It Haunts Me
The Present Welcomes The Past
“You’re sixteen? So Kacey was nineteen when she had you, correct?” I asked her, my mind going into a frenzy.
“That’s right,” she simply replied to me as she continued doing her homework. I looked over at Kacey’s parents you could tell they felt guilty, guilt that I’d found out I had a daughter. I quickly shook off the awkward tension in the room and decided to talk to Ronald and Melinda, Kacey’s parents. I got up from where I sat and walked over to them and before I could even open my mouth, Melinda started talking as if she read my mind.
“Kacey will be here in a couple of hours. It isn’t our business to tell, Zayn. You go on home and come back around 6:45, okay dear? You can even stay for supper,” Mrs. Melinda said as she kissed my cheek.
“I just want answers,” I told her, still shocked over the news I heard.
“I know, dear, and you deserve them. We’ve only told her that for sixteen years now,” she replied as we walked to the front door. She held it open and pulled me into a hug. “It’s good to see you, don’t be late for supper,” she said with an affirmative tone to her voice. That’s what I loved about Mrs. Melinda, Kacey’s mum, she was the nicest woman in the whole wide world and when she used that tone of voice with you, you listened to her because you never want to let her down. It’d be like letting my own mother down, which is something I’d never do. I pressed a kiss to her cheek and shook Ron’s hand before walking out the front door and across the yard to my parent’s house.
“Mum! Where are you?” I yelled once I got back into my home. My mother came walking around the corner from the kitchen with a dish rag in her hand.
“What’s the matter, son?” She asked, with concern on her face. She could probably tell something happened by the shocked look on my face.
“Did you know Kacey has a kid?” I asked her, pointing in the direction of Kacey’s childhood home.
“No, I did not. I believe Max has a girl, mid-teens, yeah?” She asked as I followed her back into the kitchen.
“That’s not Max’s kid. That’s Kacey’s kid, her name is Aaliyah Rose,” I told my mum as I carefully took a seat.
“Really? I hadn’t known she was married,” my mum said the same thing I questioned.
“Mum, Aaliyah is my kid,” I told her and my mum immediately stopped what she was doing.
“That can’t be true. You two broke up, a long time ago.”
“We broke up sixteen years ago…Aaliyah is barely sixteen,” I told her with astonishment.
“Well how do you know she’s your child? Maybe she cheated on you,” Mum suggested.
“Don’t be absurd. After I found out she was Kacey’s it clicked, the girl looks just like me mum. Also, you and I both know Kacey would never cheat on me,” I told her.
“Well, why wouldn’t she tell you then, son?”
“I don’t know. Melinda invited me over for supper because Kacey is coming to pick them up. I’m going to talk to her about it,” I told my mum and she walked around the counter to envelope me in a comforting hug.
“Now, how do you feel about it, Zayn?” My mum asked as she took a seat next to me.
“I’m not really sure. I mean I’m a little upset that Kacey didn’t even tell me. If she told me, things might have ended up different; we would still be together, married even, with more kids,” I told my mum as I stared off into space. “Why didn’t she tell me, mum?!” I yelled, growing angry at the brunette I used to be in love with as a teenager.
“Calm down, love. I don’t know, that’s something you need to ask Kacey. Now why don’t you go shower and lie down for a nap, you’ve had a long drive. I’ll wake you up at six so you can get ready to head over,” my mum told me as she signaled for me to get up.
“Alright mum, thanks,” I told her as I pressed a kiss to her cheek and ran up the stairs. I quickly shed my clothes and hopped into the cold shower, after I took a quick shower I slipped on my brief’s and went into my old room and lied down under the duvet. Why didn’t Kacey tell me? She could tell me anything, she knew that. Before I knew it, my anger slipped away and my eyes fell shut.
”Kacey, stop it! You know I don’t like dancing, so stop trying to make me dance!” I yelled at Kacey, who was my girlfriend at the time.
“Come on, Zayn! You know you have to do a dancing part on the X-Factor during boot camp!” She said as she sat down on the floor next to me.
“I’m not worried about that right now, though. I have to get to boot camp first,” I told her, with my head tilted towards the ground.
