Page 48 of Falling for the Unexpected

Chapter 12

Kyle

Mondays were usually busy for me in the office, but today was rather slow. That gave me plenty of time to think about my date with Simone that was coming up in two days.

I had spent the entire day on Saturday at war with myself over Simone. I didn’t have much experience with the whole relationship thing. And while I didn’t think she was looking for marriage right at this moment, I could guess that was her endgame. She wasn’t going to be interested in the type of relationships I usually had, which were basically occasional dates, some sex, and nothing deeper than that. But there was something about her that made me willing to try to have an actual relationship. I could not screw this up.

When I thought about why I was willing to try this with Simone, I realized it was because I trusted her. That was a big deal for me and what had held me back from pursuing other relationships. I was so afraid of having a toxic relationship like my parents that I never completely opened myself up to another person when it came to dating. But I had seen how strong Simone had become, and I knew that we could communicate and work through things together.

I was definitely looking forward to spending some time with her, albeit a little apprehensive. Sure, I had seemed confident when I was trying to convince her to go out with me, but she was right when she said there would be complications regarding us seeing each other. However, unlike her, the Thompsons were the least of my worries. Simone was a mother and I knew stability for her and her daughter was of the upmost importance to her. I would be lying if I said dating a woman with a child didn’t make me a little nervous. What if I wasn’t so different from my own parents and didn’t handle the responsibility of such an important role in a child’s life very well?

But when I thought about Stella, I was excited to spend more time with her. That was a feeling I hadn’t quite expected. I hadn’t been around kids much until Trent became an uncle. He loved spending time with that little girl which resulted in me spending time with her. She was so easy-going and adorable. Keeping her entertained never felt like a chore; she was just fun.

As I sat staring out my office window, I heard a quiet knock on my door. I spun around in my chair to see Addie standing in the doorway.

I picked up my pen to give the impression that I was actually working. “Hey, sis, what’s up?” I asked.

“I was going to ask you the same thing. I’ve walked by your door three times now and each time you were just staring out into space. Something on your mind?” she asked.

Addie knew how to read me. Trent, Ian, and Erik may have been my best friends, but she was the one person who knew me better than anybody. I don’t think either of us would be the people we were today if it wasn’t for the love and support of each other.

That was why Addie’s reaction to what I was about to tell her mattered so much to me. I knew Simone and I had talked about keeping this to ourselves for now. I just couldn’t hide anything from my sister.

“Yeah, I’ve got a bit on my mind,” I said.

“Something you want to talk about?” she asked.

“Come on in and close the door,” I said, leaning back in my chair.

She did as I asked and sat in the chair across from my desk. “This sounds serious, now I’m worried,” she said.

“There’s nothing to be worried about,” I explained. “I asked Simone out on a date. I’m excited about it. I want to know what you think about it, though.”

She looked at me, her mouth open in shock. “Oh, wow. Okay. Um…” She paused for a minute, probably trying to figure out what to say or at least how to say it. “The two of you have been dancing around each other for months now, but I’m not going to lie, I’m a little nervous about you pursuing something with her.”

I wasn’t expecting her to say that. I thought she had worked everything out with Simone. Now I was worried that things weren’t as cool between them as it appeared. Although that didn’t make sense since they spent a lot of time together and she had taken Simone out for her birthday.

“Stop,” she said, shaking her head. “I can see the wheels turning in your head. I’m nervous, just not for the reason you’re probably thinking. I really like Simone. She and I have become very close friends in the last couple months, even though that may be weird to some people.” Addie paused. “I’m nervous for her. She isn’t just some girl you can sleep with and then walk away from. She was married to an asshole. Someone who didn’t treat her well at all. She’s opened up to me a little bit, despite the fact that Brad really fucked with her head and did some horrible things. I know you would never intentionally set out to hurt her, but sheisvulnerable. She needs to be handled with care even if she doesn’t think so.”

I understood what Addie was saying. I knew how much damage Brad had done and I was also aware of how strong Simone had become. I could appreciate the fact that Addie wanted to protect Simone, but I was also a little disheartened she was unsure of whether I would be able to step into the role of boyfriend.

“Wait…” I said slowly. I stared hard at Addie. “What the hell did you mean by ‘Brad really fucked with her head and did some horrible things’? I know he was verbally abusive and cheated on her—”

“There’s more to it than that,” Addie interrupted.

“What do you mean ‘there’s more to it’? What else did he do?” I asked, feeling my anger rising. I thought I knew all there was to know about their relationship. I found the idea that she may have hidden an important detail of her relationship from me slightly frustrating. On a professional level, it may have been something important to take into consideration for her filing, but more importantly, on a personal level, I wanted her to open up to me.

“Look, it’s not my story to tell. I don’t want to ever break the trust Simone had when she shared with me. Just know there will be some hurdles the two of you will need to climb over together if you pursue this.”

“Okay, I get that. But I have to know… are you okay with me going out with her?”

She smiled. “I would love nothing more than to see both of you happy. If being together does that for you guys, then I’m totally fine with it.”

“Thanks, Addie, that means a lot. I would appreciate it, though, if you didn’t tell anybody about this. We’ve decided to keep it between us for now even though I just told you. I don’t think I’m ready to tell Trent yet and I know she’s not ready to tell anyone.”

Addie laughed. “Yeah, I’m not sure he’ll be as cool with it as I am. Ever since the divorce he has become super protective of both those girls. He would for sure kick your ass, especially if you hurt them.”

“He wishes he could kick my ass,” I said with a chuckle, even though her words made me consider his reaction to this possible news.