JACE HYDE
"What did you want to talk about?" I asked, playing with the rings on my fingers. Kiara sat across from me, chewing on her bottom lip. It was a nervous tick of hers and I used to find it endearing. Now I couldn't stand to look at her face for more than two seconds maximum.
"I don't know how to tell you this, Jace..." She trailed off, glancing around the cafe as if looking for moral support to say her piece.
"Just spit it out, Kiara. I don't have all day," I said firmly. It was true. I had to be at the agency to deal with this Barnes character. Ren was stressing his ass off and I wanted to see what I could do about the situation. There had to be a way out of it.
"I'm pregnant and I think the baby is yours." Kiara finally announced and I felt–literally felt–my heart dropping to my stomach.
"Come again?" I blurted as I blinked at her.
"I said I'm pregnant and you are the-"
"Yeah no, that's good enough." I cut her off. If she said the f-word, I would lose every ounce of sanity I owned.
"I think I conceived that night when I ran into you at the club and..." She trailed off as I stared at the table. I was the one scanning the place for some moral support this time. I needed it. Desperately.
"Are you sure you're pregnant?" I pursed my lips, dragging my gaze back to her.
"I took three different tests, Jace. I wouldn't have come to you if I wasn't sure." She responded. Well, fair enough.
I ran a hand through my hair as I slumped back in my chair. Shit. No, this situation deserved the big old, holy fuck.
"Motherfucker." I groaned as I dropped my head in my hands.
"Jace?" A familiar voice pulled me out of my thoughts and my blood chilled in my veins. Oh, hell nah. I straightened to find Ahvi and Eman standing behind Kiara's chair, looking at me curiously. There was a smugness in the former's eyes that disappeared when my gaze found hers.
Kiara turned in her chair and Ahvi's eyes turned to her, a slight frown settling on her lips. "Hi, Ahvi." Kiara greeted her, making her frown deepen.
"Hello?" Eman elbowed her in her side not-so-subtly and she straightened, dropping the frown. My gaze volleyed between the two women, wondering what sins I was paying for today. A baby? Really?
"Is everything alright here?" Ahvi asked as she looked back at me. There was a concern reflected in her eyes that had never been directed at me before. I swallowed as I nodded my head.
"Yes, yes, everything is alright. We were just leaving." I got up from my chair and Kiara awkwardly got out of hers. "I will see you around, Harley." I grinned at Ahvi, trying to get as much enthusiasm in my voice as I could muster as I led Kiara away from the two women.
"Why'd you insist we leave? I haven't had my coffee yet." Kiara hissed at me as we walked out of the cafe.
"It is bad enough that Ahvi has seen us together. I don't want her to find out why we are together too." I replied as I pulled out the keys of my car and gestured for her to get in. Kiara stepped into the passenger seat and I rounded the bonnet before slipping into the driver seat. As soon as I was settled, I turned to my ex-girlfriend. "Now tell me what the fuck you want me to do about this situation." I gritted out.
"What do you mean? You're the father of the child, Jace. Who else was I supposed to go to?" She asked and I flinched.
"Don't ever say that again, understand?" I stated firmly. "And alright, you've got a point. I will help you take care of the child but don't expect anything more from me."
"I'm going to be pregnant for nine months, Jace. You're going to leave me on my own?" Kiara asked, her blue eyes widening. The fear in them brought back flashbacks from a past that I had put far, far behind me. I gritted my teeth.
"I will take care of you too then. But there is and will never be anything more between us." I responded, sighing.
"I thought that..." Kiara trailed off and I glanced at her. Her throat bobbed as she fidgeted. "I thought that we could have a relationship...ummm...for the sake of our kid." She added.
I frowned. "No, no, no." I shook my head. "Absolutely not. The kid would be better off if its parents had no relationship at all. We both know how bad we are for each other, Kiara." I pointed out.
"But we can try. Now that we have a similar goal, we can try." She took my hand in hers and I pulled away from her touch.
"I'm agreeing to taking care of you and the baby but I am never going to agree to this. If you're not okay with this arrangement, I am out." I said, my gaze hard. Kiara and I were a disaster together and I didn't know how she didn't see it, didn't realize it. I didn't know how she could want to put her child through the mess that was created when we were in a relationship.
