Confounded: Part I - 22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22 --==Taylan's POV==--

"Come again?" I asked, blinking surprised.

"Sienna and Jack are moving to the Middle East. Easy, easy, you; there's more."
I was trying to pry his arms off of me; he was only telling me this now!?

"I just heard it the day before yesterday."
I abruptly quit my prying.

"So there are two options; either Kit goes with them or he comes to live here. And I think you know very well what I'd prefer."

D'oh. Kit living here, of course. Right now, if it were possible. Yesterday, if he'd been able to do it. He talked about it often, lately.

"Have they asked him?"
Mitchell swallowed, and nodded.

"Yes. This morning. He called me, about an hour ago. He wants to stay here. I tell you; I was scared to death that he might choose to go with them..."

Obviously he was happy because his eyes were getting suspiciously moist. The big wuss. I sighed and wrapped my arms around his neck, giving him a small kiss on his nose.

"Idiot. You know he's nuts about his dad."
He smiled.

"Yeah. But, anyway, what comes next is a condition Sienna made; the deal we had, that there'll always be someone here for him, remains in place."

He looked at me a little dejectedly, and waited until the coin fell, which didn't take all that long.

"And you hoped that I'd sign up for the job, huh?"
He bit his lower lip, guiltily; was he nervous?

"Would you want to do it?"

"Are you blackmailing me right now? I say ‘no' and you lose your son?"

"Yes."
He looked downright desperate.

"Right, okay; then it's clear." I sighed deeply. "I dunno, Mitch...I suddenly have to go take care of a kid? I have no experience, whatsoever..."

"He's crazy about you. You know that. He respects you, which is important. And you know how much he means to me."

"How long before they leave?"

"Two months."
I sighed again and started shaking my head.

Unfortunately, he misunderstood the gesture. I was shaking my head because I couldn't believe that I was about to agree to do it; he'd already won me over, and Kit equally, so when the matter had to be decided, it was already decided for me. But, as said, he misunderstood my shaking my head, and he hung his, closing his eyes, swallowing audibly.

"Alright, I umm... I thought that you also lov..."

"Mitchell Gilmore, you're a big idiot. And you apparently know me a lot better than I thought; you knew full well that I'd say yes, as soon as I heard that Kit might be leaving you for good."
His eyes flew open, and he searched my face, hopefully.

"So...you'll do it?"
I sent him a smirk and nodded.

"Of course; I love that kid."
Oh Christ, my ribs. Ouch. Ouch. OUCH!!!

He passionately hugged me so tight; I really couldn't breathe. I hit him on the back, and then again, gasping for breath. That big oaf cried like a baby, out of relief, and I was standing there, slowly being squeezed to death. So I hit him again, this time hard enough to get his attention, and he let go, finally allowing me to inhale. Man, that
hurt.

"You absolute moron!" I gasped, my lungs still clawing for air. It stung! And he laughed, that Neanderthal.

I slapped his shoulder but he didn't care; he pulled me toward him again and rained down kisses on my face, my mouth, ending with a long, deep kiss, and I just let it flow over me, letting him express his relief, even when it became more passionate and he lifted me up.

Then I wrapped my legs around his waist, and while he was still sucked tightly to my face, let him carry me straight to the bedroom.