CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Paisley Redmond P.O.V

"Bye! Take care!" I shouted from the door and waved my hand to Ace and Erica.

They aren't leaving back just yet, but wanted to go and visit Erica's cousin in New York. It is a one and a half hour drive from New Jersey, Erica wanted to take the bus and enjoy the ride instead of Ace driving them.

After they left, I went inside and answered Mr.Brown's call.

"Morning Mr.Brown." I said answering the call.

"Morning Paisley!" He replied cheerfully. "Paisley, I don't need you here in the office today. I guess you should work from home, the client we were suppose to meet is postponing the meeting. So, I want you to pack all your stuff you need cause we will leave for London in the next two weeks." He completed.

"Uh.. sure! Do you know the reason they cancelled the meething? They were quite eager to discuss about the case." I said mentally doing a happy dance. I mean who does love a day off!?

"I don't know, they said something family related came up. They want us to keep the meeting in the next two days." Mr.Brown said.

"Oh okay then, I'll see you tomorrow, Mr.Brown. Have a nice day at work!" I wished.

"I will, child. Now, you better go and start packing. I am sure it will take time." He said.

"Of course it would." I said sighing.

"Oh well.. did you talk to Ryder and Noah about the whole shifting situation?" Asked Mr.Brown.

"Uh.. no, but I am sure they will be ecstatic! Convincing them won't be any problem." I told him.

"That's great then. Now, I won't take much of your time, go and start packing." Mr.Brown said.

"Take care Mr.Brown." I said.

"You too Paisley!" He said and ended the call.

Just incase if you are wondering about all the packing and stuff, I'll explain it to you. I signed the papers last week before Noah and Ryder's birthday. So now, I will be leaving for London in the next two weeks.

Though, now I am extremely confused about the whole divorce problem. With the sudden change in Kyle's approach towards me, I feel like giving him a chance. On top of that, when two days ago Ace and Erica had arrived for the twin's birthday, Erica also gave me the same advice as mom.

The morning after Noah and Ryder's birthday was packed with thick tension, one that could be cut with a knife. The fact that Kyle was present and Ace was furious was not at all a good combination, if it wasn't for Erica being present there, I am sure those two would have killed each other.

After Kyle took the twins with him that morning, Ace and Erica made me have a Skype call with Mel, Nick and Luke. I told them everything from top to bottom over that three hour call, all of them were pretty mad at Luke for hidding the matter from them, than they were at me. Over that call I got a lot of earful, support and advices, which made me proud of having such wonderful people as my friends. I told them about me signing the contract with a firm there and all of them were quite pleased with my decision.

After the skype call had ended Mel called me, she started of with throwing millions of profanities at Kyle and alot of swearing. Later, she asked me to tell her every little thing, which I did without a second thought. Before, ending the call she said "No matter if he is the biggest f*cker alive, it's better to give him a chance and test his integrity this time. If he messes up, you will definitely have the choice of walking out of the situation and file the damn divorce, the kids would also be with you. It would be better if you give it a shot! At the end of the day, I have strongly started to believe that, that moron genuinely loves you. You deserve happiness, tiger, don't let your fear get in it's path."

The entire day I kept pondering over her words but was still fearful.

The ringing of my mobile brought me out of the thoughts of mine and Mel's conversation. Letting out a deep breathe I picked up the phone and saw it was mom.

"Hey mum!" I said lifting the call and a smile made it's on my lips.

"Hi sweetheart!" Mom said.

"How are you?" I asked her.

"Good! I just met you two days back, though." She chuckled. "Anyways, I wanted to spend sometime with my grandson's today. Could I do that if you don't mind?" Mom said.

"Of course, mom! You don't need anyone's permission to see them, you can meet them whenever and wherever you want." I told her as I walked towards the kitchen pouring myself a glass of orange juice.

"No.. I was just wondering if Kyle was taking them out or something..." Mom trailed off.

"He can wait till tomorrow, even if he is. He will reckon for sure, I know it. You don't worry, I will drop them off if you want?" I said and took a sip of OJ.

"No honey, that will not be needed. I'll come and pick them up on my own." Mom said.

"Sure?" I asked.

"Positive!" She replied in affermative.

"Cool, then I'll get them ready!" I said.

"Okay then, see you soon darling." Said mom.

"Yeah. Love ya mum!" I told her.

"Me too! Bye!" Mom said.

"Bye!" I said and cut the call.

Gulping the contents of my juice, I placed the glass in the sink and walked out of the kitchen.

I ran upstairs and got Ryder and Noah dressed. In an hour and a half, they were done eating and went away with mom when she had come to pick them.

After the boys left I went inside and starred the packing.

