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“Making sure assholes can’t take advantage of me,” she says through gritted teeth.
“Really? Well there aren’t any assholes here. Just a businessman, looking to cut a deal,” I state. “I’ll see you, tomorrow.”
I start to walk away without a backwards glance. I’m more than proud of myself for keeping composure throughout that meeting, despite the thudding in my chest.
I thought it would be easy to see her again. I was wrong. Standing before her was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. The last time I saw Katerina, she was crying and begging me to leave. She was breaking up with me. And then she disappeared for months.
The next I heard from her, there was a baby on my doorstep and after, nothing. Radio silence. It kills me that she’s been living all this time without a care. Because from the looks of it, she wasn’t affected at all by me or the mention of our past.
Everyone told me she was a cold hearted bitch. I guess I just had a hard time believing it until I saw it.
Later that night, Nate and I are in the living room of the penthouse we’ll be staying in for the duration of our stay in New York. We only just arrived in the city a couple of days ago. We’ve never lived together, just the two of us and I think he’s excited by the prospect. He didn’t put up too much of a fuss when I suggested moving here.
I think Nathaniel’s happy as long as we’re together and I completely share the sentiment. He’s curled up on my side, watching some kind of cartoon where the characters are shooting laser beams at each other. He lets out a soft giggle at a part but I’m barely paying any attention, my mind on Katerina and our meeting today.
A couple of minutes later, Nate’s poking my stomach.
“You okay, dad?” he questions, green eyes staring at me inquisitively.
I look down at him and nod once. “Sure I am.”
He makes a face. “I feel like even if I asked you when you were absolutely not fine, you would have still said you are.”
“That’s because I always have to be fine for you,” I say on a chuckle.
“You don’t have to be though. I’m not fine all the time, and you shouldn’t either.”
I think about his words for a minute, digesting it. I’m about to ask him specifically when he’s not fine but he quickly brings up something else before I can.
“I like the new school,” he says. “A lot of cool kids. One of them is an inventor.”
“So, you’re making friends?”
He shakes his head. “Just observing from afar.”
“You should try to talk to kids your age, sport. You might have something in common with them, which is how you build relationships.”
“Dad, the only friends you have are me and Aunt Kayla,” he points out with a small smile.
“Not true,” I lie, although it’s hitting me that my son might be emulating my hermit tendencies. “When I was in school, I had a ton of friends. I was a literal belle of the ball.”
He laughs. “You can’t be a belle, dad. You’re a man.”
“It’s an expression and that’s not the point. The point is that you’re only young once and you have one chance to make meaningful relationships and connect with people.”
He’s quiet for a couple of seconds, taking in my words.
“Fine. I guess I’ll try to talk to the inventor kid,” he finally says.
“What’s his name?”
“Daniel. He’s also really good at art. He draws really well.”
“He sounds cool.”
“He is and he has a lot of friends too. I guess you could say he’s a belle of the ball. Like you were,” he smiles.
“Yeah and you can be too. Take baby steps and get to know Daniel. Alright?”
