“You are, huh? Then how did she manage to get that frog into the car?”
“I don’t know. Weren’t you watching her?”
“Children,” I interjected and set Ken on her feet when the vein in Keiran’s forehead made its appearance. I was happy to see some of their former relationship mending itself. With each day, their brotherly bond was returning but today was not one for me to be high on patience. When I had their identical glares, I continued. “What is the reason for this visit?”
“We told you. We’re babysitting. Shelly and Lake abandoned us with Ken for girl time,” Keenan pouted.
“And?”
“This includes you.”
I gritted my teeth. “What includes me?”
“Babysitting. We think it’s only fair you share your load.”
“My load? It’s one three year old girl.”
They each looked at me as if I was in denial and I had to agree. Kennedy could be a handful pretty much all of the time but I didn’t have time to pacify them.
“That’s not all,” Keiran huffed. “Her b-i-r-t-h-d-a-y is in two weeks and their making us plan it.”
I couldn’t help it. I had to laugh at his helpless expression. Four years ago, I never would have imagined anyone would ever have Keiran Masters by the balls, much less Lake Monroe, but as it turned out the girl he spent his entire childhood and young adult life torturing, had them clenched in her iron fist.
Karma is a bitch you should never fuck raw.
“I don’t know why you’re laughing. The last thing they said was to make sure you helped.”
“Fuck, I’m really busy here. I’m sure you’ll manage without me.”
“Too late. We already promised her we’re all going to the park.”
“Yay! Park!” Kennedy looked up from digging in her backpack and screamed. “Uncle Dash come, too?”
I could have killed the snickering idiots. How do you turn down an adorable three-year-old as cute as her?
You didn’t.
And the assholes knew it.
Rather than answer her because I couldn’t trust myself to keep the anger and aggravation out of my voice, I turned my glare full on to my best friends. “The park is back home. You did this on purpose,” I said, stating the obvious.
“Of course we did,” Keenan shrugged. “Now leave behind whatever shoved that stick up you a-s-s and come on.”
* * *
I watched Ken take another ride on the slide. No matter how many times she slid, it never seemed to get old. To be that innocent and without burdens was now foreign and out of reach to me. I lived with it and was just grateful that Ken would have a good life. I looked at Keiran and Keenan, who watched her with the same wonder as I did, and knew that she had more than enough people guarding her to ensure it.
“We need to do something about Esmerelda and find whoever the fuck killed John.”
“Your father,” I blurted, earning their confused stares.
“Come again?”
“John was your father.” I looked at Keiran to let him know it was meant for him too. “He fucked up. He knew it and he died hoping you two would forgive him for your own sake. Respect his memory by accepting him for who he failed to be for you, no matter how imperfect he was at it.” I shook my head and thought about my own father. Our relationship was nearly nonexistent. He had finally stopped interfering but with that came the end to our relationship as father and son. The worst part was that I didn’t mourn the loss. “We only get one.”
Kennedy ran over, interrupting the tension that followed. “Daddy, I go swing now.” She slid her tiny hand into Keenan’s and I watched as he gripped it as if searching for strength. I wasn’t prepared for the emotion in his eyes when he swung his gaze to me.
“Of course, Princess.”
Keenan led her to the swings, leaving Keiran and me on the bench. I fixed my gaze ahead even though I could feel his on me.
“Whatever you’re thinking I know you’ll say so what are you waiting for?”
Another few seconds of tense silence passed.
“Why did you let her go?’
Fuck.
I wasn’t expecting that.
It took me longer than necessary to answer though it wasn’t much of one. “Does it matter? She’s gone.”
“She’ll never be gone. She’ll haunt you forever, bro.”
“She’s not dead. I let her go and she left.”
I still hadn’t looked at him but I heard him inhale and let it all out a second later. “And that pisses you off, doesn’t it?” I shrugged and stopped my nails from digging into my thigh. “When I realized I loved Lake, I knew,” he continued. “She’s everything for me. She’s my light and my air and I’m nothing without it. She stopped me from dying and when she stopped me from dying, she became my existence… Just like Willow became yours.”