At around 12:30 the bell rang and I got up to check who it was, almost tripping over the things splattered all over the ground. I hate packing!

On opening the door I saw Kyle standing there again.

"Hey love!" He grinned and kissed my cheek.

"What?" I said rubbing the area on my cheek he just kissed with the back of my hand.

"You look like a child doing that." He laughed and I glared at him.

"The kids are not home, I told you this morning." I told him impatient for him to leave so I could continue with my packing.

"I know." He answered.

"So, why are you here?" I asked folding my arms over my chest.

"To meet my lovely wife." He smiled again and moved inside the house.

"Kyle." I sighed and turned around closing the door.

"Yeah honey?" He said.

"Why?" I asked.

"What why?" He answered my question with a question of his own.

"Urgh.....why are you here?" I asked as calmly as possible.

"I just told you..." Kyle said.

"No, the real reason!" I snapped at him.

"Umm.. well.. I don't have any groceries to cook, yet. I thought I could come and have a delicious lunch made by you." Kyle said and I rolled my eyes.

"You could buy a house and not groceries? Nonsense!" I said narrowing my eyes at him.

"Hey! Buying a house is easier than buying household stuff for a guy!" Kyle said.

"Now, that you are done with your high school excuses, tell me the real reason." I ordered him.

"I wanted to talk." Finally he said.

"About?" I asked.

"Us!" Kyle said.

"Kyle.." I sighed.

"Please just once, Paisy! Let me clear everything once again.." He politely said.

"Why should I, Kyle, huh? Why should I listen to you?" I retorted and walked head of him towards the living room.

"Because the guilt is eating me alive! It is haunting me, Paisley! It's haunting me for the past four fu*cking years! Just once please!" Said Kyle as he followed me and I took a deep calming breath.

I kept mute and signaled him to start. I don't know why I always let him "explain" things... Stupid me!

"See, no explanation I give will ever lessen the hurt I caused you, but I can try my best, to make you stop hurting." He told me.

"How is that?" I asked.

"By showing you that I truly care, by making ammends!" Kyle said.

"You showed care last time also. What did happen, huh? I was ruined! This time around also if you do the same, I'll be incapable of even taking care of my kids because of my own self pity. That's the last thing I want!" I told him and once again crossed my arms over my chest.

"That is what I am trying to explain here, Paisley. This time nothing is fake, it was not back then too. Me caring for you wasn't a lie! Everything, every single word I utter, drips with honesty! Do you think I am that ruthless, to cause you the hurt again without any rime or reason? No, I am not! The mistake done once can never be erased, but it can be prevented from happening again. And that's excatly what I am doing. I am saving us both form the agony which we have experienced because of living away from each other!" He said and I scoffed.

"No! I wasn't in any kind of agony. I have had my kids to live for and I am doing just fine!" I told Kyle, wanting to clear all his misconceptions.

"Agreed! Agreed that you had the boys as your reason to live. But, did you not even once felt that something is wrong? That something is still missing, a very important element isn't there which makes all this happiness seems incomplete? Tell me, Paisley! Please be honest and answer me, sweetheart." Kyle said my mind started to ponder on all the moments in the past.

I just stood there like a statue because each and every word he just said, was the absolute truth. I recalled the times I sob in my bed because of being alone, the times when I fear my children could never receive a father's affection, or the times when I was all alone managing the kids, the house and work together, the times when I feel the absense of Kyle from the small yet meaningful events, for instance, the twins's first cry, their first smile, first word, first step, first birthday, first day at school and many more.

An unwanted sob exited my mouth thinking of all these things.

In a flash Kyle was infornt of me hugging me close to his chest. I just continued to cry for all the four years of my life I could have lived with him, and how we could together experience the most important and sigificant events in our lives.

"Hey! Hey! I didn't want to make you cry. Please don't, baby, it makes me more guilty than ever." He whispered and kissed the top of my head.

Collecting myself I moved out of his embrace. I looked at him and saw pain written all over his face, but his time the only difference was, he did not mask his expression. He let me see what he was truly feeling.

"Now, please answer." He coaxed.

"Yes." I barely let out a whisper which he still managed to hear.

"Then what is the problem? Why do you want to live like this, baby? Give me a chance and I'll make this all right." Kyle said softly.

"What if you hurt me again? What if you again have some kind of motive behind all this? If this is about the kids, then you don't need to worry, Kyle. I am absolutely ready to have a visation schedule for them, but don't do this." I almost begged him.

"Paisley love, if I would have wanted to hurt you, I would have taken the kids away with the moment I stepped on the American soil. I would have made sure that you can't visit them or talk to them, I would have moulded them in the way I would have wanted, I could have poisoned them against you. Did I do any of that?" Asked Kyle.

I just shook my head in negative and looked him through my teary vision.

