Effortless

Page 81

Finished mauling Anna, he wrapped his arms around her. That's when he seemed to notice that there was more of her to hug. Looking down, his light brows furrowed in confusion. "Uh, Anna?" Stepping back from her, he poked a finger into her stomach. "What happened to you?"
Anna batted his hand away, her lips tightening in a classic, hormonal mood swing. "You happened to me...ass hat."
Griffin twisted his lips, like he didn't understand. Matt smacked him over the head. "Dude, I told you to wrap it up! Don't you ever listen to me?"
Griffin sneered at his cousin behind him. "What the f**k are you talking about?"
I cringed at Griffin being so crude in front of my father. Dad, his face pale as he realized just who his grandchild's other half was, stood up. His thinning hair seemingly graying by the second, he poked Griffin in the shoulder. Annoyed, Griffin twisted back around.
Lifting his chin, our dad calmly told the bassist, "You will watch your language around my daughter, especially when she's carrying your child." He raised his eyebrow to Griffin, to drive that point home, in case Griffin was still confused.
Griffin shook his head, then finally the light turned on. His eyes widening, he stared at Anna's stomach in absolute horror. "You're pregnant?"
Anna smirked and rolled her eyes. "God, I hope our daughter somehow gets Kiera's smarts...otherwise she's doomed."
Griffin's face softened as he looked up into Anna's eyes. "Daughter? We're gonna have a girl?"
A slight smile crept into his face and Anna's eyes moistened. She shook her head. "I don't know yet, I just feel like...I feel like we made a girl."
His face more serious than I'd ever seen it, Griffin slowly put his hand on Anna's stomach. Her eyes welled so much I doubt she could even see the father of her baby anymore. Surprisingly, Griffin's eyes were a little moist too, as he ran his thumb over the bump. I hoped and prayed the baby took this opportunity to kick, so he would feel it.
Everyone around us was silent as Griffin stared at Anna's belly. Then, so soft I almost missed it, Griffin murmured, "A girl...I'm gonna have a little girl?"
Tears dripping down her cheeks now, Anna whispered, "I don't know if I'm keeping her."
My mother took a step forward at hearing Anna admit that; she hadn't admitted it to anyone but me. Dad grabbed Mom's arm, though, stopping her as he watched Griffin intently. Mom bit her lip, looking like she wanted to start in on a four hour speech. It was her first grandbaby after all.
Griffin snapped his head up. "What? You can't give away my kid?" He looked around the bar until he found Kellan, watching from behind Matt and Evan. "She can't do that, right, Kell? Don't I have a say?"
I had to swallow the lump in my throat at the look on Griffin's face. I'd never, ever seen him look so...panicked. It was like he'd just been offered something he really wanted, and then had it snatched away. He looked terrified.
Kellan started to answer him, but Anna brought her fingers to Griffin's cheek, forcing his eyes back to hers. Griffin was shaking when she spoke. "I won't...if you want to keep her...if you want to do this with me...I won't give her up."
I held my breath, waiting for his answer. I noticed my mom and dad clenching hands as they waited, too. We all wanted this baby, but it wasn't our choice. Apparently...it was Griffin's.
He swallowed, then looked down at her stomach again. After what seemed like an eternity, he looked back up at her. "Can we name her after my grandma?"
Anna started to sob, then nodded and threw her arms around his neck. Griffin smiled, inhaling a deep breath as he held her back. The rest of the band glanced at each other, smiling. Through my own tears and sobs, I heard Matt lean down to Rachel by his side. "One of us should probably tell her that Grandma's name was Myrtle."
I laughed through my sobs, grateful that at least Griffin would have his more sensible band mates to help raise this baby. Thank God for that.
I turned away from the happy couple when I heard Griffin murmur, "Can we still screw when you're like this?" I noticed a group of people that had quietly entered the bar during that dramatic moment. My jaw dropped as I stared.
An older, middle-aged man was standing awkwardly by the bar. Dressed in a nice, black, collared shirt and khaki slacks, he seemed like he could be heading out to one of the golf clubs around the area. Lean and muscular with a head full of thick, sandy brown hair, he was one of those men that you knew would age well. He'd still be attractive at sixty. But that wasn't what stole my breath. It was that his looks were a spitting image of Kellan's. Or rather, Kellan was a spitting image of him. The resemblance was...unmistakable. The jaw, the nose, the brows...everything...right down to the midnight blue eyes.
I was staring at Kellan's father, his natural father.
The man noticed me staring and nodded, lifting his hand in a small wave. I waved back, then noticed the two kids by his side. Well, one was a kid, the other was probably just a few years younger than me. The girl, Hailey, was Kellan's sister. She had the same light brown hair and dark blue eyes that Kellan and his father had. Seeing her father wave at me, she waved, too. A grin broke out on her face when she noticed her half-brother. The grin was so similar to Kellan's, I blinked.
Beside her was a young boy, maybe ten. Like the rest of Kellan's family, he had light hair and blue eyes, although his were a more traditional pale blue. He was staring at Kellan's back with a look of awe on his face. I had a feeling he'd heard a lot about his older brother lately. He clearly already idolized him.
