Just One Orgasm!

Halfway through the movie, Kylie had finally stopped pretending she wasn’t enjoying herself.

The theater was dark, and the screen threw pale flashes of light across the rows of seats. Emilia sat beside her with her attention completely absorbed in the movie, occasionally reaching into the bag between them for another piece of popcorn.

Kylie had already finished most of hers.

She leaned back in her seat, crossing one leg over the other. For the first time that evening, her mind was quiet.

She looked around, and then, something caught her attention.

Two rows ahead.

A couple had just taken their seats.

The woman was carrying a small child, probably around two years old. She settled the toddler on her lap while the man beside her leaned closer, murmuring something into her ear.

The woman laughed quietly, and the man smiled. Kylie’s lips curved up into a smile unconsciously.

There was something strangely sweet about them. The woman rested her head against his shoulder, and he slipped an arm around her.

Kylie watched them for a moment.

She didn’t know why, but the sight made something warm settle in her chest.

Maybe because it looked comfortable, and safe.

The kind of relationship where two people didn’t have to think about whether they were allowed to touch each other.

She smiled faintly.

Then the man shifted in his seat. Just enough for the light from the screen to catch the side of his face.

Kylie’s smile disappeared instantly.

Her entire body went rigid.

She stared at them, and her heart seemed to stop. The movie continued playing in her world.

She couldn’t take her eyes off the man.

The familiar shape of his nose, and the gray beginning to show at his temples. She watched the slight crease beside his mouth.

Her father’s profile.

Kylie’s breath caught painfully. Her fingers tightened around the armrest.

A thousand thoughts crashed through her head at once.

What was he doing here? Who was that woman? Why was he holding her like that? Since when did he sit in movie theaters with women? Since when did he look comfortable? Since when did he laugh? And why had she never seen this side of him?

Her chest tightened.

She swallowed. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it wasn’t him. People looked alike.

She knew that.

She desperately wanted that to be true.

Kylie leaned forward slightly.

The man moved again.bThis time, she saw his face clearly. It was him. Her stomach dropped, and she turned toward Emilia.

Emilia was still watching the movie.

Kylie lifted her hand and touched her arm. "Emilia." Her voice was barely audible.

Emilia didn’t hear her.

Kylie touched her again. She shook her arm this time. "Emilia."

Emilia finally turned.

She frowned when she saw Kylie’s expression. "Are you alright?"

Kylie didn’t answer immediately. She pointed discreetly toward the couple. Her hand was trembling.

"Isn’t that my dad?"

Emilia followed the direction of her finger.

Her eyes landed on the man, and she also froze.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Emilia looked at Kylie, then back at the man. She didn’t need to ask. Kylie knew from her expression that she had recognized him too.

Emilia’s face changed immediately.

The warmth disappeared.

She reached into the bag between them and pulled out Kylie’s phone.bShe placed it gently in Kylie’s hand.

"Call him."

Kylie stared at the phone. Her fingers curled around it. She couldn’t move.bThe last thing she wanted was to confirm this.

Her body remembered things her mind didn’t want to remember. The feeling of standing somewhere she wasn’t wanted.

The way she had learned to read his footsteps before he entered a room. Her father’s voice had once been enough to make her entire body tense. And now he was sitting two rows ahead, looking happy, and normal.

As though none of it had ever happened.

Kylie stared at the back of his head. "I don’t want to."

Emilia looked at her. "You don’t have to."

Kylie swallowed. "But I need to know."

Emilia’s expression softened.

Kylie stared at the phone. Her thumb hovered over the screen.bShe could simply leave. They could stand up and walk out.

She could pretend she hadn’t seen him. She could protect herself from whatever conversation might follow.

However, some part of her needed an answer.

Kylie finally dialed his number.

The phone rang twice. Her heart pounded harder. Then the man two rows ahead reached into his pocket.

Kylie’s breath stopped.

He looked down at his phone, and he answered.

"Hello?"

Kylie’s lips parted. No words came out.

Her father frowned slightly. He looked at the screen. "Kylie?" he murmured, then he slowly lifted his gaze, and turned.

Kylie’s eyes met his.

For several seconds, neither of them moved.

His expression changed.

Recognition appeared first, then surprise.

His eyes widened. "Kylie?"

Her lips quivered. She couldn’t answer.

Her father slowly lowered the phone from his ear.

Kylie remained frozen. Beside her, Emilia’s expression became cold. She immediately began gathering their things.

She shoved them inside the bag without caring how messily she packed them.

Kylie finally blinked.

Emilia stood. "Let’s leave."

Kylie nodded. She ended the call. The moment the call disconnected, her father stood.

The woman beside him looked confused.

He leaned toward her and whispered something.

The woman’s eyes followed his.

She turned.

Her gaze landed on Kylie.

The woman’s expression changed. She looked surprised, then she glanced at Kylie’s father.

