Stained Red

Chapter Thirty

Stained Red Chapter Thirty

Isaac sighed as he sat down on the couch and he closed his eyes. It had been two weeks now with the children and except for that first day he hadn't seen or heard from Kate and for some reason he almost missed her..almost. He wasn't sure why he was feeling this way because up until recently they hadn't even been that close.

Kate had just been in his life because she was Natalie's friend and Zac's wife but now Isaac had found that since they had met again in Alabama that he had taken a liking to her in some sort. She wasn't as much of a nag as Zac made her out to be and she was kind of fun to be around not to mention she hadn't lied to him like everyone else had it seemed. She too had been burned by the same people he had.

Opening his eyes Isaac reached into his pocket for his cell phone and soon he was searching his contacts for Kate's name. When he reached it he found himself torn between his want to call her and him being nervous that maybe she didn't want to talk to him. Maybe she had realized he wasn't okay to be around. Maybe she was just sick of him now.

Taking a deep breath he finally hit send watching as his call went through and he put the phone to his ear hoping that she answered.

"Hello," Kate spoke into the receiver. She had seen the i.d. before picking up so she knew it was Isaac calling her.

"I'm glad you picked up," Isaac found himself smiling at the sound of Kate's voice. "I was beginning to think you were ignoring me or something. I haven't seen or heard from you since the first day with the kids."

Kate couldn't help but shake her head at that even though Isaac couldn't see her, "Not you per say just anyone named Hanson except for my two lovely children."

"And what's with the Hanson strike?" Isaac asked feeling confused as to why she wanted to avoid his family now.

"Because your brother pissed me off but it's just me being trivial and petty actually," Kate shrugged as she looked down at the floor in the guest room she had been occupying at the relatives house she was staying at. "I shouldn't be this way but I am and it's probably one of the many reasons Zac and I were never destined to work."

Isaac made a face hearing that Zac had pissed Kate off, "How did he make you upset?" he asked feeling curious at what Zac had done this time.

"I..I found out about him and Natalie," Kate spoke not even sure if Isaac knew but something in her gut told her that he did. He had came back to Alabama with a sense of closure which meant he had probably taken Natalie and Zac's relationship better than she had.

"Oh," Isaac muttered softly not even sure Kate had heard him. "I was wondering when they'd tell you."

Kate sighed harshly at Isaac's words, "They did..or well Zac did. Does it make me a bitch to get so upset over it?"

"I don't think it makes you a bitch to get upset," Isaac shrugged as he looked down at his pants. "But I mean, do you still love Zac? Is that why it makes you upset?"

"No," Kate answered quickly not even having to think over that. "I mean I'll always love Zac as the father of my children but I'm not in love with him anymore. I think I'm just more upset that he has moved on so quickly and I'm just still single and yeah...I guess I just expected Zac to mope around, not confirm what I always knew and that was him being in love with someone else, even if I didn't know that someone else was my best friend."

Isaac chewed his lip guessing that made some sense, "I think that makes sense in a way," he said nodding though she couldn't see him. "You know if you want to end your all things Hanson strike I know something that could maybe cheer you up."

"And just what would that be?" Kate asked as she smiled slightly at Isaac's words.

"Well since we have never really had any alone time without our children...maybe dinner and a night out on the town," Isaac suggested not even sure if Kate would agree. "I mean if you're up for drinking and having fun Kathryn," he said a hint of playfulness in his voice. "I just realized I don't know you as more than Zac's wife and Natalie's friend and I did like the time we spent together before Zac told you about him and Natalie."

Hesitating briefly as she thought over Isaac's words Kate sighed, "I..." she started but stopped herself. "Sure," she agreed knowing she had never really been out drinking. It was one thing she and Zac used to argue over. How uptight she was.

"Really?" Isaac asked almost stunned. He wasn't sure why but he had been almost scared she would have said no.

"Yeah, really," Kate chuckled nervously as she shrugged. "When?"

Isaac thought it over for a minute, "Does tomorrow at eight sound good?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow. "I have a neighbor who lives across the hall and she's in love with the children so she can watch them for me,"

"Tomorrow at eight sounds nice," Kate smiled as she nodded her head.

"Good," Isaac grinned not even able to control it. "Goodnight Katie," he said before hearing her offer a good night as well and hanging up. It was only after he hung up that he wondered if tomorrow night qualified as a date.
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Natalie blushed as she rested her hands on her stomach. She was having lunch with her mother today and somehow the topic of Zac had been brought up. Two weeks had passed since their argument and even though she missed him she had been ignoring every effort of his to contact her because she wasn't so sure he had called and told Kate about them.

"Zac keeps calling me now," Pam chided as she shook her head. "I think you should really hear the poor boy out Natalie Anne. He loves you and misses you and it's obvious you miss him as well."

"But what if he hasn't told Kate?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow as she looked her mother square in the eye. "I don't want to go around being his dirty secret until he decides it's time to tell his soon to be ex-wife about us."

"I did tell Kate," Zac spoke from where he now stood at the table. He had shown up right as Natalie started talking.

Turning to face Zac, Natalie looked from him and her mom as recognition finally hit her, "You set this up," she accused knowing this lunch date had been her mom's idea.

Pam nodded at her daughter's accusation, "I'm tired of him calling me," she smiled faintly as she stood from her place, offering it to Zac instead. "Just listen to him Nat," she said before turning and leaving Zac and Natalie alone to talk.

Once her mother had left Natalie watched Zac sit down in her place. "You really told Kate?" she asked as she chewed her lip.

"I really told Kate," Zac nodded as he locked eyes with Natalie. "I told her the night we had our argument. I..I just didn't want to be away from you for so long. We've already wasted so much time, why waste more right? So I told her."

Natalie sighed as she nodded. Being here in front of Zac and seeing the way he looked at her, he seemed sincere. "How did she take it?"

"Not good," Zac frowned as he remembered her reaction. "She's been ignoring me too but I'm sure she'll come around like she always does," he shrugged at least hoping that she would. "I'm hoping you'll come around too and forgive me, I mean for the argument."

"I was just as much at fault," Natalie told him as she stood from her seat and went to sit beside Zac. "I can forgive you if you forgive me," she smiled at him before he leaned in to peck her lips which she took as a sign that he had forgiven her. "So...we can finally be official."

"We can," Zac grinned as he reached his hand down to rest on her bump. "Does that scare you?"

Scrunching her nose, Natalie shook her head, "Not really. Just makes me wish we had done it sooner to be honest. Maybe if I hadn't lied but I can't change the past. I can only work to fix things now."