“Are you mad?!” She exclaimed and I quickly jolted my head to look at her. “You are one of the best singers I’ve ever heard, babe. They would be mental not to push you through to boot camp and then the judge’s houses!”
“I don’t even know what I’m going to sing for the audition, and its next weekend!” I told her as I looked at the ground again.
“You’ve got time to figure it out, I’ll even help you,” Kacey said as she sat in my lap. “You’ll be fine, I know it,” she told me as she pressed her lips to my mine in a quick peck.
“Are you sure you can’t come to the audition?” I asked her, and she looked at the ground, ashamed at herself. “Come on, don’t block me out, Kace.”
“You know I wish I could come Zayn, but my mum is making me apply to university and she won’t budge on the topic,” she told me and I rested my chin on her shoulder as I watched her play with my fingers. “I’ll be with you, in spirit, yeah?”
“Yeah, but what if I get nervous before I go on?” I asked her.
“You have nothing to be nervous about, you’ll blow them out of the water. However, if you do get nervous, just think about me and know that I’m so proud of you and that I believe in you because I know you’ll sing your heart out.” Kacey is my rock, we’ve been best friends since we were little kids and we’ve been lovers for almost a year now, I wouldn’t imagine life without her.
“I love you, you know?” I whispered in her ear and it caused her to giggle, a sound I loved to hear.
“Yeah. I love you too,” she told me as she turned her face towards mine. I smiled at her and pressed my lips to hers. We moved our lips against one another’s for a little bit until something, figuratively, hit me. I pulled away and started singing:
“Baby you're a star, I just want to show you, you are
You should let me love you
Let me be the one to give you everything you want and need
Baby good love and protection
Make me your selection
Show you the way love's supposed to be
Baby you should let me love you, love you, love you
Listen
Your true beauty's description looks so good that it hurts
You're a dime plus ninety-nine and it's a shame
Don't even know what you're worth
Everywhere you go they stop and stare
Cause you're bad and it shows
From your head to your toes, Out of control, baby you know,” I sung Mario’s ‘Let Me Love You’ while staring in Kacey’s deep brown eyes that went on for miles.
Once I finished singing the rest of the song I quietly closed it down and kept staring into her eyes. A silly smile adorned her face and it caused me to smile right back to her. She nudged my nose with hers as her eyes fluttered shut and I pecked her lips.
“I think I’ve got my audition song,” I told her and she nodded her head in agreement. “Want to know why I chose it?” I asked her and again, she nodded her head.
“Because when I hear that song I think of you, so when I’m singing it, you’ll definitely be with me,” I told her and as soon as I finished talking she crashed her lips to mine, and not too long after that we were back at my house, empty of family, and in my room, proving our love for one another.
“Zayn,” Kacey moaned as I thrusted in and out of her.
“Kacey,” I grunted in return.
“Zayn!” My mum yelled as she shook me from my sleep.
“Mum?! What are you doing?” I asked, frightened by how she awoke me.
“It’s time for you to get ready and head on over, hurry up or you’ll be later,” My mum told me before walking out of my room. I quickly got out of my bed and pulled on a pair of jeans, and then slipped on a light blue dress shirt. I tugged my sneakers on and made sure I had everything I needed and then made my way downstairs when I was good to go.
“Good luck, dear,” My mum told me as she stood by the front door. Before letting me leave she pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek. I stepped outside, I noticed an unfamiliar car as I crossed the yard to next door and I assumed it was Kacey’s. Once I reached the top of the front porch I gently knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it. The door finally opened after waiting for a few seconds and I was met with Melinda’s face.
“Come on in, she’s in the kitchen,” she told me as she moved out of the way so I could come in. As I walked through the foyer I saw Ron and he nodded at me as a greeting, which I returned. I continued my walk to the kitchen and when I got there I was struck by how beautiful Kacey was. She’d kept her hair long and brown, and she was still as thin as she was sixteen years ago. She’d still had that shine to her like she was the only star in the night sky. She hadn’t seen me standing there until I cleared my throat. My dark brown eyes met her light eyes as we stared at each other from across the kitchen.
“Zayn?” Kacey breathed out.
“We need to talk, right now, Kacey,” I told her as I closed a majority of the space in between us.
“About what? What are you doing here?” She, frantically, asked.