He said something else quietly.

The woman nodded. She reached down and lifted the toddler from the seat. The little boy stirred sleepily against her shoulder.

Kylie’s eyes remained fixed on her father.

She couldn’t move.

Emilia took her hand. "Come on."

Kylie let herself be pulled toward the exit.

She didn’t look back. Not once. They walked through the theater doors. The hallway outside was brighter.

Too bright for Kylie’s nervous system.

Kylie blinked several times.

Her head felt strangely empty.

Emilia kept her hand wrapped around hers. They were almost at the main doors when someone stepped in front of them.

Kylie stopped.

Her father now stood before them. The woman stood beside him. The toddler was in her arms.

Her father smiled. "My baby." He said, almost affectionately.

Kylie’s stomach twisted.

Her father took a step closer. "Look at you." His smile widened. "All grown up."

Kylie stared at him. She couldn’t understand how he could say those words.

How could he stand there like this?

The woman beside him smiled. She looked at Kylie with genuine curiosity. "Your dad has told me a lot about you."

Kylie’s eyes shifted toward her.

The woman smiled again. "I’m so happy to finally meet you." She adjusted the toddler against her hip. "Even if this was completely unplanned."

She stepped forward with her arms opened. She was going to hug Kylie.

Kylie instinctively stepped backward. Before the woman could get closer, Emilia moved. Her palm pressed firmly against the woman’s chest.

The woman stopped.

Emilia’s expression turned icy. "Don’t pull that act."

The woman’s eyes widened.

Emilia didn’t apologize. She simply took Kylie’s hand again. "Let’s go."

Kylie barely heard her.

Her father’s smile remained. He looked between them. "Wait."

Emilia turned.

Kylie didn’t.

Her father cleared his throat. "This is your stepmother, Kylie."

The word hit her strangely..

Kylie’s gaze slowly moved toward the woman. Her father continued smiling as though he were introducing people at a dinner party.

"And this is Oliver." He looked down at the toddler. "My son."

Kylie stared at the child.

The little boy was asleep against the woman’s shoulder, completely unaware.

Her father’s smile widened. "And you have a sister."

Kylie’s eyes snapped back to him.

He continued. "Her name is Lilian." He chuckled softly. "She’s eighteen. She’s about to get into college." He said proudly

Everything inside Kylie stopped. The number echoed inside her head.

Eighteen.

She stared at her father, and her lips parted.

"She’s... eighteen?"

Her father’s smile faltered slightly.

She saw the instant he realized what he’d just said.

He knew. He knew exactly what the number meant.

Kylie’s mind began putting the pieces together.

Eighteen.

A daughter. A daughter she had never known about. A daughter who had been born while Kylie was growing up. While her mother was still married to him. While Kylie had been watching her mother suffer.

While she had been trying to understand why her father could hurt the woman who loved him.

Eighteen.... That was before Randall. He was okay having another child outside, but never with her mum.

He had another family.

He had been living another life.

Kylie’s breathing became shallow. Her eyes moved toward the woman, then toward the sleeping toddler.

Oliver.

Her father was no longer smiling. His face had changed. "Kylie..."

She shook her head.

Her mind was racing. Had he cheated? How long? Was her mother still married to him when Lilian was born?

Of course she was.

Her father had not simply been cruel. He had been unfaithful. He had built another family while hers was falling apart.

And now he stood in front of her as though she should be happy to meet them.

As though this was some ordinary family reunion. As though she should smile, and hug the woman.

Kylie’s eyes burned.

Her father stepped forward. "Kylie, listen—"

She gakred at him, and that look stopped him. She stared at him with deep, devastating disappointment.

Her father swallowed.

"I didn’t mean for you to find out like this."

Kylie stared at him without words. Her jaw trembled, and she looked at him for another second.

Before anyone saw it coming, she raised her hand, and gave him a hard slap across his face.

The slap cracked through the hallway.

The woman’s eyes widened, and Emilia froze.

Kylie’s father’s head turned sharply from the force. For a moment, nobody spoke.

Kylie lowered her hand.

Her palm stung.

Her father slowly looked back at her. "Kylie..."

She said nothing.

Not one word. Because if she opened her mouth, she knew everything inside her would come spilling out.

She didn’t want to look at the baby. She didn’t want to hate a child who had done absolutely nothing wrong.

She didn’t want to hate the woman either.

The only person she could look at was her father.

The man who had once seemed so enormous in her childhood suddenly looked small.

Right now, he was just a man. A deeply flawed man. A man who had made choices and expected everyone else to live with them.

Kylie blinked.

One tear escaped. She immediately wiped it away.

Her father’s mouth opened.

Kylie glared at him again, shutting him up.

Emilia squeezed her hand. Kylie looked down at their joined hands. She smiled softly at Emilia.

"I knew coming here was a bad idea."