Page 2 of Almost Paradise

“They not old,” Kyle says, defending his grandparents.

“Thank you, Grandma’s baby.” My mom runs her hands over Kyle’s head while he beams up at her.

“And I’m not too old to beat your ass,” my dad says.

All the boys burst into giggles as Ray and I roll our eyes. Dad barely raised his voice while we were growing up. He’d never raise his fist.

While my parents drive the boys to the arcade for Kyle’s birthday party, I ride with my brother to the bakery for the cake, but something about today feels off. I’m not sure what it is, but it feels like things are about to change.

The clear blue March sky betrays the frigid temperatures, but there’s a storm brewing and I’m sure it has nothing to do with the weather. There’s a voice in my head that’s yelling at me not to go today. It’s telling me to say I’m sick and go back home, but I’d never miss Kyle’s party. My brother and his kids have gone through enough. Ray lost his wife in a car accident when Kyle was only six months old. He has no memories of his mother, and since Carter’s father chose not to be in the picture, we raise the kids together.

I want to kick myself for letting Drake Paradise enter my thoughts right now. That’s how it always happens. I’ll be doing something mundane like sitting in a car with my brother, and he’ll pop into my head. I wish I could erase all my memories of him.

I have to keep reminding myself that he’s not who I thought. He’s a liar. He’s a user. He’s a rich, entitled man who thinks the world is his playground and his actions have no consequences. And he’s right. He’s never had to deal with any of the consequences.

In that year we were in each other’s lives, he let me believe so many things. There were so many feelings. So much passion. Unimaginable heat that led to unimaginable pain. As much as my unplanned pregnancy shook me, it also saved me. I had someone else to worry about. I had a life inside of me that was relying solely on me, and I could not allow hurt feelings or a broken heart to have any effect on me.

And I didn’t. I gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy. Instead of his father, it was my mother and cousin who were by my side when he came into the world. It wasmyfather who sat in the waiting room and got coffee and donuts for the nurses in labor and delivery. When it was time to leave the hospital, it was my parents that took me home, not the father of my child.

Despite not having a father in his life, my son never lacked love and he never will.

Chapter 3

Drake

I don’t know why I agreed to come to this. I haven’t enjoyed the arcade since I was about ten. Even then, I was bored by it. Video games have never been my thing, but when your fiancée’s nephew is turning five and wants his party at a loud arcade, you show up. Even if a trip to the dentist would be preferable.

A gang of tween boys run around and bump into me, sending my phone flying out of my hand and nearly knocking me on my ass. As I reach down to pick up the iPhone, a well-manicured hand gets to it first and scoops it up. She puts it in her purse and promptly zips it.

“Really, Scarlett?” I ask.

“Really, Drake. Enough. Can you be present for a few hours?” She huffs and brushes her strawberry blonde bangs off her forehead. It’s not too much to ask. After all, I did tell her I’d be here. “I promise when we get home, I’ll make this little excursion worth it.” She’s a tall woman, but she still has to get on her tippy toes to reach me. I bend down slightly and give her a light kiss on her thin lips. I run a hand through her blonde curls and smile down into her green eyes.

"I'm going to take you up on that," I whisper in her ear. I pull away just in time to see her eyes light up with mischief.

“Aunt Scarlett,” Scott, her five-year-old nephew, says, “come on. It’s time to play.” He waves her to the other side of the arcade to the special room reserved for laser tag.

“You coming?” she asks, knowing full well I’m going to pass. I only promised to be here, not to play childish games.

“Maybe next time,” I tell her. I hold out my hand and say, “Can I have my phone now?”

“No phone. No work today, Drake. I mean it. Sundays belong to me and the family, not to the office. Why don’t you go have a beer?” She points to the sports bar on the other side of the room. There are televisions surrounding it, and there’s a basketball game on I can watch while I wait. “Just relax and forget about work until the morning. Think about what I’m going to do to you when I get you all to myself tonight.” She kisses my cheek and leaves.

I do my best to stifle my irritation. Life with Scarlett is mundane except for her inane rule about my phone and work. No phone at the table and absolutely no work on Sundays. I’m the one who makes the rules, but she can’t seem to remember that. I expel a breath while I decide what to do. Scarlett did give me a good idea, though. A cold beer will take the edge off of this nightmare of an afternoon. I can’t stand crowds, noise, or flashing lights. Add children of all ages running around and screaming, and it’s like being in hell.

A drink or three will help. I cross the room and take a seat on one of the stools at the counter. After a few minutes, the bartender puts a tall glass of foamy beer in front of me. I down half the glass without taking a breath. Despite how busy this place is, the bar is pretty quiet.

I sit back and wish I had my phone with me. Next time we do something like this, I’ll have to remember to bring my secret backup phone. I take another long sip and close my eyes.

I didn’t want to come here today. Not just because I hate arcades, but because this is the three-month anniversary of my father’s death, and I’d rather be with my mother right now. At least she has my younger brother and sister to comfort her. Well, in theory, she has my brother. He’s a bigger emotional wreck than she is right now. He spends his days drinking and sleeping. Hannah does her best, but she’s in her second year of medical school and already has a lot on her plate.

“This one’s on the house. You look like you can use it.” The bartender puts another beer in front of me, and I thank him. After drinking about half of the second beer, I start to relax. I spin around on the barstool and face the other side of the room. I don’t know what the hell I’m looking for, but I decide to people-watch since I don’t have a phone to distract me.

It’s not as crowded as it seemed a few minutes ago. That’s probably because laser tag started again. I look around the expansive room one more time, and when nothing interesting happens, I start to turn back to the bar. That’s when something catches my attention. It’s not anything I would ever pay attention to, but this little boy comes running as fast as his little legs can take him, giggling the entire time. He looks to be about three years old and has cake smeared all over his little face.

He’s a handsome boy with very light brown skin and a head full of dark, curly hair. I don’t see anyone with him. I shake my head at the scene already judging the irresponsible parent who is likely too busy playing video games to pay attention to their kid. He stands in the middle of the room and looks around. He rubs his hands around his mouth, making more of a mess with the cake. I’ve never seen this kid before, so I don’t know why I care. In fact, I stay as far away from children as possible, but there’s something familiar about this one. I just can’t seem to put my finger on it.

Another little boy who looks to be about eight or nine comes and scoops him up. The older kid tickles the younger one’s belly. The little boy laughs so hard, he snorts and chunks of cake fly off his face. For some reason, something about the scene stirs something inside of me. I don’t know why it would. I only tolerate the children that I know. There’s no reason for me to care about this strange and messy toddler.

---