Mother Defeated Chapter 9:
BAZE
I was chilling out in the lounge with Cate and Lux watching a DVD when Ryan pulled up outside. He didn't know Cate and I were together let alone that we were having a baby, we'd asked Lux not to tell him. It would be better if Cate told him herself. He knocked on the door just as the villain jumped out at the hero's love interest making Cate jump and Lux roll her eyes at her mom.
"I'll get it." I said, disentangling myself from Cate. The film continued with a vicious fit between the hero and villain as the hero swooped into save the girl; a classic storyline. I opened the door with the safety lock on.
"Baze; hey man, is it cool if I come in." It was Ryan; with suitcases. I nodded and shut the door, undoing the safety lock. I opened it again for him to enter.
"Thanks man." He said grasping my hand and pulling me in for a guy hug slap-on-the-back.
"Who's at the door Baze?" Cate called from the lounge.
"It's me." Ryan said, walking into the lounge. Cate stopped dead. The popcorn she had been raising to her mouth fell back to the bowl. Lux was the exact image of her mom. Both women were silent. "Mind if I sit down." He asked, and without waiting for an answer flopped down on my couch between Cate and Lux. To say this pissed me off would be an understatement.
"Does anyone want a drink?" He asked, looking to Cate and then to Lux.
"Umm, sure, I'll have a coke." Lux said. Ryan got up holding onto Lux and Cate's knees for support. He walked into the kitchen.
"What the hell is wrong with that guy?" I hissed as the girls looked at me as I sat down on the leather armchair.
"I don't know. Why is he here?" Cate counter hissed.
I shrugged quickly as Ryan came back in holding a beer, a glass of wine and a can of coke.
"Here Cate, I got you some wine, Lux, there's you coke and a beer for me." I wasn't the only one in the room who stared at him open mouthed as he put his feet up on my coffee table, my coffee table.
Lux and Ryan returned to watching the film. Cate picked up the glass of wine trying to get my attention. She pointed at it and then shrugged meaning she couldn't drink it because of the baby and she didn't know what to do. My time to shine.
"Uh Ryan?" I said, getting the jerk's attention. "Cate's pregnant, she can't drink." The glare I got from Cate just then was unbelievable.
"No Baze, she can't be pregnant, for one the doctor said she was infertile and second I haven't been living at home so it's not even possible."He shook his head and looked back at the screen. This time it was Cate who spoke.
"Actually Ryan, I am pregnant, the doctor was wrong. And no, it isn't your kid. It's Baze's."She got up and went to the kitchen sink and poured the wine away. She came back to the living room but didn't sit back down on the sofa; she moved to the armchair next to mine and took my hand.
"Wow, are you guys serious?" Ryan raised an eyebrow. Lux on the other hand was trying her hardest to stare at the TV screen.
"Yeah actually we are, if you've got a problem you can leave." I said, god I sounded like one of Lux's classmates.
"Oh, about that." He said, suddenly looking sheepish. "Julia chucked me out."
"What? Why?"Lux asked, turning away from the TV.
"Yeah, I kind of left Toby at home alone when I dropped Lux back here." He said, not looking any of us in the eye.
"Ryan are you joking me, you left your son at home alone?"Cate sounded amazed.
"God Cate you sound just like Julia." He said giving her the world's dirtiest look.
"Cool it man. Cate's not in the wrong here." I said, putting a hand up as if to stop Ryan's look mid air.
"Baze, do you think Ryan could stay in your loft for a couple of days." Lux said, since when was she a good helpful kid? I guess she knew how he felt though what with being rejected all her life, a fact that still made me want the floor to swallow me up especially the way she was so cavalier about it.
"Alright then kiddo, as long as it is cool with your mom." I said, looking at Cate. She nodded without looking at anyone. The film was still playing in the background but it had gone onto credits. The hero had won and he got the girl the villain defeated. So what did that say about me was I the hero that got the girl or was I the villain who stood defeated. After all I had just agreed to have Ryan at my loft for the weekend. Where did that leave me?
