Baby Dearest

If You Want It, Take It

"He just treats people so perfectly," she said while waving her finger between her brother and I, referencing the interaction we just had. "Plus, he's handsome. I just don't know why he isn't married yet,"she wondered out loud. Because he wasted all that time on my mother and now has to take care of her kids.

"Yeah, who knows," I mumbled.

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Later that week

"Nicole, how aren't you panting right now," Kane groaned. I laughed at him after walking back into the living room from down the hall. There were people working on the air conditioner and Mother Nature decided to make it 101 degrees out. Kane and I decided to drag out an old fan from his from the garage and put it in the front room as we sat on the couch and ate popsicles.

Josh was out for the day at a friends once again. I had dropped him off since it was hot and Kane was already sending me out to fill up both of our gas tanks. I actually hadn't paid for a single thing since living here. Even after I went out with Anthony, I found forty dollars on top of my dresser the next morning. I definitely hadn't spent forty dollars that night and I still had child support money from my father hitting my account, which Kane knew about. That would end soon though. Sure I had savings but I didn't want to dip into those and I didn't want to ask Kane for money either.

It was interesting how I went from keeping the house afloat with mom to simply living life as carefree as possible with Kane.

I sat down next to him in the dark room on the couch as the radio played. "Because I'm not wearing jean pants and a t shirt like you," I laughed. I had initially stepped outside in jeans but immediately came back inside and opted for shorts and a tank top.

He looked over a me and rolled his eyes playfully, dropping a hand on my knee. Looking down at it, I smiled to myself and looked up at him.

"Just take a cold shower or something. They'll be done soon," I shrugged.

I hoped to god they'd be done soon. I was starting to feel as uncomfortable as Kane was, but I was still restless for some reason. The day just felt off. Kane laughed, his shoulders jumping as he shook his head and looked up. "I haven't taken one of those since I was a teenage boy," he smiled, rubbing his chin. "I do need to shave though," he mumbled. I leaned over and ran a finger down the lower half of his face. He did.

"I really can't take it Nicole. I mean, how long are they going to be," he said, running his hand down his face. He was out of water. Grabbing his cup from in front of him, I stood up.

"Don't be a baby, Kane," I teased him. I was shocked the grown man couldn't take a little bit of heat. He'd lived in Oklahoma his whole life, he should be used to it. "You're the one whose partially naked," he mumbled. I didn't hear any complaints about it.

"And whose the one huffing and puffing here? Not the 'naked' one," I jabbed back, filling his cup up with ice before pouring water into it. Hopefully it would shut him up. "Follow my lead and just take your shirt off, you'll feel better," I said bluntly, channeling my inner Josephine. After finally seeing her last week for the first time all summer, I missed her. Imagine the shit we could be getting into right now at the pool.

"Your shirt is on, Nicole," he called back to me from the living room. It didn't have to stay that way if he didn't want it to. "Plus, if I do that you might run your hands over my abs again," he laughed.

"Jesus Christ, Kane," I whispered under my breath as I returned to the living room with his water. He took my advice and was removing his white t shirt, throwing it on the recliner.