Chapter 21 #2
I finally manage to get out of the truck, my legs trembling as I approach them. Axel glances back at me, his expression a mix of concern and something else. Betrayal?
"Sadie," Elliot says, his smile not reaching his eyes. "You're looking well. Better than I expected after abandoning your responsibilities."
"What are you doing here?" I manage, my voice steadier than I feel.
"Didn't you get my note?" He raises an eyebrow. "I left it for you. A courtesy, really. I could have just shown up in court."
"Note?" I look to Axel, whose face has gone strangely rigid. "What note?"
Something flickers across Elliot's face, surprise, then calculation. "On your car. Yesterday." His eyes shift to Axel. "Although perhaps someone intercepted it."
Axel's jaw tightens, and I see his hands curl into fists at his sides.
"What are you talking about?" I step closer, confusion momentarily overriding my fear. "What note?"
"It doesn't matter now," Elliot says smoothly. "What matters is that I'm here to discuss our daughter."
"She's not your daughter," I snap, anger flaring hot and bright. "You made that perfectly clear when I was pregnant."
"I've changed my mind." His smile turns predatory. "I want to be in Poppy's life. And the courts agree I have that right."
Axel moves closer to me, his arm coming around my waist in a protective gesture. "You need to leave," he tells Elliot, voice low with warning.
"Not until I've said what I came to say." Elliot's eyes harden. "The hearing is pointless, Sadie. I have photos of you with him." He nods toward Axel. "Leaving your child to go on romantic getaways. Drinking. Engaging in… questionable behavior."
The blood drains from my face. "You've been watching me?"
"Just gathering evidence." He shrugs. "The judge will be interested to see what kind of mother abandons her sick child for a weekend of debauchery."
"You son of a bitch," Axel growls, taking a step forward. "You've been stalking her?"
"It's not stalking when it's your wife," Elliot says coldly. "It's gathering evidence for a custody case."
"She's not your wife," Axel says. "And Poppy's not your daughter."
Elliot's laugh is ugly. "The DNA test says otherwise. And we're still very much married, aren't we, Sadie? You never filed the papers."
I feel the ground shift beneath my feet. Axel turns to me, confusion written across his features. "Sadie?"
"I…" The words stick in my throat. "I tried to file. He wouldn't sign. I thought… I thought when I left…"
"You thought running away would dissolve a legal marriage?" Elliot scoffs. "Always so naive."
"Shut up," Axel warns, stepping closer to Elliot. "You don't talk to her like that."
"I'll talk to my wife however I please." Elliot's voice rises. "And I'll be taking my daughter back to Oregon where she belongs."
"Over my dead body," I spit, finding my voice at last.
"That can be arranged," Elliot says quietly, and something in his tone makes my blood run cold.
"Are you threatening her?" Axel asks, his voice dangerously soft.
"Simply stating facts." Elliot straightens his jacket.
"The courts favor biological fathers, especially when the mother has a history of instability. Running away with a child? Changing identities? Living under the radar? Not exactly the actions of a fit parent."
"You drove her to this," Axel says, his voice rising. "Whatever you did to make her run."
"He doesn't know?" Elliot's eyebrows shoot up in mock surprise. "You haven't told your boyfriend why you really left? About the money? About what you did?"
"Don't," I whisper, terror clawing up my throat.
"She stole from me," Elliot continues, his voice carrying across the parking lot. "Transferred company funds to her personal account before disappearing. That's grand theft, Sadie. Prison time."
"That's a lie!" My voice rises to match his. "That money was mine! My inheritance that you controlled!"
"Not according to the paperwork you signed." His smile is cold. "You authorized me as the sole manager of those funds."
Axel looks between us, confusion etched on his face. "Sadie, what is he talking about?"
"He's lying," I say, but my voice shakes. "He manipulated everything, the accounts, the paperwork. Made it look like I was embezzling when I was just taking back what was mine."
"The courts won't see it that way," Elliot says. "But I'm willing to forget the theft charges if you come back to Oregon. With Poppy."
"That's blackmail," Axel growls, stepping forward.
