54 Blacktop Obsession
"Where are you going?" Shayde asked as Carter got out of bed the next morning.
"I have a flight to catch and need to get some stuff done." Carter explained as he put on his tie.
"You failed to mention this to me?" She asked, looking perplexed.
"Our conversations last night didn't really go as I had planned." Carter said matter of factly.
"You had no complaints on how it ended." Shayde retorted, acting irritated he was getting ready to leave on a whim.
"It ended beautifully." Carter smiled, looking pleased as he overlooked his reflection in the mirror.
"You're starting to make me think I'm the whore slash mistress in this situation and not the wife." Shayde sat up on her elbows and watched his reaction.
"Now, My Shayde, why would you say that?" He asked, leaning down to kiss her.
"You've been here one night and you're off to leave again. Kinda feels like how you dipped after we got shot." Shayde said softly, her bitterness showing.
"We've been over this before. I had the feds after me and had no choice. Either I left or it was prison." Carter explained.
"Yes but you still ended up in prison." Shayde argued.
"Let's not do this right now. Just know, it always was and will be only you for me." He crouched down to look her in the eyes as he held her face.
"How long will you be gone?" She asked curiously as she tried to look away from him. He held her face in place and raised his eyebrow.
"My Shayde, you know I still have to do things and handle business. It's not like I can be in this house and able to move around freely since you don't want her seeing me." Carter shrugged.
"It's not that I don't want her to see you, it's that she can't see you because thanks to those asses in Juvie…" Shayde started to say.
"What are you talking about?" Carter asked, still holding her face.
"They drilled it in her head you were going to kill us both and you were the one behind us getting shot. I just don't want her to have any episodes and she needs time to adjust to the house." Shayde explained, watching him closely for his reaction because she knew this was always a possibility he was behind it but she couldn't be sure.
"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Carter looked at her. "They accused me of this?" He asked, his face red and flushed.
"I didn't tell you that last part because I knew you'd get upset." Shayde explained softly. She hadn't told him because she wanted to see his face in person and his reaction up close.
"It's something I should have been told, don't you think, Sweetheart?" He asked dryly.
"You were already upset because of the prison thing, us not coming home, her not being perfect in your eyes anymore. I wasn't trying to add to your stress." Shayde admitted softly, her stomach sinking a bit. His reaction told her what she suspected and it wasn't a good feeling.
"I guess that makes sense. I still think she'd be fine seeing me but you know best. I'll try to keep being patient. But that's why I have to leave, I may as well work since I can't do much here." Carter explained, somewhat annoyed.
"I only want what is best for our daughter." Shayde promised him.
"I rather hate having to rearrange everything for her just because it could cause an episode or trigger her." Carter admitted curtly.
"Yeah, rearranging your life is not fun. I would know." Shayde shot back, her temper starting to flare. She was so angry with him right now but she kept reminding herself she had to play her part. "I'm not ready for you to leave yet." Shayde pretended to pout, throwing on some jeans and a shirt as Carter packed some clothes in his suitcase.
"I'm not ready to leave either, Sweetheart." He promised, readjusting his tie and putting on some cologne.
"How about I get a feel on how drunk she is and we call you to get her used to your voice?" Shayde suggested.
"I have a meeting with the boys but if you call, I'll take the call and we can do that. Anything we can do to get life back to normal and me back in this house permanently." Carter agreed.
"Are you sure we have no chances of any trouble here?" Shayde asked, pretending to be worried.
"We won't now that we have this house and better security." he promised, kissing the top of her forehead. He turned on the monitors to see the guys and Kaidyn still partying. "Does she ever sleep? She's drunk, Shay." Carter said, not looking pleased.
"I'm not shocked, Carter. Ever since that night, she hasn't slept until she talks to me and knows I'm okay. Since I was gone all night, she's waiting for me." Shayde replied, giving Carter a hug.
"Your bond is quite strong I guess." Carter acknowledged.
"She's only had me to depend on other than Han and Hector. She's made a lot of progress. It takes patience." Shayde reminded him.
"I don't know how I feel seeing my daughter that drunk with all those boys." Carter grumbled.
"In our country the legal age to drink is 18." Shayde reminded him.
"You want her to live as though she's from the states, Sweetheart." Carter reminded her.
"Don't throw my words back at me. I was talking about you trying to sell her or marry her off. Two very different things." Shayde snapped.
