two minutes,” he says, completely concentrated on whatever he’s doing, “almost there.”  He punches the keys a few more times and then leans back, looking satisfied.

“Okay, so you wrote our story, where you see us going.  I kind of played off that and possibly gave you the best ending
possible for your book.”  Now I’m intrigued.  I probably won’t use it to end my book, since I didn’t write it and all, but the fact that he’s interested in what I’m working on enough to write something back to me warms my heart; I’m so in love with this man.

“Can I read it?” I ask.  Jacoby turns the laptop to face the other chair at the table.  I sit down, crack my knuckles sarcastically and start to read what he’s written.

I don’t know why, but summer is my favorite season.  When I was younger, I guess it was because of the half-dressed girls and hormones floating in the air.  Now that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, it might have something to do with the fact that I have the girl of my dreams and my daughter with me on a beach. 

Six months ago, if you would have said, “Hey Jacoby, I’ll bet you a thousand dollars that you and Kylee will make it,” I wouldn’t have taken it.  There was always something about Kylee that made me think I couldn’t be the person she needed.  Never did I imagine, she just needed someone to show her how to love and give her that love right back. 

Walking along the white sandy beach, Kylee and Shelby come into sight.  My girls look absolutely stunning; sun-kissed skin, hair cascading around their shoulders, and bare feet with light pink toenail polish to match their fingers. 

“Daddy, can we go in the water?” Shelby asks, walking hand in hand with Kylee.  If I wasn’t sure Dawn was her mother, I would swear it was Kylee.  The only difference between them is their hair color. 
Where Kylee’s is red and naturally straight, Shelby’s is so blonde it’s almost white and the natural curls could rival Shirley Temple.

“We’ll have to wait a little while longer, baby girl.”  My eyes start to mist when I look at
them.  Both  are wearing long, cream-colored dresses, emphasizing the tan on their skin. 

“But Kylee said we could,” Shelby pouts and I eye Kylee who’s holding on
to my daughter’s hand, giggling.

“Trying to run already, Red?”

Kylee, still hand in hand with Shelby, walks directly up to me and kisses my cheek.  Shelby latches onto my leg and Kylee whispers in my ear, “Now why would I run?  It’s highly unlikely.  Especially since I ditched my birth control.”  A slight blush tints Kylee’s cheeks and my heart’s beating like a jackhammer.

“You threw it away?” I ask in a hushed tone.

“Figured that Shelby would need a little brother.”  I take Kylee’s face between my palms, stare into her eyes for any hint of doubt and softly kiss her ruby lips when I see that she’s all in. 

Getting to this point was no easy task, but would it really be worth it if it was?  I don’t think so.  My grandfather always used to tell me, “Son, when it’s hard or seems unimaginable, that’s how you know it’s going to be exceptional.”  I always thought he was talking about business, but until this very moment, I realize he was talking about
love—about my grandmother.

“Are you guys
almost ready?” Mira hollers from the edge of the water.  I should have known when I suggested Hawaii, Kylee wouldn’t go without her best friend. 

I wanted a simple vacation, just Kylee and Shelby, but what can I do?  Tell her no?  That’s not going to happen. 
Ever.

“We’re coming, hold on a minute,” Kylee says, taking my hand in hers.

Shelby runs ahead of us and takes Mira’s hand when she reaches the water.  I’m almost a little nervous that she’s going to just dive right in, but Mira hikes her up on her hip.

Kylee stops to talk with
Skylar and he claps me on the back.

“Get your ass down there, I’ve got her.  You ready, Ky?” Skylar asks as I continue walking.

By chance, I happen to hear Kylee respond.  “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”