Kai’s gaze shifted to stare through Jessie, like she wasn’t even there. “He’s known for so long. How could he lie to me, for all this time? And mom…she had to know, or at least suspect, from the very beginning. Why didn’t she tell me? Why didn’t either one of them tell me?” His voice trailed off as his eyes watered.
Confused, Jessie began rubbing his back in a warming circle. Sadness and revulsion began bubbling within her. She didn’t quite understand all of what Kai was saying, but ultimately, he’d said yes. His family knew their horrible secret. It wouldn’t be long now before more family members knew about them. Maybe Jessie’s parents would be next. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought about them knowing what she’d done. What would they say? What would they do? What could she and Kai do now?
Sighing, Jessie rested her head on his shoulder. Wishing they didn’t have to talk about it, she whispered, “What happens now, Kai?”
Kai shook his head so hard that he jostled Jessie from his shoulder. She peeked up at him in concern. His lips were still tinged with a slight blueness, and he was still staring off with that dazed expression, like his world had just been turned upside down. While Jessie was certainly upset, she was puzzled over the severity of his reaction. And his odd comments. Many of them just didn’t make any sense. Like, “it was a match.” Jessie still had no clue what that meant.
Kai’s voice was hollow as he answered her. “I don’t know. What do I say to them now? What do I say to my…to him?”
Jessie scrunched her brows. She was obviously missing a vital piece of this conversation. Sweeping tiny slices of hair from his forehead, she whispered, “I think I’m confused. What on earth are you talking about, Kai?”
He locked eyes with her then, like he suddenly realized she was still there. Then he freed his arms so he could engulf her in a hug; he squeezed her so tightly her breath was shortened. “I’m sorry I’m here, Jessie. I just needed to get out of there, and I didn’t know where else to go. I thought about driving to your work once I realized you weren’t here, but after I sat down on your step, I couldn’t make myself get back up again.”
Jessie took a deep, steadying breath when he pulled back to study her. More like himself than he had been since she’d found him, he quietly said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this on my own. I need you.”
Jessie instantly drew him back into her embrace. Concern overriding her curiosity, she fervently nodded. “Of course. I’m here for you whenever you need me, Kai, no matter what else is going on.” Finally relaxing in her arms, Kai nodded against her shoulder. “Can you tell me what happened?” Jessie asked after a silent minute.
Kai moved away from her and sighed. Swallowing a harsh lump, he closed his tropical eyes. Reopening them slowly, he quietly said, “I just found out that Nate Harper…isn’t my father.”
It was about the last thing in the world that Jessie had expected to hear him say. She couldn’t even really comprehend the words he’d just spoken. It made no sense. Of course Uncle Nate was his father. Who else could be his dad? “What?” she asked, reaching for his hand.
Kai shook his head as their fingers intertwined. “I’m not his son…and he knew. All this time…ever since I was a small boy…he’s known I wasn’t his.” Leaning back against the couch, he looked over at her; his eyes looked older than she’d ever seen them.
“What do you mean? Of course he’s your dad…right?” Jessie still couldn’t wrap her head around what he was saying.
By Kai’s expression, he was having trouble as well. “No. I saw the test…we can’t be a match.” Exhaling a slow breath, he ran a hand down his face. “He can’t be my father…because someone else is. I matched with him perfectly…all the markers were there. There’s no denying the genetics.”
All Jessie understood was that Kai had seen proof, proof he wasn’t Uncle Nate’s child. Curiosity drove her to ask who was. “Who is your father then?”
Kai laid his head back on the couch with a sigh. “Mason Thomas is my father.” Looking exhausted by the admission, he closed his eyes.
Jessie was floored. “Your boss, Mason?”
Kai opened his eyes and twisted his head to look at her. Wearily, he nodded. “I went into his office this morning to give him my notice…and he told me he’d had an affair with my mother, and I was the end result.” He shook his head as he searched Jessie’s face. “I didn’t believe him. I made him prove it…and he did. He compared our DNA. You can’t fight science…”
“Oh God…Kai.” Jessie leaned over to wrap her arms around his blanketed body. She couldn’t imagine finding out that her entire childhood was a lie. She couldn’t imagine someone telling her that her father was genetically a stranger. Kai sniffled as she held him. “I’m so sorry. That’s…that’s awful.” Pulling back, she stroked his cheek. His eyes were moist as he watched her.