"Me."
Everyone answered Branna, even the lads.
It appeared all their nerves were shot... at least I wasn't the only one scared shitless to tell the baby's father that he was indeed becoming a father.
A cup of tea didn't seem strong enough for that conversation.
God, help me.
"What is everyone in here for?"
I looked at the kitchen door and frowned when I saw him. He was slumped and had his shoulder pressed against the doorframe. It looked like it was holding him up. I could see from across the room that his eyes were bloodshot and his face was pale grey.
He looked like shite.
"Have you been drinkin'?" I asked.
Kane shrugged uncaringly. "What's it to you if I have?"
He didn't slur, or sway from side to side... but his eyes looked empty.
"You shouldn't be drinkin'," I replied, and stood up from my seat. "You never even got your second injection today. The sugar and calories from alcohol will require more of it. Damn it, Kane."
Kane waved me off. "I'll survive."
I growled, "No, not without the bloody injections you won't."
I didn't threaten Kane in the least; I could tell by the way that he smiled at me. "Come here," he said.
I felt everyone in the room glance between us.
I ignored them and focused on Kane as I got up and walked towards him. I stopped just short of knocking into his body. I tilted my head back and glared up at him. "What?"
He laughed down at me and pressed his forehead against mine. The action shocked me. "You're the only person who I know that isn't afraid of me."
I lifted my hands and placed them on his biceps. "How much did you have to drink?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Didn't count the pints as they were pulled. Sorry, Mom."
"Damn it, Kane," Ryder grunted from behind us.
Kane lifted his head, looked over my head, and shot him an evil grin. "You mad, big brother?"
He was looking for a fight-I could sense it.
"Don't tempt me to start some shit with you, Kane," Ryder growled.
Kane tried to step around me, but I wouldn't let him. There was no way in hell that I was allowing him to take whatever was up his arse out on Ryder.
"Hey!" I snapped and reached up, linking both my hands behind Kane's neck and forced him to look down at me. "Come outside and talk to me, okay?"
Kane's eyes burned into mine, and for a moment they flicked to my lips before he nodded his head and broke away from me. Without a word or look in Ryder's direction, he turned and walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway. I followed him, closing the door behind me as I went.
I found Kane sat on the bottom of the stairs-his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped together and his eyes focused right ahead at the front door. I stood in front of him causing him to sigh and lean back so he could look up at me. When he did, he smiled lazily at me.
"You're beautiful."
I snorted, "That's the drinks talkin'."
"No," Kane replied, "it's me."
Oh.
I tilted my head to the side and hunkered down so I was eye level with him. "Honey, what's wrong with you? Why did you go off drinkin' on your own? It's not like you."
Kane shrugged. "Just felt like it."
I felt my eye twitch. "I want a better answer than that."
"Or what? You'll spank me, Miss Collins?"
I hated that I snorted.
"Made you laugh." Kane grinned and closed his eyes.
I observed his face. I ran my eyes over his scars, the curve of his jaw, the shape of his straight nose, the thickness of his eyebrows and the length of his eyelashes.
"It's not fair to the rest of the male population that you're so good lookin'."
Kane opened his eyes. "It's not, is it?"
"You make up for it by being a huge prick though so it balances out."
Kane laughed and closed his eyes again. "Babydoll?" he murmured.
"What?"
His lip quirked as he reopened his eyes and looked at me. "Just wanted to see if you'd answer to babydoll."
I glared at him. "You've called me it so many times that it's stuck, you arsehole."
Kane blinked at me. "I feel sad, Aideen."
That gutted me.
That sudden admission twisted something inside me.
"Why, sweetie?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, and that's what's pissing me off. I just feel... alone." He lifted his hands and rubbed his face. "God, I'm such a bitch. Don't tell my brothers what I just said."
I chuckled. "Your secret is safe with me, big lad, but know that you aren't alone. You have your brothers and the girls, and you have me."
Kane looked at me. "Do I have you?"
It felt like there was an underlying meaning to his question.
I mentally shook it off and smiled. "Of course, you do, silly. I'll always be here for you. Me and you?"
Kane never broke eye contact with me as he said, "Me and you."
A little voice in me wanted to tell him that ‘me and you' would become a me and you and a mini you, but I bottled it and decided I couldn't tell him until he was in a better place mentally. The only problem was that everyone else knew, and if he found out from them he would instantly know the baby was his and he would be really mad that I wasn't the one to tell him.
"Come and let me give you your insulin. I'm goin' to have to give you a higher dose because you were drinkin'."
Kane smirked. "If you want to punish me, Miss Collins, just let me know."
I realised then just how close my face was to his at that moment. The sudden urge to close the space even further freaked me out so I took a step back and held out my hand.
"Come on, you big baby. Let's go get this done."
"On one condition."
I folded my arms across my chest. "What's the condition?"
"That you stay a few more hours and watch some Sons of Anarchy with me."
Did he not realise how late it was?
"You haven't started the second season yet?" I asked, curiously.
He shook his head. "No. I watched the first one with you so I want to watch the rest with you, too."
"You plan on watchin' them all?"
"Yes."
I burst into laughter, "I told you, the Sons have hold of you-there's no escapin' now."
Kane stood up and looked down at me. "I can think of worse ways to be tied up."
I didn't know if that was a sexual jab or an admission from past experiences.
I pretended to think about it so Kane lifted his hands to my sides and began to tickle me. I gasped and jumped backwards. "Okay, okay. I'll watch the Sons with you, just don't tickle me."
Kane smirked. "Let's go then."
"Nuh-uh, your insulin first... and then I've to share somethin' with you before we go and watch some Netflix."
Kane raised an eyebrow. "Share what?"
"Come and get your insulin first then you'll find out."
"Witch."
I followed Kane when he turned and walked back down the hallway and into the kitchen. No one looked at us when we entered the room and I suspected it was because one of the girls pressed their ear to the door and listened to my conversation with Kane.
Kane got his insulin kit from the top shelf in the press and handed it to me. He looked at the others and so did I. None of them looked at us though; they were all conversing with one another, but I could tell it was forced.
"Did you check your glucose levels today?" I asked Kane, returning my attention fully to him.
He deadpanned, "That would require me sticking a needle in myself so no."
Smartarse.
I pocketed the insulin pen, and took out Kane's glucose meter from the side pouch on the insulin kit to check his blood glucose levels. I also took out a device I dubbed ‘the finger pricker.' I had put a new testing strip into the glucose meter and a fresh needle into the finger pricker before I looked at Kane.
He reluctantly gave me his hand and looked away while I used the gadget to prick his finger. I squeezed his finger and when a little bubble of blood rose, I pressed the testing strip in the glucose meter against his finger and let it soak up the blood.
I waited for a few seconds as the meter determined Kane's glucose levels. I widened my eyes when I saw the results. "Kane, look how high your blood sugar is. It's almost two hundred!"
Kane looked at the results of his test and shrugged. "Big deal."
"It is a big deal. You're lucky you aren't doubling over and we don't have to bring you to the hospital!"
"Just give me my normal insulin dose; that will be fine. It'll set my blood sugar right."
He was pissing me off.
"It won't. I've to up your units now to make up for it!"
Kane sighed, "So turn the dial and up the units-problem solved."
Oh, my God.
"You know what? If it's not such a big fuckin' deal, then you do-"
"I'm sorry," he cut me off.
I opened my mouth then closed it.
I glared at him. "Why did you cave so quickly?"
He frowned down at me. "‘Cause I need you. I can't inject it myself... You're the one who does it. Only you."