Kya & Xavier: It's Always Been You (Life As We Know It Book 1) (25 page)

“Come inside please.” Pam said to
Ethan and I.

She smiled at us and then turned to
waddle towards the front porch. She struggled as she moved which made me want
to offer help but I refrained. She looked like that baby was going to come any
minute now even though my father had mentioned that she had another month to
go.

When we entered the house I looked
around at the décor which had warm earthy look. The two rooms that I could see
from the where we were standing were covered in a deep khaki with colorful earth
tone prints hanging all over the place. Candles lined all of the tables and
there were wicker baskets that held toys and magazines strategically placed
along the walls and at the end of the brown leather sofa that she was guiding
us to.

“Please have a set, Jackson ran to
the store and should be back any minute now.”

Ethan and I took a seat on opposite
ends of the sofa while she carefully lowered herself onto the ottoman that sat
beside it.

“So you found us okay?”

“Yes ma’am. GPS. Brought us right to
the house.”

“Please don’t call me ma’am. It makes
me feel old. Pam works just fine.” She smiled at us. She was pretty with her
dark chubby face which I attributed to the fact that she was pregnant. Her long
dark brown hair was pulled neatly back into a ponytail that brushed the back of
her neck as she moved her head from me to Ethan. “So I understand that you guys
stayed at the Villa yesterday, how was that? They have a great spa, not that I
think that you guys would care much about that but maybe those pretty young
ladies got a chance to check it out.”

“No we just kind of hung out but we
did check out the pool for a little while.” Ethan said.

“Well you guys are young so I’m sure
you found plenty to keep you busy. I miss those days. Young and carefree. I
told Jackson that you guys wouldn’t want to be cooped up in this house with us
all weekend.” She smiled.

“I just figured that it would be
better for us to stay somewhere else since it was four of us.” I didn’t know
why I felt a sudden urge to explain why I refused the offer but I sensed that
she was a little disappointed that we had chosen not to take them up on the
offer to say at their house.

“Oh don’t worry, its fine. I
understand.” She said and then gave me a reassuring smile. “I would have done
the same thing.”

“So I better go check on your girls. Kenzie
will have them in a full blown dress up fashion show if I don’t save them
soon.”

She scooted to the end of the ottoman
and attempted to lift herself but had a failed attempt so Ethan and I both
stood up and reached towards her to offer help. She accepted and we each took a
hand and carefully pulled her to her feet.

“One more month to go, I don’t think
I’m going to make it. I feel like I might explode if I get any bigger.” She
placed her hand over her enormous belly and then laughed. “I’ll be right back
make yourself at home.”

“You good? I know this probably feels
weird.” Ethan said as soon as she was out of the room.

“Yeah it does. It’s like walked into
the Huxtable’s house.”

“Bruh, I hope that baby doesn’t come
before your dad gets back. She is huge.”

“I know. There’s no way she’s gonna
make it another month or she won’t be able to fit in this house.” We boht
checked the door way to make sure she hadn’t snuck up on us.

“Is she having twins?”

“I don’t think so.”

I could feel my phone vibrating in my
pocket so I pulled it out to see who was calling.
Leigh

“What’s up squirt, everything okay?”

“Where are you?”

“With Ethan, Ky and Toni why?”

“I called you like three times.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know, is everything
okay?’

“Ethan looked at me trying to figure
out what was going on.

“Guess what?”

“What?”

“Guess.” She sounded excited so I
relaxed a little and I remembered that she had mentioned it was time to pick
the all-star team for her travel basketball league.

“You made the all-star team.”

“Sure did. First pick and guess where
they championship game is?

“Just tell me.”

“UNCG.”

“That’s what’s up. I’m proud of you
but I told you that you’d make it. Now you know that you have to represent.”

“I checked your schedule you don’t
have games that Saturday so can I come stay with you and Ky?”

“Don’t you wanna stay with your
team?”

“I will but I still wanna come visit
you. Where’s Ky?”

“Just call her later and we’ll talk
about it.”

“I will.”

“Okay, I’ve gotta go, we’ll talk
later. I’m proud of you Leigh.”

“Thanks, Love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Your sister?” Ethan asked.

“Yeah, she made the all-star team and
they play at UNCG.”

“Aye, that’s what’s up. We’ll have to
go check her out.”

I heard the front door open and a
man’s voice “Take this to your mother.”

               
A few
seconds later my father was standing in front of us. Ethan looked at him, turned
to me and then back at him. “Bruh, you look just alike.”

               
“Xavier.”
He extended a hand toward me so I stood and accepted it. We shook hands and
then he just stood there for a moment staring at me with a smile.

               
“I’m
Ethan.” Ethan stood and offered him a hand which accepted and they also shook
hands.