My eyes slowly swung to Kellan's. He was in a conversation with Evan, most likely about making sure to keep a close eye on Griffin around his future child. Kellan hadn't noticed his family yet. Feeling my eyes on him, he lifted his gaze to mine. Not able to change my shocked expression, I watched Kellan frown. Then he seemed to realize what I'd be so shocked about and his face paled.
He closed his eyes, willing himself not to turn around. I quickly worked my way around the people congratulating Griffin and Anna. Making my way to him, I cupped his cheeks. "Kellan...it's time."
He shook his head, his eyes still closed. "I can't, Kiera." Peeking his eyes open, he cringed. "Ask them to come back later...I just can't right now."
I shook my head, brushing my thumbs over his cheeks. "You can do this, Kellan...I know you can."
He exhaled a shaky breath, then slowly started to turn his head. His breath was faster when he finally spotted the man who'd created him. Taking a step back, he reached down and clenched my hand, hard. His whole body started to tremble as he stared over at the three people that had turned his life upside down. Kellan's father lifted his hand, then let it fall when Kellan didn't react.
Kellan snapped his head back to me. "I can't...I can't do this...please, let's just go." Turning to me, he grabbed my arms. "I'll go anywhere you want to go. Let's just sneak out the back and we can do anything you want to do..."
Inhaling a deep breath, I stared Kellan down. He stopped rambling about all of the places we could go and all of the things we could do, and stared back at me. When he was calmer, he whispered, "I'm scared..."
I nodded, tears in my eyes. "I know...but I'm here, and I'll help you. Besides, what's the worst thing that could happen?"
He swallowed and murmured something that sounded like, "I could care." Closing his eyes, he nodded. He took a minute before facing his father. When he did, he seemed stronger. In fact, his strength seemed to grow with each step he took towards the man. I wasn't sure if he was drawing the courage from me, but I hoped so, since he constantly gave me courage.
When he was almost toe to toe with the man, he stopped. Kellan's father smiled; it was a sad one. "Hello, son," he whispered.
Kellan stiffened, clenching my hand, and nodded but didn't say anything. A tension built up as father and son stared at each other. Their appearance was so incredibly alike that I had to imagine every person in this bar now knew that the man who'd died in a car accident a few years ago, hadn't genetically been related to Kellan. This man before him now...clearly was.
Just as I wondered how to get one of the two silently brooding men to speak, Hailey stepped forward. She sighed as she looked between her half-brother and her father, then put a hand on Kellan's arm. Kellan looked down on her and his entire posture relaxed; I could feel the blood returning to my fingertips.
Putting her hand on her other brother's shoulder, she introduced him to Kellan. "Kellan, this is Riley. Ry, this is our older brother...Kellan."
Riley, still dazed, extended his hand to Kellan. "Wow, I watched some of your shows online. You're...really good. I just started playing the guitar, but I hope I'm as good as you some day." He gave Kellan a charming, awkward smile, and Kellan laughed a little.
Reaching out to scruff his hair, he murmured, "Maybe I can teach you a thing or two one day."
Watching Kellan start to bond with the family he'd never had, I felt the tears stinging my eyes and closing my throat. I choked it back as Kellan's dad cleared his throat. It was obviously affecting him too.
Kellan timidly looked back up at him, and Hailey, seeing the beginning of a serious conversation, started leading Riley over to the pool tables. "Come on, Ry, let's give them a minute." I thought to do the same, but Kellan's death grip returned when I tried to pull my hand away. Resting my other hand on his arm, I gave him what support I could as his father began to speak.
"Look, I know you're mad at me...for walking out on you, and I don't blame you, but I was young and foolish and I hope you can give me a chance to make-"
Kellan cut the older version of himself off with one sharp question. "Do you know what they did to me?"
His father bunched his brows. "Who? Your parents?"
Kellan nodded, his jaw tight. "Did you know what they would do...how they would raise me...when you left? Did you know what sort of people they were?"
Again, his father blinked. "John and Susan? What are you talking about?" His eyes narrowed as he eyed Kellan cautiously.
Kellan cringed at hearing his parents' names spoken, then he took a step towards his father. When he answered his father's question, his voice, his jaw...his entire body was tight. "Did you know that you left me with people who would viciously abuse me...day in, day out?" His voice shaking, he quietly spat out, "Did...you...know?"
His father's face paled as he finally understood what Kellan was telling him, what Kellan had experienced growing up in that hellhole. By the tears in his eyes and the horror on his face, I don't think he knew. Sometimes people that you thought you knew really well, could turn out to be people that you didn't know at all. That seemed to be the case here.
"Kellan...no...I had no idea. I thought..." He swallowed, his eyes misting. "I thought I was leaving you to a happy home, happier than I could have given you back then." As Kellan trembled, his father put his hand on his arm. "I know you won't understand, but I was a mess back then. I didn't know what I was doing. I got caught up in something with your mother that..." he sighed, "was a horrible mistake."
Quickly, he amended with, "Not that you were a mistake, just, the situation..."