“Why didn’t you tell me I have a daughter?”
“That’s right,” she simply replied to me as she continued doing her homework. I looked over at Kacey’s parents you could tell they felt guilty, guilt that I’d found out I had a daughter. I quickly shook off the awkward tension in the room and decided to talk to Ronald and Melinda, Kacey’s parents. I got up from where I sat and walked over to them and before I could even open my mouth, Melinda started talking as if she read my mind.
“Kacey will be here in a couple of hours. It isn’t our business to tell, Zayn. You go on home and come back around 6:45, okay dear? You can even stay for supper,” Mrs. Melinda said as she kissed my cheek.
“I just want answers,” I told her, still shocked over the news I heard.
“I know, dear, and you deserve them. We’ve only told her that for sixteen years now,” she replied as we walked to the front door. She held it open and pulled me into a hug. “It’s good to see you, don’t be late for supper,” she said with an affirmative tone to her voice. That’s what I loved about Mrs. Melinda, Kacey’s mum, she was the nicest woman in the whole wide world and when she used that tone of voice with you, you listened to her because you never want to let her down. It’d be like letting my own mother down, which is something I’d never do. I pressed a kiss to her cheek and shook Ron’s hand before walking out the front door and across the yard to my parent’s house.
“Mum! Where are you?” I yelled once I got back into my home. My mother came walking around the corner from the kitchen with a dish rag in her hand.
“What’s the matter, son?” She asked, with concern on her face. She could probably tell something happened by the shocked look on my face.
“Did you know Kacey has a kid?” I asked her, pointing in the direction of Kacey’s childhood home.
“No, I did not. I believe Max has a girl, mid-teens, yeah?” She asked as I followed her back into the kitchen.
“That’s not Max’s kid. That’s Kacey’s kid, her name is Aaliyah Rose,” I told my mum as I carefully took a seat.
“Really? I hadn’t known she was married,” my mum said the same thing I questioned.
“Mum, Aaliyah is my kid,” I told her and my mum immediately stopped what she was doing.
“That can’t be true. You two broke up, a long time ago.”
“We broke up sixteen years ago…Aaliyah is barely sixteen,” I told her with astonishment.
“Well how do you know she’s your child? Maybe she cheated on you,” Mum suggested.
“Don’t be absurd. After I found out she was Kacey’s it clicked, the girl looks just like me mum. Also, you and I both know Kacey would never cheat on me,” I told her.
“Well, why wouldn’t she tell you then, son?”
“I don’t know. Melinda invited me over for supper because Kacey is coming to pick them up. I’m going to talk to her about it,” I told my mum and she walked around the counter to envelope me in a comforting hug.
“Now, how do you feel about it, Zayn?” My mum asked as she took a seat next to me.
“I’m not really sure. I mean I’m a little upset that Kacey didn’t even tell me. If she told me, things might have ended up different; we would still be together, married even, with more kids,” I told my mum as I stared off into space. “Why didn’t she tell me, mum?!” I yelled, growing angry at the brunette I used to be in love with as a teenager.
“Calm down, love. I don’t know, that’s something you need to ask Kacey. Now why don’t you go shower and lie down for a nap, you’ve had a long drive. I’ll wake you up at six so you can get ready to head over,” my mum told me as she signaled for me to get up.
“Alright mum, thanks,” I told her as I pressed a kiss to her cheek and ran up the stairs. I quickly shed my clothes and hopped into the cold shower, after I took a quick shower I slipped on my brief’s and went into my old room and lied down under the duvet. Why didn’t Kacey tell me? She could tell me anything, she knew that. Before I knew it, my anger slipped away and my eyes fell shut.
”Kacey, stop it! You know I don’t like dancing, so stop trying to make me dance!” I yelled at Kacey, who was my girlfriend at the time.
“Come on, Zayn! You know you have to do a dancing part on the X-Factor during boot camp!” She said as she sat down on the floor next to me.
“I’m not worried about that right now, though. I have to get to boot camp first,” I told her, with my head tilted towards the ground.
“Are you mad?!” She exclaimed and I quickly jolted my head to look at her. “You are one of the best singers I’ve ever heard, babe. They would be mental not to push you through to boot camp and then the judge’s houses!”