"That's negotiation." Elliot stands his ground. "I want my daughter. I'm willing to overlook certain… indiscretions… to make that happen."
"She's not going anywhere with you," Axel says, his voice rising.
"That's not your decision." Elliot's voice sharpens. "This is between me and my wife."
"Stop calling me that!" I shout, weeks of fear and tension exploding out of me. "I am not your wife! I will never be your wife again!"
"Keep your voice down," Elliot hisses, glancing around the parking lot. "Unless you want the whole town to hear about your crimes."
"The only criminal here is you," I say, stepping closer despite my fear. "You're the one who stole from me, who manipulated me, who threatened me when I got pregnant!"
"I told you to get rid of it," Elliot snaps, his composure finally cracking. "You chose to keep it. That doesn't make it my problem."
"Her," I correct, fury making my voice shake. "Not it. Her. Poppy. Your daughter, whom you now suddenly want because she's convenient for whatever game you're playing."
"Game?" Elliot laughs, the sound sharp and cold. "This isn't a game, Sadie. This is me claiming what's legally mine."
"Poppy is not property!" I'm shouting now, not caring who hears. "She's a person! A little girl who's never even met you!"
"That's your fault," he yells back.
"Get out of here. Now." Axel steps forward, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl as he moves between Elliot and me.
"You're not welcome here—and you're sure as hell not going anywhere near Sadie or Poppy."
Elliot's eyes narrow, his mouth curling into a sneer. "And who's going to stop me? You? The small-town brewery boy playing house with my wife?"
I see Axel's shoulders tense, his hands balling into fists at his sides. The parking lot suddenly feels too small, the air charged with violence about to erupt.
"Axel, don't." I grab his arm, pulling him back. "He's not worth it."
"Listen to her," Elliot taunts. "She knows what happens when people cross me."
Axel shakes off my hand, stepping closer to Elliot. "I don't give a fuck who you think you are. You're not taking Poppy—and you're not threatening Sadie anymore."
"Axel, please," I beg, my voice going thin with panic.
If he hits Elliot, that's assault. A police report. Evidence Elliot can use against me in court. "Stop."
"You should control your attack dog, Sadie," Elliot says, not backing down an inch. "Before he gets hurt."
Axel lunges forward, grabbing Elliot by his expensive shirt collar. "The only one getting hurt here is you if you don't get in your car and drive away. Now."
"Axel!" I shout, genuinely afraid now. I've never seen him like this, raw fury radiating off him in waves.
The apartment door bangs open behind us, and Rowan comes rushing down the stairs, phone clutched in her hand. She freezes when she sees Elliot, her face draining of color.
"You," she spits, recognition and hatred flashing in her eyes. "Get the fuck away from my sister!"
Elliot's eyes widen slightly; he didn't expect Rowan to be here. "The cavalry arrives," he says dryly.
"I'm calling the police," Rowan says, already dialing. "You're trespassing. You're violating the restraining order."
"A restraining order from Oregon has no jurisdiction here," Elliot replies smoothly, but I catch the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
"Want to explain that to the cops?" Rowan challenges, phone to her ear.
"Hi, yes, I need to report a trespasser who's threatening my sister. He's violating an active restraining order from Oregon. We're at Pike's Perk Café in Virginia Dale."
Elliot's composure slips for a moment, a flash of rage contorting his features before he masters himself again. Axel still has him by the collar, and I can see the indecision on Elliot's face, whether to escalate this or retreat.
"Let him go," I tell Axel quietly. "Let him leave before the police get here."
Axel hesitates, then releases Elliot with a small shove. Elliot straightens his shirt, smoothing down the wrinkles with exaggerated care.
"This isn't over," he says, his voice eerily calm again. "Not by a long shot."
"Get out," Rowan says, stepping closer. "Before I add assault to the charges."
Elliot laughs, the sound sending ice down my spine.
"You always did fight her battles, didn't you, Rowan? But you can't protect her from her own choices." His eyes find mine.
"Things are just getting started, sweetheart. I'll see you in court, if you show up."