"Still not a very good look for a young lady." He grimaced.
"That was the only way you were going to get time with me." Shayde said, brushing her long black hair as Carter continued to get ready. She pulled him by his tie to her and gave him a kiss.
"She shouldn't have to be drunk for you to get some space." He replied, his chin resting on top of hers as he watched the monitors.
"We had a long trip and she's been in the hospital. It's okay for her to relax." Shayde chided him.
"I hope the next time I see her, she looks better. Those bruises piss me off everytime I see them." He sighed.
"They piss me off too. I hope I find Johnny to take care of him." Shayde remarked. She knew Carter had ties to Johnny Tran's family and she didn't want him knowing she knew he was dead. She needed him to think she still thought he was out there somewhere.
"Don't worry, I had my boys take care of him already." Carter kissed her. Shayde worked hard to keep her poker face in place.
"I'm glad to hear this. That's why you are my hero." She smiled at him, kissing him to keep her face from giving her away. She knew now he was lying about that and if he lied about that, there had to be other lies.
"How long until she looks better?" he asked, pursing his lips in annoyance.
"Depends on when you are coming back. Bruises take time, Daddy." She said, patting him affectionately. She wanted to vomit in her mouth at that but she had to keep reminding him he was Kaidyn's dad so he would be nicer.
"I like it when you call me daddy." Carter grinned, leaning over to kiss her with a mischievous smile.
"Carter, you have a meeting and I need to try to get her to bed." Shayde pulled back as she reminded him.
"Hmm. I guess so." He said with disappointment.
"I know you are looking forward to seeing Roman again. Please be nice to him. Don't scare him off." she requested trying to take his mind off of other things.
"Oh I can't scare him off. He's not leaving here unless it's in a body bag." Carter promised her.
"Stop that. These are her friends, let her have them." Shayde warned, shaking her head.
"Those boys owe me a gate, a boat, and some cars." Carter said, lighting up his cigar.
"You mean they owe me for the boat. That was my boat," Shayde reminded him.
"Details, details." Carter joked.
"You just make sure you let them know the real deal and call that boy off of me or you'll be the one in trouble." Shayde warned. She still couldn't believe Carter hired him to hit on her.
"Mmmhm. You know I like you when you get bossy." Carter said with a grin, kissing her again.
"We have to go. Come on." Shayde smiled, pushing him away.
"I prefer to stay in here with you today." He grabbed her and kissed her, putting his arms around her.
"Then you shouldn't have gotten out of bed. Too late now." Shayde kissed him. "Give me a few to go get her and get her contained. She's pretty drunk." Shayde laughed.
"Yeah, tell those boys to meet me in the meeting room, would you please?" He kissed her and slapped her bottom on her way out.
"Carter…" She growled, getting ready to shut the door. She hated how he always did that even though he knew how she felt about it.
"I love you, Shayde." Carter nodded before she shut the door, his voice giving her chills. It was not in a good way at all. She regretted ever agreeing to come back.
"Love you too." She said softly, almost distracted. She really hated how disrespectful him slapping her ass was.
"Shayde, I am sooooo happy to see you!" Kaidyn announced, completely surprised to see her walk in the living room where she was watching the guys play games on the Playstation. She got up excitedly to hug her.
"I'm good. How's it going in here, guys?" She asked, looking at some very tired boys. They looked tired and Kaidyn looked wired. She couldn't help but smile.
"We're good. How are you?" Brian asked, looking up from his controller.
"You look like you feel way better." Kaidyn got up, stumbling a bit. Shayde caught her, making Kaidyn giggle.
"Do I? You sure you're not just happy to see me?" She teased. "I must have looked pretty bad before, huh?" She asked, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
"Noooooo, you could never look bad." Kaidyn promised.
"I never said bad?" Shayde looked concerned and laughed.
"You're so silly, Shay." Kaidyn giggled.
"Wow, girl, you have been doing some drinking huh?" She asked as Kaidyn put an arm around her waist, pulling back from the smell of alcohol Kaidyn was radiating.
"What makes you think that?" She asked so seriously that they all laughed.
"This is why you are my silly girl." Shayde hugged her and covered her ears for a second. "Hector, the boys need to go check out that new room, the one with the meeting table. I heard there's someone waiting in there for them before they all pass out." Shayde said, her hands over Kaidyn's ears.
