Yesterday Without Time in the amazing life of Kali

Chapter 49; Coles Long shift

I stared at the California sun dipping below the horizon, painting the sky a bruised purple. It felt wrong. The beauty outside clashed with the chaos in my mind. Glancing at the dashboard, the numbers of the clock flickering like my thoughts. Julian’s voice faded in and out as I replayed Kali’s words in my head. “He didn’t come. I offered and told him where she was. He didn’t even care, he never showed up.” But how could that be true? Alonso was the father. but a chill crept into my bones. It was hard to trust her. Trust has always been a fragile thing, especially now. I gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Why wouldn’t he want to see his own kid?” I muttered, frustration bubbling to the surface. The air hung heavy in the patrol car, thick with unspoken words and the scent of stale coffee. This shift is dragging. Julian keeps shooting me these sideways glances, probably wondering what’s eating me. I noticed as he watched me with a mixture of concern and curiosity. He knew something was wrong; I could see it in the way he subtly shifted in his seat, the way his gaze lingered on my clenched jaw. He’s my new partner, normally he’s all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Me? I’m a mess. It all started with Kali. Beautiful, smart, funny… and pregnant with another guy’s kid. Alonso, they call him. The supposed father. I met Kali back in high school but finally got the courage to make a move on her. I’d wanted her for ages, First date, I wanted to kiss her, but I held back. Gentleman, right? Second date, I wanted to rip her clothes off, but I didn’t. Morals, I guess. I couldn’t do that to a pregnant woman, especially one carrying another man’s child. But I fell hard. Really hard.

Then came the baby. Three hours away in the hospital. And Alonso? Nowhere to be seen. Kali swears he hasn’t been to see her or the baby. But I don’t believe her. What kind of father wouldn’t be there for his newborn? It just didn’t add up. So, I did what I thought was right. I broke things off. I told her it was over. Julian shifted in his seat. “Maybe he’s a coward.” His words hung in the air, heavy with possibility. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t that simple. Kali had always been honest, or so I thought. Now, every time I replayed our last argument, the doubts twisted tighter. I broke up with her for a reason. Alonso’s absence gnawed at me. It made no sense. I wanted to believe her, but the images in my head painted a different story. “What if… what if she’s lying?” I hesitated. The weight of my decision pressed down like a lead blanket. Julian turned, his eyes sharp. “You need to figure this out, Cole. Before it eats you alive.”

As we drove through the sun-soaked streets, the world outside felt distant. My mind raced. I had to know the truth. I had to confront Kali again, even if it meant unraveling everything I thought I knew. “Cole, you okay? Hey man, look, this shift will go much smoother if you could just tell me what’s got you all in a mood,” Julian said, his voice soft, breaking through my thoughts. His concern was genuine, I shot him the dirtiest look I could muster. “None of this leaves this patrol car,” I growled, letting out a sigh that rattled my chest. Then, I spilled it all. I told him about Kali, about the whirlwind romance, the agonizing internal conflict of wanting her desperately while knowing she was carrying another man’s child. I told him about the first date, where I’d fought the urge to kiss her, wanting to be a gentleman, a man of class. I told him about the second date, the overwhelming desire to sweep her off her feet, to lose myself in her, a desire I’d suppressed. I’d wanted to be respectful, to treat her with the dignity she deserved, even though my body screamed for something more. I told him everything. About Kali, about Alonso, about my doubts, my confusion, my gut-wrenching regret. “I dumped her,” I confessed, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. “A few hours later, she went into labor. We got back together, but… her baby’s three hours away in the hospital, and I just don’t believe her that Alonso, her daughter’s dad, hasn’t been there at all.” “Kali had said she was telling the truth. Alonso didn’t visit her or the baby. But doubt gnawed at me. I’d seen the way she looked at him before everything fell apart.” “Do you think it’s possible to really know someone?” I asked. My voice was tight. Julian shrugged, but he didn’t get it. He hadn’t been the one to break up with a girl he still loved, all because of a gut feeling. “People lie, man. It happens.” “No,” I snapped, “not like this. Not over something that could ruin lives that could mess up things.” I thought of Kali’s tear-streaked face, her pleading eyes. I thought of her being a new mom, a baby in the hospital three hours away, and how I’d walked away. “Maybe I messed up,” I muttered, more to myself than to Julian. His silence weighed heavy.

What if I was wrong? What if she really was telling the truth? I glanced at Julian. The questions hung in the air like smoke. As Julian leaned back, listened patiently, his expression was thoughtful. “Well, man, did you show up and he was there? Or do you have proof?” he asked. I shook my head. “No,” I admitted, the shame burning in my throat. “I have morals, man. I wanted this girl for a long time. I got her, and I wanted to treat her right. But I don’t have proof he was ever up there. But what kind of person wouldn’t go see their baby in the hospital? Of course, he went to see his baby. I couldn’t just show up at the hospital and accuse him of something I couldn’t prove. But what kind of person wouldn’t go see their baby in the hospital? Of course he went to see his baby.” Julian’s voice was calm, measured. “Well, man, if you don’t have any proof he was there with her, then she could be telling the truth. If you like her that much, then why let her go? Who’s saying you’re going to get another chance?” Silence descended, heavy and suffocating. The hum of the patrol car’s engine was the only sound, a relentless counterpoint to the turmoil in my heart. I’d let my insecurities, my doubts, my need for certainty, drive me away from the woman I loved. I’d let my pride blind me to the possibility that she was telling the truth. And now, she is gone, and I was left with nothing but regret. His words hit me like a ton of bricks. What if she was telling the truth? What if I’d thrown away something precious because of my own assumptions? What if I never get another chance? The thought of losing Kali, of losing the possibility of a future with her, was almost unbearable. My gut twisted. Maybe I should have trusted her. Maybe I should go see her, see the baby, talk to her. Maybe I should apologize. Maybe… maybe I messed up big time. This shift suddenly felt a whole lot longer. The rest of the shift was a blur. Calls came in, we responded, but my mind was miles away, replaying every word, every look, every touch I’d shared with Kali. I pictured her, exhausted but radiant, holding her newborn daughter. I imagined Alonso, a ghost in the periphery, a shadow of doubt that haunted my every thought. That night, I couldn’t sleep. The image of Kali’s face, etched with a mixture of exhaustion and love, burned behind my eyelids. I knew I had to see her, to apologize, to beg for another chance. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe, just maybe, I could still have a chance to prove to her, and to myself, that I was worthy of her love.