"Jace-"
"There is no place for negotiation, Kiara. Accept it or you can support yourself and the child." I knew I was being a dickhead but I didn't want to go back into a relationship with her. The hook-up with her was a mistake. I had been drunk and she had been the first warm body who had offered herself to me. I had regretted the decision I had made the moment I had opened my eyes and found her lying next to me. I didn't even remember if I had used a condom. Apparently, I hadn't.
"Alright," Kiara finally said, her lips quivering. "But think about it, Jace. Please." With that, she opened the car door and hopped out. I watched in the rearview as she walked away from the car. Once she was out of eyesight, I rested my head on the steering wheel, wondering what the fuck I had done. For the first time in my life I wondered if I should keep it in my pants more often, especially around exes and psychopaths.
>.<
I was leaning against the wall beside Ren's apartment door when the door cracked open. Ahvi peeked out, her eyebrows shooting up on her forehead.
"Can we talk?" I asked, pushing off the wall and taking a step toward the door. Her eyes narrowed at me but then she nodded.
"Come in." She took a step back, opening the door wider to let me in. I followed her into the apartment, heading straight for the couch in the living area. I plopped down, raising my legs to rest on the couch but caught Ahvi's glare just in time.
"I still think the white couch is impractical as fuck. The guys are coming over tonight. I don't guarantee its safety." I mumbled as I removed my boots and put them to the side.
"You're the only animal among the four of you. And Ren will promptly kick you out if you so much as look dirty at the couch." Ahvi responded as I propped my socks clad feet on the coffee table instead. Eman walked out into the living room right then, her gaze volleying between Ahvi and me.
"I would like to see him try." I replied before sobering up. I almost forgot what I came here for. "Good thing the both of you are here. Sit down." I gestured at the armchairs and the women looked positively scared. I tried and failed to make a joke.
When I didn't speak, Eman settled down in the armchair. Ahvi perched on the armrest, draping her arm over the back of the chair.
"Spit it out, Hyde. You're scaring Eman." The latter spoke, earning a glare from her friend.
"Us. You're scaring the both of us." Eman corrected her, making a face when Ahvi hissed something intelligible at her. I sighed as I mentally prepared myself to have this conversation.
"It's nothing to be scared about. I just wanted to talk about what you saw at the cafe today." I began but Ahvi interrupted me.
"Oh, you mean how we saw you with your crazy ass ex who should be in jail or a mental institution but somehow isn't? What were you thinking going to meet her? The woman is trouble, Jace and I think you are the one who knows it best." Woah. Those were the most words I had ever heard Ahvi use at a time.
"I know." I ran a hand through my hair. "She texted me last night, asking me to meet her. If I hadn't gone to meet her, she would have shown up at my house. Or worse. At the office." I added, shuddering at the thought.
"What did she want?" Ahvi asked, displeasure scrawled across her features. I secretly liked how wound up she was over the situation. She was worried for me. Now that was something I had spent years wanting to see.
"I..." I trailed off. Ahvi and Eman exchanged a look.
"Whatever you tell us will not leave this room. But you have to tell us. We need an explanation. Otherwise the other three musketeers will know what happened today and how you sneaked behind their backs to meet Kiara." It was Eman who laid the threat in front of me.
"Kiara is pregnant and the child is mine." I blurted out before I could cower once more. Silence fell in the room, heavy and thick with tension. In a moment, the anticipation had turned into horror and I could almost feel the air as it turned suffocating.
I stared at the rug, not wanting to look up and see the looks on Eman and Ahvi's faces. I pushed my legs off the coffee table, dropping my head in my hands propped up on my thighs.
"You did what?" Ahvi's voice was nothing but a whisper and I dared to look up. She had gone pale, her mouth falling open.
"I...We ran into each other at the club a few weeks ago and somehow she ended up in my bed. And now she's pregnant. Please don't tell the guys." I hurried to explain.
"You're going to be a father?" Eman breathed out and I cringed.
"Yeah, no. Can we please not use that word in my presence?" I forced on a smile.
"Right. Sorry." She responded. "So you're going to have a baby? A whole baby?" I nodded my head and the three of us fell silent once again. A whole baby. Shit.