"Why you covering my ears?" Kaidyn asked, swaying a bit as she talked.
"Silly girl, I was giving you a big hug." Shayde rolled her eyes, dismissing her concern.
"I'm gonna go get another drink." Kaidyn started to walk off.
"I think you had enough. It's time to go to bed and get some rest, don't you think?" Shayde asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nooooo, I think we should party more now that you are here." Kaidyn shook her head.
"No, it's time to give in and go to sleep." Shayde corrected.
"We've been trying to get her to relax and sleep all night." Han confessed.
"And as I told you before, not in this house. Not happening." Kaidyn shook her finger at him. "There's evil that lives here, son." She warned in a scary whispered voice.
"Kaidyn, you've had too much to drink." Han laughed. Kaidyn laughed with him then got serious.
"No!" She scolded Han like he was a puppy.
"Kaidyn, you're coming with me and we are going to bed." Shayde warned.
"No, we are going to go get some drinks. Where are they all going?" Kaidyn asked, putting her arm around Shayde's shoulders as she tried to stand on her toes to do it and ended up stumbling.
"You are a standing disaster right now." Shayde shook her head.
"Wouldn't that be walking disaster?" Kaidyn slurred.
"Oh, honey, it would be if you could walk." Shayde teased.
"Come on, Shay. Have a drink with me?" She called over her shoulder as she attempted to walk to the kitchen. She stumbled into the wall and Brian grabbed her by the waist before she fell.
"Thank you but I'm good. I got this. The alcohol beckons to me." Kaidyn said, wavering back and forth as she tried to stand still.
"You had a bit too much." Brian laughed at her.
"Don't laugh at me, my fellow blond friend " she scolded.
"I'm Not laughing." He promised with a grin.
"I think you are. Come on, Shay, let's go get a drink." Kaidyn fumbled to the kitchen. Shayde looked
"Carter's in the meeting room. Make sure they get up there and I'll get her in the movie room before he leaves." Shayde advised the boys as they were getting up before going to the kitchen since Kaidyn was out of ear shot.
"Do we gotta?" Roman asked, only half joking.
"If you wanna get paid, then I would. If you don't, I still would. Your choice." Shayde shrugged.
"I ain't trying to die today, cuz." Roman got up, making Hector laugh. "Brian, you gotta go first." Roman said with such a serious face it made Brian laugh.
"Scared? Maybe he didn't drop the soap." Brian joked.
"No, I'm serious. You go first." Roman motioned for him to go first ahead of him.
"Scaredy cat." Brian retorted, barely moving out of the way as Roman tried to pop him. He chased Brian up the stairs.
"Han, can you make me a cherry sour please?" Kaidyn waltzed and twirled into the kitchen, tapping Han on the shoulder.
"You don't drink those, Kaidyn. You hate anything cherry related." Han looked confused.
"I'm drinking away all the evil here." Kaidyn shrugged.
"Kaidyn, you can't drink away anything. It will just come back and add to your problems." Han advised.
"Kinda like smoking and eating, huh?" Kaidyn asked, her elbows on the counter and her chin in her hands as she watched him with big eyes. He looked at her in shock.
"Girl, you can't even walk a straight line, I think you are good." Han laughed, shaking his head.
"Uhhuh. I see you, Mr. Bartender. It doesn't matter how much I drink cuz I am not driving." Kaidyn continued to stare at him.
"Yes, I got bored and got my bartending license." He nodded.
"I'ma call you Jack from now on, Jack." Kaidyn promised, her words slurred as she emphasized Jack.
"Jack?" Han asked, looking confused.
"Jack of all trades. Duh. For someone so smart, you sure are slow." Kaidyn quipped.
"Kaidyn, you've had enough tonight. Being a bartender means I know how to tell when someone's had too much. Did you drink more than what we gave you?" Han asked, looking at the bottles.
"The trips to the bathroom might have included some swig stops of bottles in the kitchen." Kaidyn shrugged as she tried to sit on the counter but couldn't get up to sit on it. She growled as she tried to jump up there again and again.
"You're a mess." Han laughed, shaking his head. He started to help her.
"I'm Shayde's mess." Kaidyn giggled.
"You have no idea." Han muttered as he looked at the bottles of alcohol.
"Nope, I can do it on my own." She refused his help.
