liner, and dancing with something beyond my ability to comprehend. It dawned on me Chase was seeing me obviously fresh from a shower, as she stood next to her sister – who was wrapped only in a towel with her hair as wet as mine. There was no way Chase couldn’t join the dots.
With one of those smiles that said she knew something about the world no one else did, Chase ran her gaze over me, from the top of my wet head to my crotch and back up to my face again, and then cocked one pierced eyebrow. “If it isn’t the Wonder from Down Under. So … tell me, what’s it like to find out you’re a father?”
A Simple Realization of a Simple, Undeniable Fact
“Chase!” Amanda gasped.
I wanted to look at her, to see if she was laughing at what her sister had just said. But I couldn’t. I stared at Chase, her question echoing in my head. Find out I was a what ?
The thing with Chase is she has that distinct speech of one who’s grown up without hearing clearly. Sometimes, especially when she’s in a mood – either playful or surly – her words aren’t always clear. Amanda suspected Chase emphasized it at times, just to see how the person she was talking to would react.
Now had to be one of those times. Had to be. Otherwise …
“You know that’s why you’re here, right?” Chase looked at me with an unwavering gaze. “You didn’t think the golden child over there just invited you all this way to screw in the shower, did you? I mean, after what Dad told her, the very fact you are here means she’s decided to—”
“ Chase ,” Amanda repeated, horror in her voice.
I blinked. My gut churned and rolled. “I’m sorry?”
Chase snorted, her lips twisting in a smirk. “No need to apologize to me. I’m not the one you knocked—”
“That’s enough, Chase.”
Cold anger filled Amanda’s sharp snap. I turned to her, my eyes burning. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Oh my God, you didn’t tell him?”
I looked back at Chase. Dull pressure throbbed in my temples and behind my eyes. In the few times I’d been in Chase’s company, I’d never really known what she was thinking. She could be the most wonderful, warm person in the world when she wanted to be, or the most cutting.
Now, she regarded me with an expression I could only describe as contrite disbelief. “Oh God, I didn’t … Oh wow. Oh wow.”
Something cold and invisible punched me in the chest. I drew in a sharp breath, unable to move.
Chase seemed equally frozen, her eyes flicking from me to where Amanda stood, out of my peripheral vision. “Sis? You didn’t … he doesn’t know?”
“Know what?” I asked her. Her. Not Amanda. I couldn’t look at Amanda. If I did, I don’t know what I would do. Or say.
“Sis?” Chase repeated, looking like a tiny rabbit trapped in rapidly approaching headlights.
“Bren,” Amanda’s voice was little more than a husky rasp. “I should have … I mean … I didn’t mean to … I didn’t know how …”
“Know what, Chase?” I repeated, ignoring Amanda. My whole body felt like it was being ripped apart. An invisible, icy fist was slamming into me, over and over. My head roared, my eyes were on fire. “Tell me, because it seems like your sister hasn’t got the guts to do so.”
Chase winced. Amanda made a choked noise. “Oh God, Brendon, I didn’t … I’m sorry. I don’t … I wish …”
And still I couldn’t look at her. Still, all I could do was fix my stare on her sister and wait. Wait. Even as I knew what she was going to say.
Knew .
“You’re a daddy, Brendon,” Chase finally said. “You have an eighteen-month-old son called—”
I turned on my heel and strode for the bathroom. I didn’t stop when Amanda called after me, didn’t look at her when she came bursting into the room.
“Brendon, I should have told you at the airport.” Tears filled her voice. I didn’t look at her as I snatched up my gym bag and backpack and flung them
With one of those smiles that said she knew something about the world no one else did, Chase ran her gaze over me, from the top of my wet head to my crotch and back up to my face again, and then cocked one pierced eyebrow. “If it isn’t the Wonder from Down Under. So … tell me, what’s it like to find out you’re a father?”
A Simple Realization of a Simple, Undeniable Fact
“Chase!” Amanda gasped.
I wanted to look at her, to see if she was laughing at what her sister had just said. But I couldn’t. I stared at Chase, her question echoing in my head. Find out I was a what ?
The thing with Chase is she has that distinct speech of one who’s grown up without hearing clearly. Sometimes, especially when she’s in a mood – either playful or surly – her words aren’t always clear. Amanda suspected Chase emphasized it at times, just to see how the person she was talking to would react.
Now had to be one of those times. Had to be. Otherwise …
“You know that’s why you’re here, right?” Chase looked at me with an unwavering gaze. “You didn’t think the golden child over there just invited you all this way to screw in the shower, did you? I mean, after what Dad told her, the very fact you are here means she’s decided to—”
“ Chase ,” Amanda repeated, horror in her voice.
I blinked. My gut churned and rolled. “I’m sorry?”
Chase snorted, her lips twisting in a smirk. “No need to apologize to me. I’m not the one you knocked—”
“That’s enough, Chase.”
Cold anger filled Amanda’s sharp snap. I turned to her, my eyes burning. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Oh my God, you didn’t tell him?”
I looked back at Chase. Dull pressure throbbed in my temples and behind my eyes. In the few times I’d been in Chase’s company, I’d never really known what she was thinking. She could be the most wonderful, warm person in the world when she wanted to be, or the most cutting.
Now, she regarded me with an expression I could only describe as contrite disbelief. “Oh God, I didn’t … Oh wow. Oh wow.”
Something cold and invisible punched me in the chest. I drew in a sharp breath, unable to move.
Chase seemed equally frozen, her eyes flicking from me to where Amanda stood, out of my peripheral vision. “Sis? You didn’t … he doesn’t know?”
“Know what?” I asked her. Her. Not Amanda. I couldn’t look at Amanda. If I did, I don’t know what I would do. Or say.
“Sis?” Chase repeated, looking like a tiny rabbit trapped in rapidly approaching headlights.
“Bren,” Amanda’s voice was little more than a husky rasp. “I should have … I mean … I didn’t mean to … I didn’t know how …”
“Know what, Chase?” I repeated, ignoring Amanda. My whole body felt like it was being ripped apart. An invisible, icy fist was slamming into me, over and over. My head roared, my eyes were on fire. “Tell me, because it seems like your sister hasn’t got the guts to do so.”
Chase winced. Amanda made a choked noise. “Oh God, Brendon, I didn’t … I’m sorry. I don’t … I wish …”
And still I couldn’t look at her. Still, all I could do was fix my stare on her sister and wait. Wait. Even as I knew what she was going to say.
Knew .
“You’re a daddy, Brendon,” Chase finally said. “You have an eighteen-month-old son called—”
I turned on my heel and strode for the bathroom. I didn’t stop when Amanda called after me, didn’t look at her when she came bursting into the room.
“Brendon, I should have told you at the airport.” Tears filled her voice. I didn’t look at her as I snatched up my gym bag and backpack and flung them
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