"So, this means I do not want to hurt you." He said.

"How can I believe that you don't have any hidden motive behind it?" I asked still crying pathetically.

"A person who has a family to lose never lies. If I lie this time too, I myself would ask you to leave, because you don't deserve a liar." Kyle said in a promising voice.

"I still am scared! I fear of being treated like I am worthless again, Kyle. I dread the fact that you will suddenly realise that you don't need me, all this you did was just because of guilt and throw me out and take the kids away from me. Forever!" I expressed in a shaky voice, my tear ducts again excreating moisture.

"NEVER!" He almost yelled and stalked towards me with purposeful steps.

"Never will I ever do that." He said cupping my cheeks wiping away the fresh tears.

"I need you, Paisley! The four years I have lived without you, were meaningless, they are meaningless! I was just like a robot with no feelings. These four years, I have only survived with the determination to find you, to be with you. If it would have been guilt, it wouldn't have lasted so long. So, it's absolutely not guilt! It's love, the love I feel for you! I love you, Paisley!" He said his eyes glistening with tears unshed tears.

"You aren't playing again with me, right?" I asked in a weak voice.

"Of course not! Come home, Paisley!  Comeback to your rightful home!" Kyle said looking at me dead in the eyes.

"That place was never my home, Kyle! The place where I had been called a wh*re, a source of revenge. The place where I got ugly bruises on my arms, the limp in my walk, the bump on my head, the place where my self-estemee was murdered, the place from where I was thrown out in middle of the night, was not my home! IT NEVER WILL BE!" I almost yelled.

"You have a problem with that house? It's okay! I'll change the place. We won't live there anymore, we'll get a much better place to live in. A place that will be suitable for all four of us." Kyle said.

"Changing the house is not the point here, Kyle. The fact that those painful memories are embedded in my mind." I said tapping on my temple as tears rolled down on my cheeks. "It's difficult to forget those!" I said sniffing.

"Then I will help you with it. I am gonna do anything you want, just please comeback to me." He said holding my hands in his huge one's and this time a few tears escaped his eyes.

I just kept quiet and closed squeezed my eyes shut taking a shaky breath, trying to process the conversation we have over the past hour.

"So, will you comeback?" He asked bringing me out of my thoughts.

I thought about everything he said, I did have alot to lose if something went wrong this time, but I would give it a shot. I would give it a shot for my children's healthy future and my much deserved happiness.

Without wasting another passing second I answered him.

"Yes. Yes, I will comeback with you Kyle!" I told him with a small smile.

His eyes widened in pure shock, he sure wasn't expecting me to agree. I myself was wasn't expecting to give him an answer so soon, that to a positive one.

"Really? You aren't trying to just brush me off, right?" He asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"No, I am not." I told him while he was still holding both my hands in his.

"Oh f*ck! Thank you, thank you so much, Paisley! You won't regert any of it, love. I promise! I love you, baby!" He said and picking me up spinning me around making me laugh.

"Okay. Okay. Now put me down!" I told him through the laughs.

After putting me down he just held my face in his hands gazing at me lovingly.

"I love you Paisley! Thank you baby, thank you." He said.

"I am trusting you again with my everything, Kyle. Don't you dare make a mistake this time, if you do, I'll have your head for it." I said seriously.

"Of course! I won't let you down." He smiled and kissed my kunckles

"One more thing." I said.

"Yes! Just say it!" Kyle said with lifted spritis.

"I want to take things slow, I don't want to rush anything. Please!" I requested.

"Sure! Anything you want, we will take it slow, if that's what you want." Kyle said.

We stood there without a word until I felt his lips on mine. This time I did kiss him back, something that I always wanted to do. Something I wanted and craved for the past four years.

The kiss wasn't heated or anything. It was just simple and affectionate, as if he wanted to show me how honest his words meant.

After I don't know how long we pulled away breathless.

"I was dying for that!" He said and pecked my lips once again.

"You don't get anything more than kissing." I said and he pouted.

"But...." He tried to protest with a slight pout that resembled Ryder and Noah's but I cut him off.

"We are taking things slow, Kyle. Let's just get use to the fact of being near each other again, when the time comes we will move forward. Please." I told him.

"Anything for you Paisy! I'll be happy with anything you have to offer on my plate." He said and pulled me in for a tight hug which I reciprocated.

.......................................

DUN. DUN. DUN.

Hey Babies!

So, finally our ship has sailed! Let's hope it has a peaceful journey though. Lol!

All the Kyle and Paisley supporters gotta love me for this update;)

If you people have some ship names for "Paisley and Kyle" and "Paisley and Luke" share them with me. Put them in the comment box or P.M me. I will be waiting!☺

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Until next time:)