The threat hangs in the air as he slides into his car. The engine purrs to life, headlights cutting through the darkness as he backs out of the space. As he drives past us, he rolls down his window.
"Ask your boyfriend about the note, Sadie," he calls. "Ask him what he's been keeping from you."
Then he's gone, taillights disappearing down the road, leaving us standing in the dark parking lot. My legs give out, and I sink to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. Rowan is beside me in an instant, arm around my shoulders.
"He's gone," she soothes. "He's gone, Sadie. You're safe."
But I don't feel safe. I feel exposed, terrified, like the ground has been ripped out from under me. I look up at Axel, who's standing rigid, staring after Elliot's car.
"What note?" I ask, my voice barely audible. "What was he talking about?"
Axel turns to me, guilt written across his face. "Sadie, I…"
"What. Note?" I demand, anger cutting through the fear. I struggle to my feet, shaking off Rowan's helping hand. "What have you been keeping from me?"
Axel runs a hand through his hair, his expression tortured. "There was an envelope on your car yesterday. Before I picked you up for Denver."
The betrayal hits me like a physical blow. "You knew? You knew he was here, that he found me—and you didn't tell me?"
"I was trying to protect you," he says, reaching for me. "I wanted you to have one night without fear."
I step back, out of his reach. "Show me. Now."
He hesitates, then reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a manila envelope. I snatch it from his hands, tearing it open with trembling fingers.
The photograph inside makes my blood freeze. Poppy and me, through the café window. The red writing across the bottom: "I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE."
"Oh my God," I whisper, the image blurring as tears fill my eyes. "He's been watching us. He's been here, watching my daughter."
"That's why I didn't show you," Axel says desperately. "I knew you'd panic. I was going to tell you when we got back, help you file a police report."
"You had no right!" I shout, fury and fear making my voice shake. "No right to keep this from me! This is my life, my daughter's safety!"
"Sadie," Rowan starts, but I cut her off.
"Did you know too?" I demand, whirling on her. "Did everyone know except me?"
"No," she says quickly. "I had no idea. But Sadie, we need to call the police back. Tell them what's happening."
I clutch the photo to my chest, my mind racing. "Poppy. Where's Poppy?"
"She's fine," Rowan assures me. "She's inside asleep."
Relief makes me dizzy for a moment, but it's quickly replaced by cold determination. "I need to go inside. Now. I need to see her."
"Of course," Rowan says.
I turn to Axel, who's watching me with anguish in his eyes. "I trusted you," I say, my voice breaking. "I let you in. And you lied to me."
"I was trying to protect you," he repeats, his voice hollow. "Give you one night of peace before—"
"Before what?" I demand. "Before my ex-husband steals my daughter? Before he has me arrested for theft? Before my entire life falls apart?"
"Sadie, please." He reaches for me again. "Let me help you through this."
I back away, shaking my head. "No. You don't get to decide what I can and can't handle. You don't get to filter my reality to suit what you think I need."
"That's not what I was doing," he insists.
"Isn't it?" I laugh, the sound brittle and sharp. "That's exactly what Elliot used to do. Keep things from me 'for my own good.' Make decisions about my life without consulting me."
The comparison lands like a slap. Axel flinches, pain flashing across his face.
"I'm nothing like him," he says quietly.
"Prove it," I challenge. "By respecting me enough to let me handle my own life. My own problems."
We stare at each other across the darkened parking lot, the chasm between us suddenly wider than the physical space.
Part of me wants to forgive him, to understand why he did what he did.
But the larger part, the part that's been fighting for survival, for control, for the right to make my own choices, is screaming that this is exactly what I've been afraid of all along.
"I need to go," I say, turning away from him. "I need to be with my daughter."
"Sadie," Axel calls after me, his voice breaking. "Please. Let me explain."
I pause at the bottom of the stairs, not turning around. "Not now. Maybe not ever."
I follow Rowan up the stairs, my legs weak and shaking. Behind me, I hear Axel call my name again, but I don't look back. Can't look back. If I see the pain in his eyes, I might crumble, and I can't afford to crumble right now. Not with Elliot circling, threatening everything I've built.