"Han, it's for Shayde." Kaidyn replied, able to sit on the counter finally. "And I am just fine so can you make something for me too pretty pretty prettttttttttttyyyyyyyyy please?" She asked, swinging her legs back and forth. She was giving him puppy dog eyes now and literally begging.
"Awe, Princess Kadence, I would but it's 6 am and I think it's time you should try to get some…" Han was interrupted by Kaidyn jumping off the counter and holding her hand up to him.
"Nooo. Don't do that." She said.
"Kaidyn, it's late and you've clearly had a lot more than we all thought because you were sneaky." Han explained.
"Are. That's the correct way to say it." She corrected, making Han crack up.
"So you are implicating yourself and pleading guilty?" Han asked, folding his arms as he watched her.
"Has the evil here overtaken you?" She huffed. "That's fine. I'll just take this to go." Kaidyn grabbed the Everclear bottle that was closest to her and started to walk off with it.
"Um, no. Give me that back." Han held out his hand expectantly. "You cannot have that one." He reached for it and she moved out of his reach.
"Try me." Kaidyn said, unscrewing the lid. "Make my day, Han." She warned, smelling it.
"Kaidyn Leigh…" He started.
"Sutton, yes, that's my name. I am gonna do it. Don't think I won't." She threatened, raising the bottle.
"Kaidyn, don't do it." Han said, shaking his head. It was like an intense standoff.
"I'm sooooo gonna do it." Kaidyn took a small drink.
"That's it, I'm calling Hector." Han warned. Shayde stopped at the kitchen door frame, an amused smile on her face as she continued to watch this standoff. Kaidyn shrugged.
"Hector Schmetor." Kaidyn laughed. "I laugh in the face of Hector." She said, with a grin and acted like she was gonna take another drink.
"Kaidyn, I'm serious. If you drink that straight, it'll make you sick." Han warned.
"Meh, I'll be fine. You worry too much, Han." She said, laughing and almost losing her balance.
"Don't fall, homegirl. It's not funny." Han said, leaning back on the counter and folding his arms as she went to take a drink.
"Everything's funny right now. Better than the doom and gloom in this house." Kaidyn shrugged, still smiling.
"If you drink that, I am gonna be mad at you." he warned, shrugging. He knew she worried people were mad at her when she drank.
"What? You'll be mad at me? Why?" She asked, her threatening stance now gone.
"I sure will be." Han warned her, an eyebrow raised.
"I'm just thirsty. No reason to be mad at me, Han." She pouted.
"Then trade me? I got a bottle of peach schnapps I'll give you for the Everclear." Han bargained.
"What's so important about this bottle?" Kaidyn asked, her vision blurry as she tried to look at it.
"That's just my favorite drink and it's our last bottle. I don't care if you drink, just not that bottle." he negotiated. He did not want her drinking Everclear.
"Awe, that's all you had to say." She smiled, holding it out to him. He started to take it and she pulled it back. "Sucker! Give me the bottle first." She held out her hand.
"Kaidyn, come on. We go on the same time." Han nodded, holding out his hand. Shayde was still leaning on the doorway, arms folded and observing. She was doing her best not to laugh. This was the Kaidyn she loved to see, carefree and just being herself.
"Fine, have it." Kaidyn said, switching him. "Ya big baby. That's my last bottle." She said in a mocking tone.
"Oh you need to stop." Han warned, looking at Shayde.
"Nice doing business with you, now can you please make Shay a drink?" She asked, batting her eyes.
"You know those eyes don't work on me, Kadence." Han said. He rarely called her Kaidyn, it was just a thing between them and she rarely paid attention to it much anymore, it was just a habit at this point.
"One day you might just get my name right." Kaidyn said, unscrewing the lid to the peach schnapps and taking a big drink. "I love peaches. Yum. So good." She smacked her lips.
"Yes, because I don't know your name." Han rolled his eyes.
"I knew you didn't." Kaidyn nodded.
"You're such a riot." Han said sarcastically.
"Nooo, I just start riots." Kaidyn said matter of factly.
"Han, if you want a laugh, go to the meeting room. You won't want to miss it." Shayde said
"Shay! Long time no see! I love you! I am getting you a drink so we can have some fun together," Kaidyn took a big drink of the schnapps.
"I love you too, silly girl. But no more." Shayde took the bottle, holding it up over Kaidyn's head.
"Come on, Shay. I am not drunk. I am just fine. I just want to party a little longer. Besides, you just got here." Kaidyn said, almost begging.
