Second Hand Waitress

"Out of order," she muttered.

"Of course, it is." Tesah couldn't stop himself from sounding sarcastic and immediately regretted it when Kira stiffened. He had only made her more defensive than before. By the time they reached her apartment door, she was slightly out of breath.

"This isn't going to get any easier, you know," he said, trying to sound gentle.

"It's none of your concern," she snapped. Strands of hair had slipped from her small ponytail, and he noticed that the pink tips she once had were now a soft shade of Becky. A few of those Becky strands blended into her bangs.

She unlocked the door, and when she stepped aside for him to enter, he motioned for her to go first. As he followed her in, his eyes immediately landed on a tall, blond guy sitting at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereal.

Tesah’s anger flared instantly. Had she been lying to him? Was this guy actually the father of her baby? Had she tricked him all along? He turned to confront her, ready to let her have it, but the annoyed—not guilty—look on her face made him pause.

"You're eating my Frostees!" Kira shouted.

Jake froze mid-bite, looking guilty. "It was just a little taste, I swear! You know I’d never eat too much of this stuff—it’s packed with sugar. Well, hello," he added, his gaze shifting to Tesah.

Kira sighed. "Jake, this is Tesah Clover, my ex-boss. Tesah, meet my roommate, Jake Faris."

Jake stood up, sauntered over, and extended his hand. Tesah shook it firmly.

"You can call me Jake," her flirtatious roommate said with a grin. "Or better yet, just call me anytime."

"Jake!" she hissed. He rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Could you give us a little privacy? Mr. Clover and I need to talk."

Jake pouted, grabbed his denim jacket, and made his way to the door. "Be nice to my girl, Mr. C," he said on his way out. "I know five different martial arts styles, and I’m not afraid to use them."

Despite himself, Kira felt a burst of affection for Jake. He was a shameless flirt, but his loyalty was unwavering.

As the door shut behind Jake, silence filled the room. Kira glanced at Tesah, noticing the amused expression on his face. She smirked.

"You totally thought he was my baby’s father," she teased.

Tesah shifted uncomfortably. "For a moment, I thought I had been..."

"Tricked?" she guessed, smirking when he frowned. She remembered he didn’t like it when she finished his sentences.

"Deceived," he corrected.

"Same thing," she muttered. "And honestly, I’m offended you even went there—especially after you got the paternity test results today. You really don’t think highly of me, do you?"

He kept his face unreadable.

"What? No apology?" she challenged. His jaw tightened, but he said nothing. She sighed. The sooner this conversation ended, the better.

"What was so urgent that it couldn’t be handled through our lawyers?"

"I wanted to let you know that I’ll cover your medical expenses," he said.

She shook her head before he even finished speaking. "No."

"You wouldn't need medical care if you weren’t pregnant. And you wouldn’t be pregnant if not for me. So, I should be the one paying for it."

"I don’t want anything from you," she said, taking off her jacket and unzipping her gray hoodie.

"Why not?" he asked angrily. "Everyone else does. Why don’t you?"

"Because I’m not like everyone else," she said quietly. In that moment, she felt a pang of sympathy for him. It must be awful, realizing that most people in your life only wanted something from you. She was starting to understand why he was so close to Lexington. Her cousin was one of the most down-to-earth people she knew. Sure, he wanted nice things like everyone else, but he worked for them—he didn’t expect handouts.

"And by the way, you seem to know some really awful people," she added.

"Look," Tesah said, his tone more patient now. "I’ll leave you alone if you just let me do this one thing for you. Let me cover your medical bills."

"If I have unexpected costs—extra procedures, a hospital stay, or any complications—then sure, I’ll accept your help," she said.

"All of it, Kira," he insisted. "Give your doctor's details to Mike Lawson, and he’ll take care of everything. I already added it to our agreement. If you don’t cooperate, I’ll estimate the costs and have Mike transfer the money into your account every month. Once it’s there, you won’t be able to return it. Do whatever you want with it."