Thank You Somuchforyou as my first reviewer.
A special Thanks to
Lilarose
Digigirl02
Keirah
And Drowninsequins
You guys make writing this worth it.
Chad swept Tyler up and held him so he could dunk the basketball. As it swished through the net Chad swung him around and the two whooped. I had successfully avoided the question of why I had left by offering to introduce Chad to Tyler. The flexibility of my five-year-old didn't cease to amaze me. Tyler accepted that Chad was his Dad with ease and insisted they play X-box. Chad had started to charm our son by allowing him to teach him how to play the game and he didn't fail to impress all day. Now it was 8:00 PM and they were playing basketball in our indoor gym. "Okay, time out for bed."
Tyler groaned and Chad sat him back on his feet, "Aww come on buddy. If you go to sleep the sun will come up faster and we can go to the park."
"Okay." Tyler agreed. He smiled up at Chad, "We will read me a story?"
Chad looked at me and I nodded slightly, "Okay buddy but you have to go get ready for bed first."
As Tyler ran out the door Chad grabbed up the ball and walked over to me, "You've charmed him." I smiled.
"Yeah, that'll all go away the first time he get in trouble." Chad said with a crooked smile.
"You're a natural." I smiled back at him and a thought crossed my mind, "Do you have any other kids? Or a wife?" I asked hoping I wasn't jumping into a minefield.
"No." Chad said, "Is Tyler your only one?" he challenged.
"I think you would've noticed other kids running around." I said dryly.
"Point proved." Chad said.
I shrugged, "For all I knew you and Taylor got back together and had a dozen kids."
"Why do you always bring Taylor up?" he snapped shifting the ball to his other side.
"I don't! Why are you so defensive all of a sudden? This was always our problem. We fought to much!" I backed up.
"We didn't have problems Sharpay." He hissed, "We worked well together, we never fought to the point that we couldn't make up."
I took a step back and shook my head, "We never worked well together because we never existed. You were with Taylor and I…I…"
"Went on dates to drive me crazy."
"Don't be so arrogant. I went on dates because I like those guys."
"Yes, that's why you never went back for a second date. Because you like them so much." He said sarcastically.
"They didn't live up to my standards." I said tossing my hair which didn't work as well as it had years ago being in a ponytail.
"That's bull and you know it. So tell me Shar did I not live up to your standards? Is that why you left?" Chad backed me up against the wall.
"I…I…" I couldn't think or breath. Memories were threatening to over run me. Memories of tickle fights against the wall and fights ending in feverish kisses flashed across my thoughts. I looked up into Chad's eyes and saw the pain that I had caused. Pain and something else, hidden beneath the anger and pain was the love I thought he had surely given up on by now. He reached up and ran a thumb down the side of my face as though he too were lost in a memory. He leaned down so that his lips hovered over mine; I closed my eyes and placed my hands on his chest. I wasn't sure if I planned to grab his T-shirt or push him away. I felt his lips ever so softly on mine; it wasn't quiet a kiss but more of a brush of lips on lips. We hovered there unsure of where crossing this line would take us.
"Daddy?" we jumped apart as though we had been burned. We turned to the door and saw Tyler standing there, looking at us curiously.
"Hey buddy, ready for a story?" Chad asked as he swept our son up in his arms.
I hovered outside the door listening to the story and Tyler's questions. Chad was so patient with him and answered all his questions making up what wasn't apparent in the story. "The end." Chad said.
"Again!" I heard Tyler demand and I stifled a laugh.
"No, not again. It's time for bed. I'll read it again tomorrow night." Chad said. While I couldn't see what was going on through the closed door I could picture Chad kissing his forehead and tucking him in. I saw the light go out and I leaned against the wall as I heard Chad grab the knob but before he opened the door Tyler's voice floated through again.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah buddy?"
"Why didn't you love me until today?"
"What?" I heard Chad choke out.
"Well I figured that you must not love me if you weren't around but now you are and now you love me. I want to know why you didn't before."
"No, sport I've always loved you. Mommy just thought us not seeing each other was better for you. Never think that I don't love you. I always have and always will."
"Why did Mommy think that?"
"I don't know." A few moments later Chad came out. He carefully closed the door before looking at me. The love I had seen earlier was gone and his eyes were like storm clouds in the middle of a tornado. He walked over and grabbed my arm, "Use tonight to think it through and come up with the words because in the morning you will tell me why my son thought I didn't love him all this time. No more stalling Sharpay, I want to know why!" he hissed quietly and then walked down the hallway toward the door, "I'll show myself out." He called back leaving me shaking.
I sunk down and felt the tears slide down my face. Hindsight's 20/20 because looking back I couldn't think of one good reason that would justify hurting the two men that I loved the most in my life. With that said I now had to come to terms with another heart breaking realization, I was still in love with Chad Danforth and he hated my guts.
I know this is ever shorter than the last one but I wanted to end it on a dramatic note. I thought about starting this with a flashback but none that I pictured for them fit. What did you think of the Chad/Sharpay action? They were so close and now he's mad again. I'm going to introduce Troy's kids back into the story soon because I'm thinking about a sequel with them and Tyler when I'm done with this one. Also should Kelsi and Ryan had a kid? If they do it'll be a girl. Vote away and tell me what you see happening next. I've used what you guys have said as inspiration several times.