Chapter 27 #2
I peel away from the group and knock once against her office door before stepping inside. “We’re cutting out early. The storm is moving in faster than they predicted.”
My chest tightens when she meets my gaze. The woman looks beyond exhausted at this point. Like she’s barely holding herself together, the stitches of her psyche splitting at every seam.
“You good here?” I ask, desperate to keep the worry from my voice.
She nods, running a hand over her brow. “Yeah. I was certain they’d cancel the furniture delivery with the weather, but I just spoke with the driver, and he said they’re still coming. Should be here within the hour.”
“Do you need us to stay?”
She waves me off, shaking her head. “I’m good.”
She’s the furthest thing from good, but this time, I don’t push the issue. Kiki’s made it clear she has solid boundaries, and I’m on the outside looking in.
“Have a good night.”
“Eddie?”
I pause, bracing myself before I look back. “Yeah?”
She fidgets with a pen on her desk, her gaze focused out the window. “Be careful out there, okay? Looks like it’s starting to stick.”
For a second, I glimpse her soft underbelly, the nurturing sweetheart that always put everyone else first.
Too bad I can’t trust it anymore.
Romy slings an arm around my shoulders, damn near jostling the beer from my hand. “Come on, tell me how much you missed me.”
I roll my eyes, offering her an affectionate snort as I take a pull from my drink. “Of course we missed you. Place is way too quiet without you talking a mile a minute.”
She grins and launches into another story about some party up in the Hollywood Hills, but I’m only half listening.
My attention drifts back to my phone as I flip through apps, checking road conditions and scanning my email.
Looks like Kiki’s furniture showed up about an hour ago, which means she should be home by now.
That’s good.
Romy nudges my chin up, a teasing smile playing at her lips. For a second, I think she’s going to kiss me. She’s had enough to drink that it wouldn’t be out of the question, but I’m definitely not in the mood to field that conversation right now.
“What are you doing?” I ask, pulling away from her grip.
She studies me for a few seconds, then lets out a theatrical sigh and knocks back another shot. “My God, just call her and make certain she got home okay.”
I scoff, trying to play dumb. “Call who?”
“The woman you’re in love with, Eddie.” She pulls out her phone and waves it under my nose. “Would you rather I do it? Because we both know that’s who you’ve been thinking about this entire time.”
So much for being subtle.
I drain what’s left of my beer and push myself to my feet, grabbing my jacket. “Actually, I’m heading out. I’ll call Kiki on the way.”
I jerk my chin toward the guys, my gaze landing on Romy last. “Don’t stay too long, alright? Roads are already turning to shit.”
“Yes, sir!” Romy snaps off a mock salute as Mike calls her to the dartboard for a rematch. Seems those two are closing out the place. Again.
You know what? Good for them. Someone deserves a modicum of happiness and I sure as shit know it’s not going to be me.
I damn near fall on my ass, making it out to the truck, and it’s not because of the beer. No, the snow’s coming down hard now, sticking to everything and cutting visibility all to hell.
I turn the engine on, letting the truck warm up. Time for me to make a couple calls. First thing’s first, I need to check on my boy.
“You home?” I ask when Deirdre picks up on the second ring.
“We just got in. The roads are getting bad.”
I lean back in my seat, the headache already brewing behind my eyes. “Don’t go anywhere if you don’t have to, okay?”
“Wasn’t planning on it.”
I hear Theo in the background, and a smile tugs at my mouth. “Put my little man on.”
A second later, Theo’s voice booms through the line. “Dad!”
“Hey, buddy. You being good for your mom?”
“Yeah. Why? What did she tell you?”
I chuckle. “Nothing… yet. You all ready for this weekend?”
Yep, it’s my guy’s seventh birthday. Where does the time go? Only yesterday, I was at the hospital, holding him in my arms for the first time.
“I can’t wait for the water park!”
I glance out at the storm swirling around me. “I don’t know. This storm might close the park down.”
A low groan rises from the other end of the line.
“Hey,” I cut in before he can spiral. “Remember, if we can’t go to the water park, we’ve got a backup plan. Arcade, laser tag, the whole deal. That’s still pretty cool, right?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s what I thought. And we’re gonna have the best time, because whose birthday is it?”
“Mine!” Theo crows.
“That’s right. I love you, little man.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
I hang up a second later, the quiet settling back in around me. My son’s safe. Deirdre’s safe. And now there’s one last person I need to ensure is safe.
You don’t, Eddie. She’s not your problem anymore.
But Kiki was never a problem. She was the woman I loved. The woman I still love.
She doesn’t love you, Eddie.
Yeah… but for some reason, that doesn’t seem to matter.
I dial Kiki’s number, tapping my foot against the floorboard as I wait for her to answer, but it goes to voicemail. After a minute, I call her back. This time she answers on the third ring.
“Eddie?”
“Yeah. Who’d you expect?” I shift in my seat, already frowning. “I was calling to see if you were home. The roads are terrible.”
There’s a brief pause on her end. “Are you okay? Do you need help?”
Her inquiry catches me off guard. “I’m fine. Just leaving the bar now. I was actually calling to check on you.”
“Really? I’m fine. Perfectly… safe. You… uh… you didn’t have to check on me.”
Her words are innocuous enough, but there’s something off in her tone, a hesitation behind every word, like she’s piecing the lie together as she goes.
“Kiki, are you home?”
“Um… hang on a second, Eddie.”
It’s a simple question. Please, for the love of God, answer it.
“Kiki?”
Maybe she’s out with some other guy and doesn’t want me to know. Hell, maybe she’s in bed with some other guy.
Love that visual, brain.
“Oh—oh my—oh no. Oh my God—”
I sit up straight, fingers clamping down on the steering wheel. “Kiki?”
A sharp clatter cuts through the line, like she’s thrown her phone down.
“Kiki,” I repeat, the fear growing with each passing second. “Kiki, answer me.”
What the hell is happening?
Then I hear her, her voice strangled, panicked and coming through the line at a distance. “Oh my God. Oh my God. No, no, no, no—”
“Kiki, what the hell is—”
But she doesn’t answer.
The call cuts off mid-scream, the line clicking dead in my hand.