“I don’t know. Weren’t you watching her?”
“Children,” I interjected and set Ken on her feet when the vein in Keiran’s forehead made its appearance. I was happy to see some of their former relationship mending itself. With each day, their brotherly bond was returning but today was not one for me to be high on patience. When I had their identical glares, I continued. “What is the reason for this visit?”
“We told you. We’re babysitting. Shelly and Lake abandoned us with Ken for girl time,” Keenan pouted.
“And?”
“This includes you.”
I gritted my teeth. “What includes me?”
“Babysitting. We think it’s only fair you share your load.”
“My load? It’s one three year old girl.”
They each looked at me as if I was in denial and I had to agree. Kennedy could be a handful pretty much all of the time but I didn’t have time to pacify them.
“That’s not all,” Keiran huffed. “Her b-i-r-t-h-d-a-y is in two weeks and their making us plan it.”
I couldn’t help it. I had to laugh at his helpless expression. Four years ago, I never would have imagined anyone would ever have Keiran Masters by the balls, much less Lake Monroe, but as it turned out the girl he spent his entire childhood and young adult life torturing, had them clenched in her iron fist.
Karma is a bitch you should never fuck raw.
“I don’t know why you’re laughing. The last thing they said was to make sure you helped.”
“Fuck, I’m really busy here. I’m sure you’ll manage without me.”
“Too late. We already promised her we’re all going to the park.”
“Yay! Park!” Kennedy looked up from digging in her backpack and screamed. “Uncle Dash come, too?”
I could have killed the snickering idiots. How do you turn down an adorable three-year-old as cute as her?
You didn’t.
And the assholes knew it.
Rather than answer her because I couldn’t trust myself to keep the anger and aggravation out of my voice, I turned my glare full on to my best friends. “The park is back home. You did this on purpose,” I said, stating the obvious.
“Of course we did,” Keenan shrugged. “Now leave behind whatever shoved that stick up you a-s-s and come on.”
* * *
I watched Ken take another ride on the slide. No matter how many times she slid, it never seemed to get old. To be that innocent and without burdens was now foreign and out of reach to me. I lived with it and was just grateful that Ken would have a good life. I looked at Keiran and Keenan, who watched her with the same wonder as I did, and knew that she had more than enough people guarding her to ensure it.
“We need to do something about Esmerelda and find whoever the fuck killed John.”
“Your father,” I blurted, earning their confused stares.
“Come again?”
“John was your father.” I looked at Keiran to let him know it was meant for him too. “He fucked up. He knew it and he died hoping you two would forgive him for your own sake. Respect his memory by accepting him for who he failed to be for you, no matter how imperfect he was at it.” I shook my head and thought about my own father. Our relationship was nearly nonexistent. He had finally stopped interfering but with that came the end to our relationship as father and son. The worst part was that I didn’t mourn the loss. “We only get one.”
Kennedy ran over, interrupting the tension that followed. “Daddy, I go swing now.” She slid her tiny hand into Keenan’s and I watched as he gripped it as if searching for strength. I wasn’t prepared for the emotion in his eyes when he swung his gaze to me.
“Of course, Princess.”
Keenan led her to the swings, leaving Keiran and me on the bench. I fixed my gaze ahead even though I could feel his on me.
“Whatever you’re thinking I know you’ll say so what are you waiting for?”
Another few seconds of tense silence passed.
“Why did you let her go?’
Fuck.
I wasn’t expecting that.
It took me longer than necessary to answer though it wasn’t much of one. “Does it matter? She’s gone.”
“She’ll never be gone. She’ll haunt you forever, bro.”
“She’s not dead. I let her go and she left.”
I still hadn’t looked at him but I heard him inhale and let it all out a second later. “And that pisses you off, doesn’t it?” I shrugged and stopped my nails from digging into my thigh. “When I realized I loved Lake, I knew,” he continued. “She’s everything for me. She’s my light and my air and I’m nothing without it. She stopped me from dying and when she stopped me from dying, she became my existence… Just like Willow became yours.”