“I don’t even know what I’m going to sing for the audition, and its next weekend!” I told her as I looked at the ground again.
“You’ve got time to figure it out, I’ll even help you,” Kacey said as she sat in my lap. “You’ll be fine, I know it,” she told me as she pressed her lips to my mine in a quick peck.
“Are you sure you can’t come to the audition?” I asked her, and she looked at the ground, ashamed at herself. “Come on, don’t block me out, Kace.”
“You know I wish I could come Zayn, but my mum is making me apply to university and she won’t budge on the topic,” she told me and I rested my chin on her shoulder as I watched her play with my fingers. “I’ll be with you, in spirit, yeah?”
“Yeah, but what if I get nervous before I go on?” I asked her.
“You have nothing to be nervous about, you’ll blow them out of the water. However, if you do get nervous, just think about me and know that I’m so proud of you and that I believe in you because I know you’ll sing your heart out.” Kacey is my rock, we’ve been best friends since we were little kids and we’ve been lovers for almost a year now, I wouldn’t imagine life without her.
“I love you, you know?” I whispered in her ear and it caused her to giggle, a sound I loved to hear.
“Yeah. I love you too,” she told me as she turned her face towards mine. I smiled at her and pressed my lips to hers. We moved our lips against one another’s for a little bit until something, figuratively, hit me. I pulled away and started singing:
“Baby you're a star, I just want to show you, you are
You should let me love you
Let me be the one to give you everything you want and need
Baby good love and protection
Make me your selection
Show you the way love's supposed to be
Baby you should let me love you, love you, love you
Listen
Your true beauty's description looks so good that it hurts
You're a dime plus ninety-nine and it's a shame
Don't even know what you're worth
Everywhere you go they stop and stare
Cause you're bad and it shows
From your head to your toes, Out of control, baby you know,” I sung Mario’s ‘Let Me Love You’ while staring in Kacey’s deep brown eyes that went on for miles.
Once I finished singing the rest of the song I quietly closed it down and kept staring into her eyes. A silly smile adorned her face and it caused me to smile right back to her. She nudged my nose with hers as her eyes fluttered shut and I pecked her lips.
“I think I’ve got my audition song,” I told her and she nodded her head in agreement. “Want to know why I chose it?” I asked her and again, she nodded her head.
“Because when I hear that song I think of you, so when I’m singing it, you’ll definitely be with me,” I told her and as soon as I finished talking she crashed her lips to mine, and not too long after that we were back at my house, empty of family, and in my room, proving our love for one another.
“Zayn,” Kacey moaned as I thrusted in and out of her.
“Kacey,” I grunted in return.
“Zayn!” My mum yelled as she shook me from my sleep.
“Mum?! What are you doing?” I asked, frightened by how she awoke me.
“It’s time for you to get ready and head on over, hurry up or you’ll be later,” My mum told me before walking out of my room. I quickly got out of my bed and pulled on a pair of jeans, and then slipped on a light blue dress shirt. I tugged my sneakers on and made sure I had everything I needed and then made my way downstairs when I was good to go.
“Good luck, dear,” My mum told me as she stood by the front door. Before letting me leave she pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek. I stepped outside, I noticed an unfamiliar car as I crossed the yard to next door and I assumed it was Kacey’s. Once I reached the top of the front porch I gently knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it. The door finally opened after waiting for a few seconds and I was met with Melinda’s face.
“Come on in, she’s in the kitchen,” she told me as she moved out of the way so I could come in. As I walked through the foyer I saw Ron and he nodded at me as a greeting, which I returned. I continued my walk to the kitchen and when I got there I was struck by how beautiful Kacey was. She’d kept her hair long and brown, and she was still as thin as she was sixteen years ago. She’d still had that shine to her like she was the only star in the night sky. She hadn’t seen me standing there until I cleared my throat. My dark brown eyes met her light eyes as we stared at each other from across the kitchen.
“Zayn?” Kacey breathed out.
“We need to talk, right now, Kacey,” I told her as I closed a majority of the space in between us.
“About what? What are you doing here?” She, frantically, asked.
“Why didn’t you tell me I have a daughter?”
Notes
Tell me what you think in comments and rate my story!!!!XOXO,
Jade
11/30/13