Sold #3 - A Haunting Hope

Chapter 22

By the end of the week, Tai knew that his time alone with Lani was growing short. Soon enough Darcy and Michael would get back and he would have to explain himself, admit to their relationship and allow someone else into their day. He had got so used to having her all to himself, coming home to her from work or a race, enjoying her company, sleeping beside her, making love to her. It had been an incredible two weeks together and he couldn't believe how brave she had always been in their relationship, or how confident she was that they were meant to be together. But, after talking very seriously about it, they had both agreed that their attraction had started that first day they met, and only grown, in secret, ever since. Even when they hadn't expected to see each other again, they had felt the attraction and been afraid that their chance to do something about it was gone. Lani decided that they would never make that mistake again; if they wanted to do or say something, then they should. They wouldn't lose their chance at being happy, especially if it was a one time only deal.

And so when Kyle called and asked if he could come over that Saturday, Tai agreed, hoping it would give them a practice run at having their privacy invaded. It would be a good trial for when Michael and Darcy returned. "Hey kid, is everything alright? You sounded a bit jumpy on the phone." Tai admitted the minute he opened the door and invited Kyle inside. He had been itching with curiosity since Kyle had called an hour before, to ask if it was alright to stop by. He had sounded off somehow, and a little worried about something. Tai had worried that something new had gone wrong, or that Natasha had got up to her usual tricks again. He had paced the floor, guessing at what was wrong, while Lani sat and tried to calm him down, to talk some sense to him.

"I did something stupid." Kyle confessed with a guilty smile, as he stepped into the living room and took his seat. He gave an uncomfortable glance towards Lani, who smiled at him warmly. He smiled back and looked at the floor, feeling nervous all over again. Lani took the hint that whatever he was going to say, he was uncomfortable saying in front of a girl, and got to her feet.

"Well...I'll leave you two to talk and go finish up my secret project." She offered, lifting her bottle of water and heading upstairs without another word. Tai would have asked her to stay, in case he wasn't able to help Kyle himself, but if she thought she needed to leave, or if she had other things to do, then that was her choice. They had always been able to share things and read each others minds, so she must have thought him capable of dealing with the matter alone. Tai wasn't so sure, but he hoped she was right. Kyle laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, trying not to make eye contact when he commented on how nice Lani was, leaving them to talk because she saw he was uncomfortable. It surprise Tai.

"'Don't be mad at me but...I went to see Natasha...to talk about the baby." Kyle continued, wanting to get everything out in the open, but also a little unsure of what to say. He was, technically, talking to Natasha's ex boyfriend about his feelings for Natasha, who he had, incidentally, got pregnant. He was confessing to sleeping with Tai's ex, and getting her pregnant, while she and Tai had still been 'dating'. It was hardly an easy conversation, so when Tai smiled, unsure of whether to be happy and hopeful or annoyed, and asked what Natasha had said, he didn't know how to reply. "Um... The first thing I remember her really saying, I mean full sentence and fully coherent was...yes, yes yes...if that even counts as a sentence." He wondered thoughtfully, blushing straight to the roots of his hair. Tai laughed in disbelief, trusting that the smile on Kyle's face meant that it was a good thing. He guessed, curiously, that he and Natasha had ended up in bed together again, and as uncomfortable as the conversation was for Kyle, he admitted it.

"Boy did we ever. But that's not what I mean...the yes stuff, that was cause when she opened the door, she rolled her eyes and was about to tell me to shove off I think, but I asked her not to say anything until I was finished. I told her I had an apartment, a three bedroom and that I wanted her to give me a chance to be a dad, and I asked her to think about moving in with me, if not allowing me full custody." Kyle's words came out in a rush, tumbling over each other on their way out of his mouth. Tai was so surprised that he just sat there, staring at him, waiting to hear what he had done, or what Natasha had said to such a thing.