Twelve

Haisley

I pulled out the lemon pound cake from the oven and set it on a rack to cool beside the chocolate chip cookies I had also made. After I had cleaned the house, I had started baking. Sitting here alone wasn’t something I was used to. I was either working or dealing with a trailer full of kids. The silence was hard to adjust to.

Glancing at the clock, I saw it was after seven. Saxon had left me here when we got back from meeting with his mother and gone to work. That had been at ten thirty. I hadn’t seen him since. It wasn’t that I expected him to check on me or come back to see me. I just hadn’t known I would be stuck in this house, alone, all day. There was only so much cleaning that could be done.

Maybe I could call the yoga studio and get my job back. That would give me somewhere to go and interaction with other people. First, I’d need a phone to call them and transportation to work and back. If Saxon returned before I went to bed, I’d ask him about it.

I waited until eight before making a salad from the vegetables in the fridge, and then I pan-grilled some chicken and diced it up to toss on top. Taking my meal and a glass of milk, I went to sit on the sofa and turn on the television. I had only taken a few bites when the front door opened. I swung my gaze over, expecting to see Saxon, when a gorgeous brunette sauntered inside like she lived here. Her hands were carrying two large bags, and I could see garland and festive stuff peeking out of the top of it.

Her eyes locked on me, and they narrowed. I could tell by the short skirt and halter top she was wearing that she’d come here in hopes of finding Saxon.

“Who are you?” she snapped at me.

“Haisley,” I replied, not sure what to say to her.

She clearly came here enough that she felt comfortable walking inside without knocking.

“Where is Saxon?”

I shrugged.

She dropped the bags by her feet and placed a perfectly manicured hand on her hip. The bracelet on her wrist flashed as the light from the lamp hit the diamonds. “If you don’t know where he is, then why are you in his house?”

How did I answer her? And should I?

“Declan.” Saxon’s voice entered the house as he walked up behind her. “I see you let yourself in and you brought shit with you.”

My eyes drank him in. Holy crap, why did he have to look like that? The cowboy hat, jeans, and boots did it for me. Especially when he was dirty from work. Although it was dark outside. What had he been doing in the dark?

“I came to decorate. We need to get you a tree up,” she said, her eyes now turned to him.

“No thanks. I’ve got plans.”

“With her?” she asked, glaring at me. “Why didn’t I know you were seeing someone else?”

Saxon took off his hat and tossed it onto the table. “I’m not. Declan, this is Haisley. She’s pregnant with my kid. Haisley, this is Declan, my ex-girlfriend.” He sounded so casual as he walked past me and toward the kitchen.

Declan’s mouth fell open as she stared at him. “Are you joking right now? Because that isn’t funny!”

“Damn,” Saxon said. “You made cookies and cake.”

I turned to look at him over my shoulder. “I got bored.”

He picked up a cookie and took a bite. “I hope you get bored a lot.”

I didn’t. We had to talk about that, but right now, he had an angry female glaring at him.

“Saxon!” she shouted.

He sighed. “What, Declan?”

“You said she was pregnant with your kid!” She was pointing at me now.

“She is. I fucked her without a condom a couple of times. Now, she’s pregnant with my kid. What part of that do you not understand?”

If it wasn’t me he was talking about, then I would have laughed.

“You fucked her without a condom? Why would you do that?”

I took a bite of my salad, wishing I were anywhere but here.

“Because it felt good. Do you seriously want the details?”

“Saxon, we need to talk. Alone,” she said tightly.

I reached for my milk and started to stand.

“Sit down and eat, Haisley.” Saxon’s tone wasn’t so calm now.

I sat back down and said nothing.

“I’ve got to shower, change, and head over to Trev’s. I don’t have time for your shit, Declan,” Saxon said to her.

“You are going to talk to me,” she demanded.

“Whatever,” he replied. “Talk while I get ready.”

She followed him into his bedroom, and the door closed behind her. I listened as the lock clicked into place. The fact that my stomach suddenly knotted up wasn’t good. I shouldn’t care that a girl who looked like she belonged in his world—with all her long, wavy brown hair, expensive clothes, designer heels, and perfect nails—was in his bedroom while he was taking a shower.

But I did. I cared a lot. My chest hurt, and my salad no longer tasted good. I picked up my glass of milk and finished it, then stood and went to clean up the kitchen. Not wanting to see either of them when they exited the room or hear anything going on in there, I worked quickly.

When I was safely in my room, I sank down on the bed with a groan. This was only day one, and it was already hard. How was I going to survive this for seven more months? His mom clearly hated me. Declan was the girl his mother had invited to the Christmas party, which meant she might be his ex, but she wasn’t out of the picture.

Had I been a fling while they were on a breakup or something? I closed my eyes and fell back on the bed.

Voices entered the living room again, and I opened my eyes to stare at the ceiling fan while I listened to them talk. I couldn’t make out their words, but Declan seemed to have calmed down. I was sure Saxon had helped with that.

There was a knock at my door.

“I’m heading out,” Saxon told me through the closed door.

Great, he was going out.

“Okay,” I replied.

He said nothing more. He didn’t ask if I wanted to go anywhere. How I was feeling. Nothing. Just footsteps, Declan’s laughter, and the front door closing.

I missed my family. My sisters and brothers. Even my mom. Tears burned my eyes, and I let them roll down the sides of my face as I continued to watch the ceiling fan turn.

I wanted to go home.