"Come on, take a walk with me and let's go talk about it. We can go to the movie room and watch a movie." She said, putting an arm around Kaidyn and walking her through the other exit of the kitchen.
"What movie?" Kaidyn asked, curious.
"I don't know, we'll see." Shayde laughed.
"Can I have another drink please?" Kaidyn asked, looking Shayde in the eyes.
"I guess." Shayde gave her the bottle. "Go slow, crazy girl." Shayde warned. Kaidyn sat down in the movie theatre type of chair and laid her head on Shayde's shoulder. "Are you feeling better?" She asked, her words slurred.
"I am feeling a lot better. How about you?" Shayde asked, playing with Kaidyn's hair.
"I'm good if you are good. Other than this deathtrap house we are in." Kaidyn sighed.
"Kaidyn, please don't say things like that" Shayde asked, looking a bit startled. She was worried if Carter was to hear her what he would say. She turned on her scrambler
"I have a very bad feeling about this place, Shay. We need to get outta here. It's not safe. I don't know why. I just can't shake it." Kaidyn said, looking worried and scared as she talked. Shayde hugged her tightly.
"It's okay. I am going to make sure we're all okay. I may have made a huge mistake by coming here but I didn't really have a choice." Shayde looked her in the eyes.
"I wish I could figure out things. It gets really hard when you can't remember anything." Kaidyn sighed.
"I know but it will get better." Shayde promised. "Can you please not mention this house or how you hate it here? Please for me? I need you to try to like it here." Shayde said as she looked at her text messages. Her face draining of color.
"What's wrong, Shay?" Kaidyn asked, sensing something was up.
"Nothing. Kaidyn, have you been up to your room yet?" Shayde asked. She got the pictures from Hector sending her photos and she had to fight to keep her temper in check.
"Yes, and I hate it." Kaidyn's eyes got watery. "I don't know why I'm getting emotional." Kaidyn swiped at her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks.
"It's okay, Silly girl. You can sleep with me. We're gonna have a big old bonfire and then we can redecorate that room however you want to, okay?" Shayde asked, stroking Kaidyn's hair and downing her drink in anger.
"A bonfire sounds cool!" Kaidyn nodded excitedly. "But don't you have to have a lot of wood to burn?" She asked, her nose crinkling as she asked out of curiosity.
"Oh, you can burn anything in a bonfire. We're gonna have a big one. It's gonna be so Epic that the owner of this house might rethink how we decorate in the future." Shayde promised with a determined smile.
"I thought you owned the house?" Kaidyn asked, her head still on Shayde's shoulder.
"Oh my sweet girl, I have decided I don't want any part of owning this house. As you said, it's only temporary." Shayde promised.
"That makes me very happy." Kaidyn smiled, clapping her hands.
"It's not our forever home, don't worry. But please don't repeat that." Shayde warned.
"I won't. I don't repeat anything you tell me not to." Kaidyn swore with her face pure seriousness.
"Drink up, girl. Can't let that go to waste, right?" She asked with a smile.
"Drink with me?" Kaidyn asked, offering her the bottle.
"I got my drink right here. Han gave it to me before we left." Shayde promised. She knew Kaidyn wasn't going to realize her glass was empty.
"We should have a house with your best friend. He's mine too but we should." Kaidyn whispered, lifting up her head to look at Shayde.
"Is that right?" Shayde smiled, loving Kaidyn's eyes light up at the mention of him.
"Very right." Kaidyn giggled. "I'm glad it's just me and you again. But can I sleep with you until we change the room?" Kaidyn asked.
"Yes, honey, you will not sleep in that room until it's redecorated and fixed." Shayde promised, stroking her hair.
"Good. Because it makes me very sad." Kaidyn sighed.
"I know, Honey. I got an idea." Shayde said, looking at the phone. She wanted to test her theory.
"Ohhhh, I love ideas. I am down." Kaidyn said, excited and her eyes big and doe eyed.
"Good, drink up and we'll do it." Shayde said with a nod.
"I know it's a good one. I always love your ideas." Kaidyn smiled, taking another drink. "Let's see what your intuition says about this, little one." Shayde whispered to herself, wondering how well Kaidyn could handle hearing Carter's voice drunk. She had things to discuss with Carter but she knew she had to wait. The pictures of that room and the other things that Hector had sent had infuriated her.