“Pleased to meet you. I'm Jackson.”
He said smiled politely at Ethan.

He looked around for a second. “Where
are the girls?” He asked and I assumed meant Kya and Toni.

“Kenzie kidnapped them. They are in
the middle of a very intense session of Barbie karaoke.” Pam said as she
entered the room and then placed her arm around my father’s waist.

“Daddy can I play my game now? A
little boy with glasses came barreling down the hallway and stopped just in
front of my father. He had his back to us.

“Jack this is Xavier and Ethan.” My father
said and gently turned his son towards us by the shoulders.
A junior, would that be my name if he hadn’t
left?

“Hi.” He smiled and waved then turned
back to his father. “Can I dad?”

“For a little while. We’re going to
eat soon.” He turned to us again now satisfied. “You can play if you want.” He
said inviting Ethan and I to join him.

“What game you playing little man.”
Ethan asked.

“NBA2k”

“Aye, I’m down, you any good?”

“He looked at his father and then
back to me and shrugged his shoulders. “A little but I just got it.”

“Well let’s see what you can do.”
Ethan said and the two of them left the room.

“Well I’ll let you guys talk.” Pam
said and smiled “Lunch should be ready in a few. We’re doing subs.”

“Thanks honey.” My dad kissed her on
the cheek and she waddled away slowly down the hallway.

               
“Well
I’m sure you have a lot of questions.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and
then stepped past me to sit down in the arm chair that was across form the
sofa. Once he was situated he appeared comfortable which made me think that he
spent a lot of time there. I sat down on the end of the sofa farthest away from
where he sat not really sure why but I just felt like I needed a little
distance.

               
He
cleared his throat and then spoke. “So this is feels a little awkward, I’m sure
for both of us.”

               
“Yeah.”
Was all I could think to say.

               
I could
feel tension around both of us. It was like neither of us had a clue how to
approach the situation.

               
“So is
there anything you want to know?”

               
Yeah, why the hell did you walk away and
never look back.

               
“What
happened with you and my mother?”

               
He sat
up, clasped both his hands together and began to nervously rub them.

               
“I wish
I could say that it’s an easy answer but it’s not.”

               
“I don’t
need easy, I just want the truth.” I said and looked him square in the eyes.

               
“Let’s
see.” He began and then paused as if looking for the right words to begin his
side of the story.

“When I met Tori, well Victoria, I
was a senior in college.” He kind of zoned out and I could tell that he was remembering.
“She was something. Such a free spirit, happy always smiling. God that smile
could change my mind about anything.” I could tell that he was vocalizing his
thoughts more so than really talking to me.

“I had never in my life met anyone
like her before in my life and I was hooked. She just had that effect on
people. I’m sure you know that.” He smiled questionably as if waiting for me to
agree but I just sat silently waiting.

“I didn’t know about her past.”

“That she was married?” I asked not
sure why I felt the need to say anything at all.

“Yes.” He searched my face as if
trying to figure out what I was thinking. “When I found out, I just didn’t
handle it well. I made a stupid decision and walked away.” He looked at me with
the most disappointed stare. “From both of you.”

“Lucky me.” I said sarcastically. I
didn’t know why but I suddenly felt angry.

“For what it’s worth which I’m sure
is very little I did try to fix things. I wanted another chance but your mother
shut me out. She just couldn’t let me back in and I don’t blame her.”

“So you just gave up?”

“It wasn’t my choice to make, it was
hers and I had to respect that.”

“And what about me?”
I should have been your choice
I felt
like a little kid but I just needed to know how it was so easy for him to walk
away from me.

“You do know that I tried to see you
and I did for a while when you were a baby but then your mother just stopped responding
to me. I’m sure it had something to do with Johnny but it wasn’t my choice to
not be around you.”
Is he really blaming
my mother? If you really want something you make it happen right?

“I guess I wasn’t worth fighting for
then.” I knew my words were harsh but why should I protect his feelings, he
obviously didn’t care about mine or he would have been there.

               
“Hey
guys it’s about time to eat.” Pam said, she was standing in the door way with
her arms, crossed propped up on her belly.

               
“We’ll
be there in a minute.” My father said and then looked at me.

               
“Look Xavier.”
Here it comes
“I know that I screwed
up big time and I know how that must make you feel.
Hmp, really?
I can’t change what’s already done and I have literally
missed your whole life but I’d like to be a part of what’s to come. I’ll be
here if you’ll let me but that’s up to you. I just want to try.”

               
“This is
just a lot and honestly I don't know how I feel about it or what I want so. I
can't really respond to that right now.”

               
“I
understand. Whenever you’re ready. I promise no pressure.” He smiled but in a
way that was sad and filled with disappointment. “I guess we ought to save your
friends and go eat.”

