Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Mason

Ainsley and I spend the weekend looking for apartments.

She wants something close to campus, but far enough that she doesn't have to deal with parties or complaints about the baby crying in the middle of the night. We don't find any apartments that'll be available soon.

This upcoming weekend, we'll be searching for a townhouse. I offer to pay for it, but she assures me she has enough money saved to pay for it herself. She gets royalties from the songs she writes for her brothers, plus all the money she's saved while living with Porter.

I leave Austin on Sunday night. I plan to work from Seattle all week. Since I don't have a home, I couch-surf when I'm in town. This week I want to avoid Dad. Another option is Karl, but he says his date last Saturday went so well he can't have me cramping his style.

My last option is crashing at Jacob and Matt's penthouse. They offer me their guest room immediately.

They bought the place last month after the world figured out they were related to Chris and needed more security. Ainsley and I spend all Monday talking about her plans for next year. She's taking it off and focusing on the baby.

Mason: You have to tell your parents.

Nine: No, I don't.

Nine: Did you see the new woman Gabe is parading around? She's twenty-five.

Mason: They're not together.

Nine: I know, but that doesn't make it right.

Mason: What do you want them to do?

Nine: Nothing. At this point, I don't expect anything from my family.

I glance at Matthew, who is playing one of my prototypes. He cares about his sister, doesn't he?

"This game is rad. You should build your own console," Matt suggests.

Because I don't have anything else to do. If only he knew how I spend my time… he might be thrilled. Like me, he's a comic book geek. "One day. I have other projects in mind."

He glances at me and then at my phone. "How long are you staying in town?"

"It depends," I answer, then ask, "How's Ainsley?"

"Who knows?"

"You don't call her often?"

He pauses the game. "I try, but sometimes she doesn't answer her phone. In the past couple of weeks, her voicemail has been full. There's something wrong with her, but she doesn't answer the fucking phone or my texts."

"Wrong?" I ask, as if I have no idea what's happening to Ainsley.

I could give him a list of every item, but I won't.

He taps his chest. "She's going through some shit. Another breakup, maybe? She and Porter have this awkward relationship. The on and off is exhausting." He scans the room and leans closer. "If you ask me, it's not healthy for either one of them. The way he explains it to us, it's as if she changes her mood often. Nothing like the Ainsley we know. They should call it quits and move on, but she begs him to come back. After the flavor of the week, he crawls back to her."

My jaw twitches. I'm going to fucking kill him. "So, he's fucking around while dating her?"

He shakes his head and gives me an exasperated look. "No, just when they're on a break."

My blood boils with anger. Porter is making Ainsley look like she's at fault in front of her family. They're never on a break. He's fucking cheating. "Why don't you visit her and see if she's all right?"

He shakes his head. "I'm giving her space."

"If your gut is telling you that she's hurting, maybe you should get your ass off the couch and check on her. If you were in trouble, she'd be checking on you."

Matt almost turns pale. "Dude, you don't have to yell. I'll talk to JC. Let's not forget that Chris just told the world that we're his children. I don't think she's taking the news as well as everyone else in the world." He swallows hard, and if I'm not mistaken, he's afraid to lose her because of that.

This family is a fucking mess.

Nine: Matt texted. They want to visit me.

Mason: What did you say?

Nine: No. I don't have time for my brothers.

Mason: They're reaching out.

Nine: I doubt it.

Mason: Why don't you give them a chance?

For the past seven weeks, Ainsley and I have been exchanging emails and texts daily. I mailed her the book What to Expect When You're Expecting . I don't know if it'll help her. When I visit her, I'm going to read it. It'd be smart to have a copy for myself, but where am I supposed to put it?

One day, when I decide to lease an apartment or a house, I'll buy a bookshelf and stop donating all the books I buy to the library. Maybe my father is right, and I have to settle down. If I have to buy something, it'll be close to Ainsley so I can keep an eye on her and the baby.

Some might say that switching my schedule around her pregnancy isn't smart, but she needs me. It seems like she's determined to cut all ties with her family. Should I keep looking for a lot to set up the company in Washington?

"Why do you need ten acres of land?" Dad asks as we survey the lot in Kirkland.

"We want to move out of Los Angeles," I explain to him. "Imagine a secured place where we can build prototypes, try them, and perfect them. Arms, gadgets, armor… the possibilities are endless."

He sighs. "I think you're trying to reach for something that might be impossible."

"You keep saying that, but so far, I've been able to accomplish a lot. Our security alarms are beginning to gain popularity. We're installing one at a bank in France. Your celebrity friends and clients keep buying them like they're crack."

"They're good."

"No, they're the best."

Nine: Maybe when things are less complicated. I have a lot going on in my life and having to deal with the emotional baggage my family feels… I just can't.

Mason: How are you feeling today?

Nine: Not so well.

Mason: You need to go to the doctor?

Nine: Yeah, I have an appointment tomorrow.

Mason: I thought the next appointment was in two weeks.

Nine: It is, but as I said, I'm not feeling that well.

I call her immediately. "Hey," she greets me.

"What's happening?"

"Cramping, fever, lots of pain… but I'm not bleeding. According to the nurse, that means the baby is okay. I thought it was a stomach bug, but it's lasted for a couple of days."

I check my watch. "Why don't we go today?"

"Tomorrow is fine."

But will it be okay? I don't know anything about babies, pregnancies, or cramps, but I'll feel better once I'm with her. "I'll be there within the next few hours. Please, call me if anything changes."

Dad stares at me with worry. "What's going on?"

I exhale, trying to calm myself. "Ainsley isn't doing well."

"Call the Deckers," he orders.

This isn't a good time for a family reunion. I shake my head.

"It's not a suggestion," he says.

"She doesn't want to see them, Dad. You need to respect that."

"But they're her parents." He lashes out the way he did when I fucked up a task during training.

I don't even flinch. "Only when it's convenient."

"That's not true," he argues.

He knows how the Deckers operate. Why is he being so dense? "Will they be dropping everything to be with her? No. They will send a bodyguard, an assistant, or you to ensure she's fine. When have they gone to the hospital to see if their children are okay? Never. We know it. You were the one by her side when they diagnosed her with type 1 diabetes and when Jacob suffered that motorcycle accident… they're never there for their kids."

He shakes his head. "If it's bad, you call them."

Before I pivot and head to my truck, I say, "Only if I feel like it's necessary."