Now, she was a stranger, and one I didn’t trust. “What the hell are you going on about?”
He raised his head just a little and mumbled the words, “The baby.”
I walked across the kitchen, and sat down at the table across from him. “Did you just say that you have a baby?”
He couldn’t even lift his head, which I figured just confirmed it. I eyed Blaze as he stood in the doorway between the hall and the kitchen. He shrugged his mountainous shoulders, and lifted his hands as if to say, your family, your problem . I waved him off, and he retreated back into the bedroom.
“Ryder, I need you to focus. Are you telling me that Sawyer left because she was pregnant?”
He simply nodded.
Oh my dear God. How could that be possible? Was that why she had left so long ago?
“Then I eat my words. Sawyer isn’t working with the Feds.”
He sat up, but his eyes were unfocused, as if his head was spinning. He was squinting at me, clearly having trouble seeing straight. “I told you,” he mumbled, slurring his words.
“Okay, okay, you told me. Now, what the hell are you going to do about this? Did she have the baby? Where’s the kid now?”
He simply shrugged again, and put his head back down on the table with a thud. I shook him, but he didn’t move, the alcohol finally taking over. He was completely passed out. I prayed that he wouldn’t wake up, and puke all over my kitchen floor.
I sat back in the chair, crossing my arms, and thought about what he revealed for a minute. Ryder, a father? And why didn’t Sawyer tell us that she had been pregnant? Everyone would’ve been ecstatic, especially Ryder. I didn’t understand. I got up from the table and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge, and two aspirin from the cupboard. I set them down in front of Ryder for whenever he woke up and walked back to bed.
Blaze followed me, but knew better than to ask any questions. And I fell into a restless sleep, wondering what else my family was hiding from me.
TWO
TRISTA
The next morning, I walked out to find Blaze making breakfast in the kitchen, but Ryder was nowhere to be seen. “He left already?” I asked groggily.
“I guess. When I got up to go for a run, he wasn’t here, and that was a couple hours ago. I’m sure he was embarrassed.” He turned to look at me. “Are you okay? I don’t want him and all of that last night to shake you. We have a job to do today.”
I pushed up on my tiptoes, and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’m fine. Whatever drama Ryder and Sawyer are going through is their own business. Today is about you and me and these cars. And all the money that is going to come from them.” I smiled at him, and he returned it, laughing a little at my excitement.
“You want eggs? I also made some toast.”
This was just one of the many reasons I loved having Blaze around. I couldn’t cook for shit, and before he started staying with me a few nights a week, I was considering buying stock in TV dinners and pizza joints. But, now that he was here, breakfast was made every morning. And, occasionally, he would even cook dinner, or at least bring home take-out. It was just nice to have someone else around. Suddenly, it was feeling like constantly being alone might not be for me anymore.
“Can I have my eggs on my toast? Like a sandwich?”
He laughed and nodded before scooping my meal onto a plate. “So go over everything with me again. We’re a married couple…” There was a little too much excitement in his eyes with his words, and I tried to ignore it, and the flip my stomach did, hearing them.
I sat and started to chow down on my breakfast. “Yes, we’re married. We’re not going to lie about where we live. We’re from Brooks Landing, and we own a successful restaurant. Italian. It’s called Stefano’s. We’re looking to purchase a sports car for your birthday, and that’s all we’re saying. We don’t want to seem like we know a lot about cars. That will tip
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