Sophomore Year || Parenthood Series, Book One || WATTYS 2018

Chapter Forty-Eight

SOUNDTRACK:  "Closer" - Majik

MONDAY

Car horns beeped and the street noise drifted through the open balcony door in the hotel suite. Jared, Emma, and Shayla were bent over laptop screens and speaking in hushed tones as Kate watched TV in the room she was sharing with Jared. School was out for the week and Spring Break had officially started. RENT had gone off without a hitch and Olivia had been fantastic. Kate had spent most of her free time trying to learn as much as she could about Santa Clarita, but it was looking more and more like Jared wasn't going to allow her to do it.

He had brought her to New York with him for the week and she was actually having a good time. The city was unlike any other place she'd ever been (not that she had done much traveling to begin with) and Jared promised to show her around to some of his favorite places. To avoid paparazzi, he had even changed his usual hotel. It wasn't a guarantee, but it was something.

She sighed and picked up her phone to text Olivia.

I'm bored.

Why? Aren't you in New York City?

Yeah, but Jared won't let me go out and do anything by myself. And the three of them are working.

I can't wait to see New York. What's it like?

Kate paused. So far, it seems really loud and big and boring. I'm sure there are loads of things to do. I'm just bored as fuck here.

As if on cue, Emma knocked on the open door, drawing Kate's attention.

"We're heading out for lunch in ten," she said. "Make sure you're ready."

Kate put her phone down and got out of bed. Things with Emma were slowly returning to normal. They hadn't spoken about that day she'd found Kate on the bathroom floor and as far as Kate was concerned, they didn't need to. But something told her that Emma had plenty of difficult experiences with Jared that she didn't feel the need to discuss either.

She pulled on a change of clothes and went out to the living area of the suite. Jared looked up from his laptop.

"Hey, Gremlin," he smiled. "Sorry it's kind of boring. We're trying to get some work done."

Kate sat next to him. "It's fine. I get it."

He shut his laptop. "Terry texted me. He wanted to know if we wanted to stop by the studio this week. I was thinking maybe dinner at his place Thursday night." He put his laptop on the table. "That work for you?"

"Yeah, I guess. But I didn't bring anything with me to show him," she answered.

"It's fine. He just wants to have dinner anyways. No work. Plus we get to meet the twins," he explained.

"Really?" her face lit up. "I thought they'd want a couple weeks to adjust."

Jared nodded. "They do. But I told them you'd watch the kids Friday while I run out to two appointments."

Kate blanched. "Babysit? Me? Are you high?"

He laughed and stood up. "It's only for a few hours. And Emma will be there with you. You can handle two newborns. All they do at this point is sleep anyways."

She grumbled but followed him to the door, pulling her coat on. The group walked down the hallway and took the elevator down to the lobby. The hotel was small full of businessmen and women. There was apparently a conference on. They made it to the sidewalk easily and no one seemed to even register their presence.