A week later, I was catching up on some work in my room when BJ came in:
“Hey! We’re having company for dinner tonight. Brian, Leighanne, AJ…” She trailed off. I smirked at her:
“Nick?” She glanced at the ground:
“Yeah.” I sighed. After that day last week when I blew up at him, the only time Nick and I spoke was when it was about Aaron. Nick had spent nearly every other day with him while I did work since I was still hurt and couldn’t actually go into the office. He had tried to talk to me like a normal human being but I pretty much blew him off. Unless it was about our son. I picked up my glass of water and began to take a sip as BJ started to talk again:
“Kate, he’s bringing Mandy.” I spit water out everywhere:
“He’s what?!!” She laughed at me:
“Nice one, Kate.”
“Why would he do that to me? Does he really hate me that much?” I asked softly as I glanced out the window. BJ shrugged:
“He says that he saw her the other day and they started talking and everything but I think he just wants to make you jealous. Sounds to me like it’s working.” I glared at her:
“It’s not working. It’s just that he knows that Mandy and I hate each other. Why would he subject either one of us to that?”
“I don’t know, Kate. But get dressed cause everyone will be here in an hour.” I nodded and shut the door behind her.
An hour later, I was all ready. Nick had had Aaron for the day and was bringing him over when he came to dinner. I walked downstairs and saw AJ, Amanda, Brian, Leighanne, Howie, Krystal, Kevin, BJ, Leslie, and Angel all sitting in the living room:
“Hey guys!” AJ looked up:
“Hey girl! What’s going on?” I sat down on the couch next to Krystal:
“Nothing much. Is Nick here yet with Aaron?” They all glanced at each other, nervously. Brian cleared his throat:
“You do know that he’s bringing Mandy, don’t you?” I nodded:
“Yeah. So?” Brian rolled his eyes:
“Oh come off it, Katelin. You know you care. Stop pretending.” I glared at him:
“Shut up, Brian. I don’t know what your problem with me is lately, but I don’t need you to tell me how I feel, okay?”
“You’re too stubborn for your own good, Katelin,” he mumbled.
“What was that, Bri?" I asked. "Why don’t you speak up so everyone can hear you.” He looked straight at me:
“I said that you’re stubborn and I, and everyone else in this room, am fucking sick of it. Do you enjoy putting him through hell? Do you get some kind of rush out of it?” The two of us glared at each other. Everyone else was silent and would look at anything but Brian and I. The truth is, ever since the day that Brian and I got in that fight, we had barely talked to each other. I was letting this thing with Nick ruin my friendship with all of these guys.
We heard someone clear their throat from the doorway. We all looked up and saw Nick and Mandy, holding Aaron. I glared at Mandy and she just smirked at me. I stood up, angrily, and grabbed him from her:
“Thanks, I’ll take MY son.” I stalked into the kitchen. Nick followed me:
“You don’t have to be such a bitch.” I covered Aaron’s ears:
“Could you please watch your language in front of him?” He rolled his eyes:
“He doesn’t understand, Katelin.”
“You’d be surprised at what he hears, Nickolas.” I put Aaron down in his swing and glared at Nick:
“I don’t know what you’re trying to prove by bringing her here tonight, but keep her the hell away from my son.” Nick glared right back:
“He’s MY son, too, Kate. And Mandy is my friend and if I want to bring her here, I will. This is my house, not yours.” Mandy walked in and wrapped her arms around Nick:
“Can you come in and hang out with the guys? I’m sure Katelin is okay handling Aaron by herself.” I pasted a fake smile on my face but inside I was fuming. I knew that she was doing this to piss me off and I knew that Nick was trying to make me jealous:
“Yeah, Nick. I’m fine by myself. Go hang out with your friends.” I picked up Aaron and walked out on the deck to be by myself.
I sat through dinner watching Mandy and Nick flirt with each other and Brian glare at me the whole time. I didn’t say much throughout the entire meal. Just listened to everyone talk. Finally, Jane looked at me:
“Kate, you’re kind of quiet tonight. Anything wrong?” Brian kicked me under the table and I glared at him:
“Actually, I’ve got kind of a headache. If you’ll excuse me, I think I’m just going to lay down.” I stood up and carried my plate into the kitchen but not before glancing at Nick and seeing him smirk at me. I went upstairs and laid down. About half an hour later, Krystal walked up with Aaron and Howie. Howie sat down on the bed next to me:
“Hey girl. How are you feeling?”
“My head hurts, no biggie,” I lied. Krystal finished changing Aaron and handed him to Howie:
“Sweetheart? Can you take him back down? I want to talk to Kate for a minute.” Howie nodded and kissed me on the forehead:
“Feel better.” I smiled, faintly:
“Thanks.” He walked out of the room and Krystal shut the door:
“What’s really going on?” I sighed:
“I can’t stay here anymore, Krys. Do you think I could move back in with you?” She smiled:
“Of course, Kate. It’s your house too.”
“Thanks. I can’t stand the fact that Nick drops by everyday. And now with Mandy. I think I’ll go insane.” She sat down on the bed next to me:
“You know he’s doing this to make you jealous and from what I can tell, it’s working.” I sighed:
“Not you too.” She put an arm around my shoulder:
“Kate, I’m just stating the facts. You know you love him. Why don’t you just let him back in your life?”
“It’s not that simple. I have Aaron to worry about now. I will not let Nick hurt him. And I don’t think I could handle it if he walked out on me again.” As I said all of this, I didn’t know that Nick was standing outside the door, listening.
Krystal left and I started getting mine and Aaron’s stuff together. An hour later, I walked downstairs with everything. Jane walked in the front hall with a surprised look on her face:
“What’s going on?” I sighed:
“I’m moving back home, Jane. Thank you so much for everything but I can’t be here anymore. I need to go back to my life. I can’t deal with the fact that Nick can come and go as he pleases here. At least, over at mine and Krystal’s place, he can’t do that.” She smiled sympathetically at me:
“I understand, Kate.” I hugged her:
“Thank you so much for everything.” Nick walked in the room then:
“What’s going on?” Jane pulled away and looked at her son:
“Katelin just told me she’s moving back home.” Nick’s eyes widened:
“Home? As in Maryland? Katelin, you can’t do that! You can’t take Aaron away!” I rolled my eyes:
“Calm down, Nick. I’m going back to my place.” I went in the living room and gathered Aaron and all of his stuff. After saying goodbye to everyone, Bob, Howie, and Krystal helped me load everything into my car and then I was on my way home.