Chapter 19 - Break Up

The boys and Maddy all woke up sick with the flu. It had been going around and was just a matter of time before they caught it. Kaitlin picked up Maddy to calm her while she called the doctor. They called in a prescription for the boys and Maddy.

Kaitlin bundled up Maddy and took her with her to go pick it up.

When she got home she gave the boys the medicine and settled them back into bed. Then she picked up Maddy and settled in the new-to-her rocking chair to rock her daughter and calm her until the medicine took effect.

As she rocked, Kaitlin thought about Reid. She had been avoiding him for the past three weeks. She still hadn't told him she was pregnant. She wouldn't be able to hide the evidence much longer so she had to tell him - or did she?

Both Leroy and Reid said they cared for her. So did Newt for that matter. She couldn't believe how easy it had been for her to fall back into the same trap as before. A man is nice to her so she jumps into bed with him. She wondered if any of the boys back in high school had given her the time of day if she would have wound up with a reputation for being easy. Well, no more.  

Kaitlin knew what she had to do. She was going to break it off with Reid. She was not going to trap him into being with her because of her mistakes. That wasn't good for her family nor Reid. He needed to find someone that didn't have baggage - and anyway he had no idea about Newt. She sighed when she thought about her kids - they would miss him and frankly so would she, but she had to do this on her own and set him free. Just yank off the band-aid and move on - now before she lost her nerve.

Maddy finally went back to sleep so Kaitlin put her to bed, then she called Reid and asked him if he could come by.

“Of course Love," said Reid, "I have missed you these past couple of weeks. I was starting to think you were avoiding me.”

As she hung up the call she felt horrible. She really liked both men and should have had more self control and kept their relationship statuses at friends only. Period. Was she so insecure that she thought sex was the only way to keep someone in her life?

Reid arrived and she buzzed him in.

“Hi Katie!” he said enthusiastically and reached out to give her a kiss which she turned away from.

“Reid, we need to talk,” said Kaitlin barely holding it together.

Reid’s smile was quickly replaced by a look of dread knowing nothing good rarely came after those four little words. “What? What's wrong Katie? Whatever it is we can fix it - together,” he said quickly trying to make whatever she was going to say easier to deal with.

“We have to stop...stop seeing each other,” she blurted out.

He felt like someone punched him in the stomach. “What are you talking about? No we don't. We are good together. Did someone tell you I was cheating because it's not true!” When Kaitlin shook her head back and forth he continued his ramblings, “Your ex then. Is that bastard threatening you?”

“God, no, Reid,” she said as tears ran down her cheeks.

Reid got up and started pacing. “Then what Katie? Is there someone else? What did I do? Help me understand why you suddenly don't want to see me.”

“It’s complicated,” whispered Kaitlin looking at her hands.

At her words, Reid got in her face and grabbed her shoulders, “What is complicated? We are both single consenting adults.”

Kaitlin flinched at his rough touch and pulled away from him, “I can’t explain, it’s just better this way.”

“Better? Better for who? Not me. And look at you! THAT'S NOT AN ANSWER!!” he shouted, now more angry than hurt, his voice getting louder and louder, “You don't get to say we're through and use ‘it’s complicated’ and ‘I can't explain’ as a reason! I gave YOU my heart and you are just casually tossing it back at me!!!? I deserve an answer Katie!”

Kaitlin was full on crying and now. His resemblance to Newt made it hard for her to separate the two men in her mind and she cowered away from him, “I'm sorry, please don't hi…”

“Don't what Kaitlin? Don't HIT you? Shit, if you don't think any better of me than that, I shouldn't even bother with you. I thought you were different."

Kaitlin tried to hand Reid the necklace he had given her, "Please - take this."

"Keep the damn necklace - Katie -" he ground out as he reached for the doorknob, "as a reminder of what you will never have. I don't want it back." Reid opened the door and walked out of her life, slamming it behind him.  

“Oh...Reid…I'm so sorry,” she whispered as the door slammed in her face. She crumpled to the ground crying.

Reese came in and saw his mother on the floor and ran to her reaching out to help her up. “Mom! What's going on? Are you okay? Was that Reid I heard yelling. Did he hurt you?”

“No, baby, he didn't,” sob, “I broke up with him. I will be okay, go back to bed.”

“But why? What did he do?” asked Reese, “Did he cheat on you?”

Kaitlin pulled herself together and let Reese help her up. “He didn't do anything Reese. I made a mistake letting him into our lives and I needed to fix it before it got worse.”

“A mistake?” asked Reese confused.

“I'm okay now. When you feel better we will talk. There are some things I need to tell you and then maybe you will understand. For now, just get to bed and get well. I am not going to work tonight so you don't have to worry about Maddy and Ben.”

After Reese was finally satisfied she was okay and went back to bed, she picked up the phone and dialed Leroy.  “Hi Leroy. This is Kaitlin. Listen, the kids are sick so I really need to take tonight off.”

“Kate, are you sick too? You sound terrible," said Leroy.

“No. I'm fine," she said and sniffed, "Can I have the night off or not?”

“Okay, sure. I can cover for you. Feel better Kate. Let me know if you need another day.”

“Thanks Leroy, I won't, I will be in tomorrow.” She decided she would get a sitter if the kids were still ill rather than ask for any more favors from him.

Kaitlin stumbled into bed and softly cried herself to sleep.

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