He stood awkwardly waiting for me to
make a move or say something. I wanted to let go and just be all in but
something was holding me back so I didn’t say a word. I just nodded and walked
out of the room.

Chapter 19

Kya Renee

“Girl, we were only gone for two days
but I swear it feels like a month. I’m dead.” Toni said and fell into our sofa.
We had been back at our dorms for about two hours, unpacked and I was currently
washing some dishes that we had left over the weekend.

               
“I know
right, I’m going be struggling in the morning.”

               
“Thank
goodness for ten o’clock classes.” Toni said and then waved her hand in the air.

               
“Yeah
but I’ll be done by twelve and you won’t be done until three.”

               
“Whatever,
I’ll take it tomorrow because I don’t think I could be up by 7:00 even if my
life depended on it. In fact I’m about to crash right now.”

               
“I wish
I could but I’ve got hella work to do. I should have been working on it this
weekend.”

               
“Mmhm
and just what was it that you were doing then.”

               
“Not
what you’re thinking.”

               
“Tell
that lie to somebody who might believe boo.”

               
“Go to
bed.” I said and laughed.

               
“Don’t
be trying to rush me. You’re grown boo and you and your boy never had a problem
in that area so do what ya do.”

               
“I’m
going to study. I can’t with you.”

               
“You can
and you will because you love me.” She said and laughed.

               
“I
placed the last cup in the drain and left Toni in the living room. I decided to
send Xavier a text to see what he was up to. He seemed a little off after we
returned from meeting his dad.

Whatcha doing?

               
Xavier and his dad apparently had a private conversation while Toni and I
were playing with his little sister Kenzie, who I absolutely love but he didn’t
say a word about the conversation. His entire mood changed afterwards so I knew
that it had to be pretty intense even though he didn’t show any major signs
that anything was bothering him, I knew him well enough to know that he had
shut down and pulled away a little. He was polite and joined in the
conversations but never really initiated any of them. I could tell that his
father was nervous and tried his best to make all of us feel at ease but I felt
like he was disappointed that Xavier wasn’t more open with him.

During the drive back to campus
Xavier was quiet for most of the drive home and only really said anything if
one of us said something directly to him. I could tell that something was going
on but I knew that it wasn’t the time or place to bring it up. I decided to
give him some space and let him talk about it whenever he was ready but I knew
that I was going to have to eventually ask. He wasn’t big on talking about anything
that expressed emotion, not even with me. I was pretty sure that was why he couldn’t
sleep half the time. Keeping so much inside couldn’t be good for anybody and
especially not him. His life is so complicated and always had been so I just
wished that he would stop shutting me out so much but that was just the way he
was.

               
When I
felt my phone vibrating I figured it was Xavier but instead it was my mom. I
really needed to start my school work and I knew that she would talk forever
since I hadn’t talk to her in a while but I answered any way.

               
“Sup
Sheila?” I said and then smiled knowing that she hated when I did that.

               
“Hello,
Kya Renee” She fired back “What are you up to? I haven’t talked to you in
almost a week.”
Exactly, I couldn’t risk
you asking me what I had planned for the weekend.

My parents didn’t function off of the
you’re eighteen you can do what you want
principle. As long as I
was still on their payroll, I had to follow their rules.

               
“Yeah, I
know, I’ve been busy. School is kicking my butt this semester.”

               
“How are
your grades? Are you passing everything?”

               
“A’s and
B’s so far and I have a C in Chemistry but I still have time to bring it up.”

               
“You’re
not hanging out too much are you?”
And
here we go.

               
“No more than usual, it’s just the
labs and I failed a test but he’s going to drop the lowest one so I should be
good.”

               
“Just
make sure you put the time in. It’s easy to get off track. School is the most
important thing right now so stay focused.”
Translation,
if you would leave Xavier alone and focus on school you wouldn’t have a C and I
would be eternally grateful.

               
“I know,
I am.”
What does she think I’m doing? I’m
doing the best I can
.

               
“And
Xavier?”

               
“What
about him?”
I knew it was coming.

               
“Watch your tone Kya. How are things
with you two?”

               
“We’re
good.”
No sense in filling her in on
everything that’s going on and giving her another reason to tell me why he’s
not good for me
.

               
“Alright,
I’ll leave it alone. Just make sure you are handling your business and don’t
get consumed with him. There’s plenty of time for that.”
Yep, words of wisdom from the person who married her high school
sweetheart during her sophomore year of college.

               
“I’m
not. We’re good and I’m just chilling right now.”

               
“Alright,
I done.”
Thank god!

               
“Well I have a paper to write so I’ll
talk to you soon. Tell dad I said hi and I’ll call him tomorrow.”

               
“Okay I
will. I love you.”

               
“Love
you too.”

