Chapter Three
CHAPTER THREE
CARTER
Carter:
Hey, how’s it going?
Eddie:
Sup, man! How’s retired life treating you?
Carter:
Eh, honestly? Kind of boring.
Eddie:
You’ll find something to do soon. How’s our favorite little girl?
Carter:
She’s in Grandpa spoiling heaven.
Eddie:
As she should be! Someone needed to step up and take over our job.
Carter:
And seriously, thanks for always loving my little girl. Her uncles are the best.
Eddie:
Fuck yeah we are!
Eddie:
So, really, what’s going on?
Carter:
I have a question, but I don’t really want to ask, but I need to.
Eddie:
Uh-oh. Who fucked the ex-hoe?
Carter:
I wish it were that simple.
Eddie:
Spill it, man.
Carter:
Have you talked to your sister-in-law lately?
Eddie:
No. What do you know? She hasn’t contacted us in months. Amberly is worried sick. She thinks that asshole did something to her.
Fuck! This is exactly what I was worried about. She’s in total hiding, even from her family. I stare at the messages on the screen, trying to think of something to say, when it rings.
“What do you know?” Eddie whispers through the line. “And before you say you don’t know anything, fuck you. Tell me what you know, please.”
“I know she’s okay.”
“Is that all?”
“For now.”
“You sure she’s okay?”
“She looked very healthy.”
“Thank god.”
“I wish I could tell you more, but I don’t know anything more. I know I freaked her the fuck out, and I know she’s currently protected by good people.”
“That’s good to know.”
“Please don’t tell your wife that I know anything about this. She’ll kill me.”
“Why do you think I’m whispering?” He chuckles. “I’m not that stupid.”
“Thanks.”
“But if you find out anything, you call me?” The desperation and worry in his voice is almost enough to make me spill everything, but if she’s keeping her whereabouts from her family, she has to have good reason.
“Yeah, I will.”
I hang up with Eddie and flop back on my bed, covering my face with my arm. There’s nothing that bothers me more than not knowing something I want to know. If her family doesn’t even know where she is, how can I ask around without outing her? I don’t want to do that, but I want to know her story. How did she end up here, of all places? What happened with her ex? Why did it take her so long to leave? What’s her plan? Is she going to stay in hiding for the rest of her life?
I’m driving myself crazy when Ava calls me from her room. Little girl should be asleep, not sounding like she’s coming in from a rager. I drag myself off the bed and go to my bedroom door, opening it up where I can see directly into Ava’s room. She’s curled up in the chair, her arms wrapped around her knees.
“Hey, baby girl, what’s wrong?” I whisper, slowly walking into the room so I don’t scare her. I sit on the edge of her bed, facing her in the chair. I can’t immediately pick her up, or she’ll break, which will make me break. I learned that not long after her mother left.
“I was all alone,” her little voice replies.
“You were?”
“Uh-huh. In my dream. Mommy left and then you left and then Grandpa left and I was all alone.”
It’s normal to want to kill your ex, right? To want to hurt them physically for the emotional scars they leave on their kids? Because my vision is red, and I can’t take it out on anyone here.
“But you aren’t alone, sweetheart. I’m here. Grandpa’s here. We aren’t going to leave you.”
“Promise?” She looks up at me with the biggest blue eyes that melt my heart.
“Yeah, I promise.”
“I don’t know anyone here, Daddy. If you leave me, where will I go?”
“You know lots of people,” I assure her. “Your Aunt Lottie and Uncle Tiny. Remember her friend Trish?” I ask. When she nods, I continue. “She’s here, too. And my friend Davis. And their kids. They’ve just been giving us a day or two to settle in, and then we’re going to be seeing them all the time.”
“Nattie calls Uncle Tiny something else,” she tells me, sounding like the authority on the matter.
“And what does she call him?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“She says he’s her Tiny Big Guy. Because he’s super big, Daddy. Like, he’s a giant.”
I laugh, nodding. “He sure is. But he’s a good guy, too. You can always go to him if you need help, you know that, right?”
She nods, yawning. I lean over and pick her up, her body going limp in my arms. I know she won’t always let me do this with her, that there will come a day when she’s mortified at the thought of her dad comforting her, but tonight? I’ll take it and cherish it.
“Can I sweep with you tonight, Daddy?” she whispers into my shoulder, her little arms clinging to my neck.
“Sure thing, baby girl.”
I carry her across the hall and tuck her in to what she’s started referring to as her side of the bed. She smiles, huddling into the covers, and I brush back the hair on her forehead, leaning down and giving her a kiss.
“I’ll be right here, okay?”
“Love you, Daddy.” She’s asleep before I can reply, and I head to the chair in the corner of the room and look out the window at the quiet street outside.
When this happens, I always end up in my own head. Life is truly fucked up. I have a little girl who has some big emotions that I don’t know how to handle on my own. I’ve got a phone call in to a friend of Trish and Davis’s who’s a therapist. She’s willing to do a few phone or video calls, and I’m always willing to drive to where she is, which is like forty-five minutes away. There’s a woman in town who is hiding from something, and I can’t seem to get my mind off of her.
She looked amazing tonight, healthy. Her skin was glowing, her hair hanging down her back in just-rolled-out-of-bed waves. And don’t get me started on her body. I always knew she was attractive, but never noticed just how attractive. I was married. She was with someone. That was never going to happen. But circumstances have changed. She’s hiding. And I can’t let secrets put my daughter in danger. Doesn’t mean the thought of her doesn’t elicit some type of response in me. Try to ignore it all I want, but my cock is demanding tonight.
Without thinking about it too hard—ha!—I get up and walk into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I turn on the shower, but leave the light off. I lean against the sink, pulling my shirt up and my pajama pants down. My dick springs free, bouncing off my stomach. It’s been weeks since I’ve given in to any temptation, but the thought of the woman at the bar tonight has pushed me over the edge.
Pumping some lotion into my hand, I grip my shaft, lubing myself up before squeezing myself. I find a punishing rhythm, thrusting my cock into my hand. I close my eyes and imagine Zoe—Madison—standing in front of me, removing her clothes. She pinches her nipples, making them pucker, her mouth opening in a small O that has me wishing she were here wrapping them around the head of my dick.
I pump myself harder, faster, speeding up my fantasy to Madison bent over in front of me, leaning against the sink, her perfect ass sticking out in invitation. Her eyes meet mine as I imagine thrusting into her from behind, our eyes locked in the mirror.
I’m going to come soon. I reach down and cup my balls. With a low groan, I explode onto my stomach with the image of Madison coming on my cock fading away, leaving me standing alone in a dark bathroom, breathing hard.
The relief I feel is temporary, I know that. I also know I’ll be back in this same position if I keep running into her. I want her secrets. I want her truths. But I also know how dangerous that can be. I know I need to stay away. But in a small town like this? Impossible.
If I can’t be with her, and I know that wouldn’t be a good thing, maybe I can be her friend. Her friend who jacks off to thoughts of her? Is that a thing or am I delusional? No, I don’t need that answered. I’m fully aware how asinine that thought is.
As I clean up, I make a plan. Get to know her. Be friendly. Be available. See where the future takes us. We’re both new here, technically. Maybe she’d be up for some no strings fun. And yeah, maybe I’m still fucking delusional.