60. Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Jackson
W alking back into the house, I find the girls in the living room. Lisette sits on the ground as Isabelle braids her hair.
“Good morning, princess.”
Belle looks up from the couch, a bright smile on her face. “Good morning, Daddy. I’ll have waffles for breakfast with some mango.”
I stifle a laugh as I close the distance between us and almost immediately her hug eases the pain in my head. I take a deep breath with my nose in her hair before scrunching my face. “Yuck.”
She stifles a laugh and I kiss her before setting her down.
“Someone is in desperate need of a shower.” I ruffle her hair and she smells the ends of it before smelling her underarms.
“It must be you, Dad.”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out and Lisette lets out a quiet laugh from behind us.
“I just showered. It’s you, little piggy.” I squeeze her cheek before guiding her big head out of the living room so I can talk to Lisette. “Go get ready for a bath, I’ll be up in a minute then we can have breakfast.”
“I can shower myself.” She seems to be reminding me.
“I’m aware of that, but—”
“So you’re aware that I’ll do it by myself like a big girl.” She sends me a pointed look and I am truly not ready for her to be a teenager because she has enough sass to last two damn lifetimes.
“Please go pick out your outfit and I’ll be up to help you shower.”
“I don’t need help.” She walks off, but I call out to her.
“I want to make sure you’re okay. Pick out your outfit and wait for me before you get in the shower, okay?”
She remains quiet and I know she’s plotting to fill the bath to the brim with water and enough bubbles for three showers.
“Faith. Carter .”
“Okay, Daddy,” she drags out and I can just imagine her eye roll.
“Watch the attitude, little ma’am.”
I can hear her sigh and I take a step after her, but stop short at the sound of Lisette’s laugh. Letting out a breath I walk back into the living room to find Lisette smiling at me.
“You two are so entertaining to watch.”
“Don’t encourage her. She turned five and is just plain fucking rude sometimes. I have no idea where she gets it from.” I roll my eyes at her and Lisette only laughs harder.
“You look just like her when you do that.”
“She looks like me.” I bite back a smile when I catch myself rolling my eyes again. Pushing aside my incredibly sassy child, I step in front of Lisette.
“Come on.” I hold my hand out to her and she takes it as I pull her up.
“Where are we going?” She smiles up at me and she looks so damn precious, but I remain strong.
“You’re going to get rid of the alcohol and pills then hang out upstairs until your high wears off.”
She takes a step back, but I speak up before she can.
“The deal was you see Isabelle while you’re sober,” I remind her slowly. “You’re not sober so you can stay upstairs. You don’t get to go get high and do what you want. Our agreement remains.”
She lets out a scoff as she looks off to the side. “So I need to sit in timeout upstairs?”
“It’s hardly timeout,” I point out. “There’s an arcade up there along with a movie room. You can also go downstairs to the gym if you’d like or out by the pool. The house is big enough for all of us. Go where you’d like, but you don’t get to go near Isabelle.”
“Whatever.” She tries to walk off, but I step in her way.
“No, it’s not whatever .” I lean over to catch her eyes with mine. “You lied to me and I have yet to hear you take accountability for that. I refuse to enable you and I have every right to be upset, which I am,” I point out.
Her eyes dart to mine before they soften. Her shoulders slouch as she takes hold of my hand. “I’m sorry… I just—”
“Uh uh.” I pull my hand away gently. “Don’t apologize after I point it out. Like it’s an afterthought. I don’t deserve that.” I stand up straighter as I step away from her. “Bring the alcohol and pills down then go back upstairs. We can talk tonight.”
She nods in return before her eyes prickle with tears. I look away, knowing I’ll give in if I see her cry.
“I’ll wait here.” I walk over to the couch, my heart physically hurting as I hear her walk off.
I’m pacing the living room as soon as she’s out of sight. Sire’s voice is on a loop in my mind and I force myself to keep that same voice in the front of my mind, preparing myself to catch any signs of her manipulation. As much as I want to believe her, he knows her better than I do and I looked right past her when he noticed she was high within a few seconds.
When I hear her making her way back downstairs, I take my seat again. Turning to the entrance, she walks in with a water bottle and a half-empty bottle of Tito’s.
“This is it.” She turns for the kitchen and I follow after her. Leaning against the counter, I watch her spill it down the drain. At the sight of the pink blush crawling up her neck, I close the distance between us.
Remaining behind her, I set my hands on either side of her before kissing her cheek gently. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
She shakes her head in return before wiping her cheek. “Really?” Her voice breaks. “Because being told to go upstairs by my boyfriend is pretty embarrassing and degrading. Don’t speak to me like I’m a fucking child.”
Moving my arm aside, she storms past me.
“Lissy.”
“I get it, Jackson. I’m high, I lied, and you’re mad. You’ve made that clear.”
“Lisette.”
“What?” She spins on her heels and my eyes drop to the ground.
“The pills.”
She remains quiet and as I drag my eyes back up to her, she shakes her head. “I don’t have any more.”
I watch her carefully as I try to decide if I believe her. “Sire said—”
“Of course, you believe him over me.” Her eyes fill with anger.
“Lis—”
“I don’t need you either.”
I take a step back at her words and I know she doesn’t mean that. I remind myself she’s just high, but the anger in her eyes still hurts.
“You said you’ll be my solace, but it’s clear that was a lie, so I’ll just go.” She storms off and I quickly follow after her.
“Lissy, wait.”
She storms upstairs and I hurry after her.
“Where are you going to go?”
She ignores me.
“Do you want to go to a meeting?” I suggest, but when she rolls her eyes, my shoulders slouch because I don’t know what the right thing to say is here.
She pulls her hoodie on before turning her angry gaze on me. “You said I can’t be near Belle if I’m high. I’m doing as you wish.” She snatches her phone from the bed before getting her bag and heading for the door.
“Don’t flip this on me and do not bring her into this,” I warn, but she storms out of the room. “Please stay so we can talk.”
We reach the top of the stairs when Belle calls out to me.
“Dad, can you help me? I can’t reach my new dress!”
I stop between Lisette and my daughter’s room. When Lisette goes down the steps, I take a step after her, but Isabelle calls me again.
“Fuck, Lisette. Please just wait one second.”
“Go to your daughter, Jackson.” She turns to me at the bottom of the steps. “I just need space. I’ll be back tonight.”
“Do you promise?” I look at her, struggling to determine which way this is going to fall. “Promise me you’ll be back.”
She turns without a word and I almost go after her, but at the sound of something loud coming from the bedroom, I rush for Belle.
“I slipped.” She stifles a laugh as she sits on her rug with a pile of clothes around her. “I’m okay. Can you help me get that one?” She points behind me and I help her get her outfit together with a pit in my stomach.