               
Always something I swear.
I checked my
phone still not reply from Xavier so I put my glasses on, sat at my desk and
began typing my research paper.
College
sucks, well the work part anyway
. Two hours later I had done all that I
could handle for the night. It was almost eleven o’clock and my eyes were so
heavy that I could barely keep them open. I still had not heard anything from
Xavier and I was tempted to call him but fought the urge and decided to go to
sleep instead and besides I figured that I would see him tomorrow since we
usually stayed together on Monday nights.

I unlocked my phone and scrolled to
his school site to check his game schedule because I couldn’t remember when he
was supposed to play again.
Dang, Wed out
town, Friday out of town and Saturday home game
I swear I’m so over basketball season
I definitely have to see him
tomorrow or I won’t get to see him until next week and that will be entirely
too long even though he still hadn’t responded to me yet.
He seriously pisses me off sometimes
I untied the drawstring to the
joggers that I was wearing and stepped out of them, leaving them in the middle
of my floor, turned off my light and hopped on my bed.

 
I reached over and plugged my phone in, placed
it on my nightstand and then immediately looked at my door.
Dang it, I forgot to lock my door
My
room was dark and with me being the scariest person alive I almost thought
about leaving it unlocked but then remembered that our main door was still
unlocked
Yes, I still have nightmares and
think that scary creatures live under my bed
I jumped down ran to my door,
locked it and then jumped back onto my bed. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be awake
for long, I could already feel myself drifting.

“Ky wait up?”

I turned to see Kelly jogging towards
me
Damn, I was trapped
I stopped and
waited for her. I had been finished with classes for a while but decided to
chill in the café with a few classmates to go over some notes for a group
project.

“Hey girl what’s up?” Kelly asked
breathing a little heavy from her jog to catch up with me.

“Nothing, heading back to the dorms,
what’s up?”

“Doesn’t your boyfriend go to UNCG?”

“Yeah why?” I was curious now.

“So you know your way around there
pretty good?”

“Kind of I guess.”

“You’re finished with class for today
right?”
How the hell does she know my schedule?

“Yeah but I’m about to head back and
try to finish this research paper.”

“I need a super huge favor, will you
take me over there to meet my cousin? I can pay you but I really need to get
over there.”

I knew that was coming
“When?”

“Like now if you can. I can give you
twenty for gas I just really need to get over there. She lives in Jefferson and
I don’t really know any other way to get over there.”

“Yeah come on, she bringing you
back?”

“Yeah, I just need to get there.
Thanks Ky, really appreciate it. I know you hate to see me coming but the
struggle is real without a car.”

“Its fine, I’m just running all the
time but I understand.”
I lied, I just
hate playing taxi.

We walked to my car and Kelly got in
the passenger side, I threw my book bag in the back seat and got in the driver’s
side. It was after three so thought about stopping by to see Xavier since I
knew his classes were finished by now but I still hadn’t heard from him since
we returned from Apex. It took us about fifteen minutes to get to his campus
but it felt like forever with Kelly’s nonstop rambling about her ex-boyfriend,
failing classes, back stabbing friends and constant manipulation of my radio
which annoyed me more than anything, so when we finally reached UNCG I was more
than ready to get her out of my car.

“You said Jefferson right?” I asked
when we pulled on campus.

“Yeah girl, do you know where that
is?”

“Not really but it’s gotta be over
here. All the dorms are in the same place.”

“I think that’s it over there.” Kelly
said pointing to a sign that had the dorm name and arrows on it.”

I pulled into the parking lot and
then in front of the building. Kelly reached in her pocket and pulled out two
ten dollar bills and handed them to me. “I appreciate it girl.”

“No problem.” I flashed her a fake
smile.

I drove back to campus and decided to
get to work on my research paper again. I was almost finished and I just wanted
to be done with it. When I walked in Toni yelled from her bedroom.

“Where you been?”

I dropped my book bag on the sofa and
walked into her room where I found her laid out on her bed scrolling through
her iPad.

“I took Kelly to UNCG.” I said and
sat down at her desk.

“Wtf girl, how did you get roped into
that.” She said and laughed.

“She caught me coming out of the
café.”

“Dang that’s messed up, did you go
see Zay?”

“Nah, I haven’t talked to him.”

“What’s up with that?”

“Who knows, hopefully I’ll see him
tonight.”

Toni gave me a concerned look. “You
sure you two are straight?”

“Yeah we’re cool.”

               
“Hump,
if you say so.”

               
“I’m
about to go work on this research paper so I’ll catch up with you later.”

               
“I’m
about to catch a nap, shut my light off please.” Toni said and then laid her IPad
down on her nightstand.

               
“Good
luck with that.”

               
I shut
off Toni’s light, closed her door and then picked up my book bag, let the torture
begin.