Rejected Mate's Redemption (Freda and James) novel Chapter 130

Chapter 130
FREDA WHITLOCK
I pulled in front of the pack house and waited for Kaiden to climb out of the car. The drive from the house he had said was meant to be for both of us to the pack house had been quiet and I was grateful for it. I did not want us to talk about anything more. Last night, I had made it clear to him that he and I could not be anything more. I had decided to be okay with him as Francisco’s father and that was the f**t we were going to get.
He looked at me through the window and nodded. I gave him a brief smile in response and started the engine again. I saw Safiya walk out of the house with a glare on her face and I thanked the heavens that I was not the one on the receiving end of that.
It took me twenty minutes to get to my house. I pulled up in the driveway and climbed out of the car after I found my phone stuck under the front passenger. I must have dropped it there yesterday night.
I walked into the house, and it was eerily quiet. I looked at my phone. There were twenty missed calls from Lyra and fifteen texts.
“S***” I muttered under my breath, scrolling through all of them.
‘Where are you?’
Chapter 130
‘It’s late, Freda. Why aren’t you home yet?’
‘Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself while drinking?”
‘For goddess’s sake, Freda, pick your d**n phone.’
‘I don’t know what to tell Francisco. Are you missing?’
‘Omg, Cole does not know where you are. You left him drunk. ** is wrong with you? Did you drunk drive and kill yourself?’
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I stopped scrolling when I saw Cole’s name. I was filled with guilt. Both for making Lyra this worried and for abandoning Cole yesterday. It was s**y, but I was drunk and horribly out of my mind.
“Lyra?” I called, walking further into the house and setting my phone and keys on the island. “Lyra? Cisco?” I called and I heard the back door open and close. Francisco rushed to me and hugged me around my legs.
“Mommy, where have you been?” He asked with tears in his eyes. “Oh baby, what’s wrong?” I asked with worry on my face. “Where’s Aunt Lyra?” I asked, looking around. I bent in front of him and he examined me carefully, as though he was checking to see if I was hurt.
“Are you okay?” He asked. I smiled at him. “Of course, baby. I’m sorry I kept you worried. I stayed out too late and I could not come home in time,” I said, hoping it would assuage his worries. “I’m so sorry,” I said, feeling terrible for not considering him and Lyra when I was making my choices.
“It’s okay,” he said, kissing my cheek and giving me his gorgeous smile. “Thank you, baby” I kissed all over his face, and
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Chapter 130
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he giggled before pointing to the back door. “Aunt Lyra and Cole are there,” he said and my heart sank. Cole was here? I started to feel horrible. D**n, letting Kaiden drive me was a bad idea. Not leaving immediately after I saw him was the worst thing I had done all week.
I smiled at him and took a deep breath to try and calm the anxiety that was rising in my chest.
I pushed open the door and saw Lyra standing with her hands crossed under the tree. She was talking to Cole in whispers and there was a shared worried look on their faces.
“Lyra,” I nervously called and she looked at me with a surprised expression on her face. She walked towards me slowly and even though I was expecting a whack across the face, she pulled me into a hug. “Heyy… Was it you Francisco went to meet?” She asked, looking behind me. I pulled away from the hug and looked behind me. Francisco was watching us with a small smile.
“I heard someone come through the front door,” he said with a shrug and I gave him a grin in return. “Go get out the word game, Cisco. I’ll be right with you. I need to talk to your mom for a moment,” Lyra told him with an unreadable expression and my stomach dropped with dread. She was about to scold me.
Francisco ran off and she turned to look at me. I pressed my lips together and tried to speak. “Where were you? Where the hell were you?” She fumed.
Was this the same person that hugged me a few seconds ago?
“I…” looked over at Cole and when I was sure he was not looking at us, I spoke. “I was with Kaiden.”
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Chapter 131