I snorted out a laugh and took the hand that was on my arm and curled my fingers around it. “Oh, you can be a she-beast on the regular, but like I said, she’s survived far worse. I’ll ask her how she feels about meeting up with you and if she’s comfortable with it we’ll set something up.”
Kallie’s fingers squeezed mine and she whispered, “Another relationship where you’re letting your lady call all the shots? I thought you would be sick of that after me.”
“It’s not about calling the shots, it’s about me doing what’s best for her because in the long run, what’s best for her is what’s best for me.” And the reverse was true. She wanted whatever it was that was going to make me happy because that was what made her happy. I was pretty sure that was what the definition of true love broke down to.
“I hope she deserves you, Wheeler.” We rounded the corner and I fought not to stumble as her father’s eyes immediately went to where our hands were locked together and her mother’s eyes sharpened and her mouth tightened in a frown I could read from all the way across the room.
“She more than earned me, Kallie. Now it’s up to me to prove to her that I’m the one who deserves her.” I squeezed her hand one last time and let it drop so I could make my way over to her dad. I stuck my hand out, fully expecting him to ignore it, and was stunned when he clasped it with his far more callused one and gave it a firm shake. “Long time no see, Russ.”
He gave a somber nod. “That it has been, son.”
I looked at Kallie’s mom and decided it was in my best interest not to try and make nice. I tilted my chin down and muttered, “Nice to see you, Deb.”
She let out a huff and took a seat on the couch next to her husband’s wheelchair. Russ reached for her hand and held it on his lap as Kallie and I took our seats on the opposite love seat. I could feel the way she was shaking, so I put a hand on her knee. I watched her close her eyes and compose herself as her mother snapped, “If you asked to meet with us to tell us that you’re getting back together, I have to tell you that your father and I do not support that decision. We’re too old to keep moving you in and out of places, Kallie, and we’ll never recoup the money we lost in deposits on that damned wedding.”
Kallie made a strangled noise in her throat. I sighed and looked Deb right in the eye as I told her, “Tell me how much it cost and I’ll pay you back. I’m the one who canceled it, I don’t mind being the one out the money.”
“Son.” Russ’s tone was warning. “The money isn’t the issue and you know it.” I did know it. I also knew they still thought I had simply left their youngest high and dry even after everything I’d done to prove that I would never let her or them down.
“We aren’t getting back together, not now, not ever.” Kallie’s voice had a tremor in it but she spoke clearly and with obvious determination. “But even though we aren’t going to be in a relationship, we are going to raise this baby together and continue to be in each other’s lives. You two should know that Wheeler would never have canceled the wedding without a good reason. He would never hurt me, or you, on purpose.”
“Princess.” Russ’s warning tone was now aimed at his daughter. “All we know is you called us crying, asking us to move you out of the house we had just moved you into. You told us the wedding was off, that Wheeler pulled the plug, and then you announced you were pregnant. All of that combined paints a pretty clear picture that your boy did indeed go out of his way to fuck things up royally.”
I stiffened in my seat and bit my tongue to avoid snapping out an angry defense of myself. If they wanted to believe I could be that callous and cruel, so be it. I was done trying to prove my worth to people that didn’t want me.
Kallie’s head shook violently from side to side. “No, Dad, you and Mom only have the picture I painted for you. I left out lots of details because I was scared of how you would react when you knew the truth.”
“What truth?” Deb sounded impatient but she was no longer glaring at me like she wanted to throat-punch me and kick me in the balls. “What’s going on, Kallie?”
She looked at me and I nodded encouragingly. I flipped my hand over and laced our fingers back together. She blinked a couple of times and took a deep breath before blurting out in a rush, “Wheeler canceled the wedding because I cheated on him. I didn’t give him much of a choice.”
“Oh, Kallie.” Her mom lifted her fingers to her mouth and shook her head much like her daughter had done. “How could you do that to him?”
Russ looked at me and looked back to his daughter. His mustache was pulled down as a scowl crossed his stern face. “You sure the baby is yours, son?”
Kallie balked in horror next to me as I stiffened in response. It seemed like I wasn’t the only one in the room that they were going to automatically assume the worst about. “The baby is mine, Russ. I’m not going anywhere.”
He gave a jerky nod as Kallie continued to bare her soul. “The reason he’s so sure the baby is his is because the person I was having an affair with isn’t a man, Dad. She’s a wonderful woman named Roni and we’ve been involved for a little over a year.”
Silence greeted that bombshell and out of the corner of my eye I saw tears start to fall over Kallie’s dark lashes. I let go of her hand and wrapped my arm around her shoulder so I could pull her into a side hug like I had done a million times in the past. She shuddered against me and I felt her tears soak into my T-shirt.
“Are you telling us that you’re involved in a relationship with a woman, Kallie? That she’s the reason you and Wheeler are no longer together?” Kallie’s mom asked the question softly, obviously seeing how close to the edge her daughter was.
Kallie nodded and sniffed loudly. “I am, and I can honestly say, I’ve never been happier, minus the lying and sneaking around so no one would find out.”
Kallie’s mother cocked her head to the side and considered both of us thoughtfully for a long moment. “Are you sure this is a real thing, Kallie, and not just some kind of experiment? You two got very serious at a young age and it makes sense that both of you would be curious as to what else was waiting for you in the world.”
Kallie violently shook her head in the negative and looked at me instead of them when she spoke. “I know I can be selfish and shortsighted but I would never willfully throw away the amazing life I had for a fluke or a phase. I never intended to hurt Wheeler and I never wanted to lie to my family, but I couldn’t stop myself. I love Wheeler and I know that there is no better man out there. I’m so proud that I’m having his baby but our relationship wasn’t working.” She lifted a hand to my face and cupped my cheek in a gesture that was far more tender than any she’d given me all the years we were together. “I know you tried, that you nearly killed yourself trying to make us work, and I know I rewarded your effort by being nasty and horrible. I felt so guilty. I knew I was hurting everyone I cared about but I couldn’t stop. You deserved better.” She turned to look at her parents and told them softly, “From all of us.”