Chapter 21
Fox’s life was spiraling apart. He knew it, he just didn’t know how to stop it.
The cat and mouse game over Ethan felt like it had taken years from his life.
Brooke had saved her wrath for the night after.
He had reached deep into his soul to calm her down, which resulted in another nosebleed he barely got under control.
Then, there was work. He worked a job he loved—until lately. Something about the Victorian was off, besides just the creepy-as-hell owner’s son.
He had yet to meet the owner, and his wife hadn’t returned from their vacation home since he’d first met her. None of that would matter if they hadn’t left Edmund in control. He was turning into a serious problem.
His sister couldn’t help him with any of it since she was on the trail of a killer. He had to admit that might be more important than his problems.
He guessed he could talk to his brother about it, but he still wasn’t sure how he felt about his new instant family. Besides, as much as he liked the idea of Jimmy behind bars where he belonged, he didn’t really approve of Knox’s methods.
He put it all out of his mind as he trudged up the stairs to his apartment. Brooke was after him to upgrade to a building with an elevator.
He liked this one though. Only three floors and not too many tenants. The old walls were thick enough you couldn’t hear your neighbors. Everyone minded their own business, which was an added bonus.
“Yay, Fox is home,” he heard when he unlocked the door. He smiled when Ethan ran to him before he could even set his stuff down.
“How was your day?” Fox asked, hugging him.
“It was good. Jodie threw up all over the lunch table. She had to go home,” Ethan answered. “It was awesome!”
“I bet it was. What else happened?” he asked with a laugh. Only a child would think someone barfing was cool.
“Hmm,” the little boy said, thinking about it for a moment. “We made handprints with paint and learned a new song in music.”
“Wow, that was a good day.”
“I don’t understand what was so important at work you couldn’t pick him up. I had to leave early, and the boss doesn’t like that,” Brooke said, stepping out of the bedroom.
“There was a problem at one of the job sites like I told you.” He didn’t know how much longer this could go on. “Hey, buddy, why don’t you go wash your hands. I brought home chicken.”
“Chicken!” Ethan declared as he ran off to the bathroom.
“Can we just have a nice evening for a change?” he continued when he noticed Brooke had stopped with her fist on her hips. He was too exhausted for another fight. Was he asking too much to have a quiet evening with his family? Gazing at Brooke, he decided it must be.
“So you being late is my fault?” she sneered. “All I’ve asked is that you pick up Ethan for me three days a week. I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”
“I didn’t say it was. You know I never mind picking Ethan up, but on occasion, I have to work late. I can’t always stop what I’m doing to leave. There haven’t been but a handful of times I’ve had to ask you to pick him up. My job is what keeps the lights on.”
“But I don’t contribute anything. Is that what you’re saying?” She rolled her eyes.
“Enough to keep yourself well entertained.” He wished he could take back what he said the moment it left his mouth. “I’m sorry.”
He hadn’t even realized she was holding something until it hit him in the temple. There had been no time to duck. The coffee cup shattered when it hit the floor.
“Shit, Brooke,” he said as he bent over, his hand pressing to the side of his face.
He felt where the heavy mug had hit both his temple and his cheek. Coffee soaked into his shirt and spread across the floor as he stared at the pieces of pottery now broken on the floor.
Out of the corner of his other eye, he saw Ethan hiding behind the corner of the bathroom door. Brooke just pushed past him and out the door. He didn’t bother trying to stop her.
“Hey, little man. How about we get you some of that chicken?” he said, trying to lure Ethan from behind the door. He pulled everything from the bag and spread it across the table.
Slowly, Ethan walked over to his chair. “I got the crispy stuff like you like.” He picked out a drumstick for him. “I’ll be right back, okay?” Ethan nodded, so Fox headed into the bedroom.
With a dry shirt on, he grabbed the broom and some paper towels from the kitchen.
By the time Ethan finished, he had all the remnants of the cup cleaned up.
He started one of Ethan’s favorite movies on the television before going back into the kitchen.
He stored the broom and found a bag of peas in the freezer.
How would he explain the shiner at work the next morning?
What he really needed to do was go find Brooke. They should talk this out. He was tired of the back and forth. It was time to decide if they could work out the strife in their relationship or whether they should walk away.
He would offer to keep Ethan with him while she found somewhere else if it came to that. He would even offer to continue paying for his childcare. It might just convince her to let Ethan stay.
Except, he had no idea where to find her.
It occurred to him that he really didn’t know much about her at all.
Their relationship had been a whirlwind.
They met, and the next thing he knew she was moving in with a young boy in tow.
He didn’t know who her friends were or where she went when she went out.
Now, all he could do was wait for her to cool off and return home.
It was several hours later before he heard her key in the lock.
Ethan had been tucked into bed long ago, but Fox sat on the couch waiting for her.
He wanted to be asleep also. The exhaustion from the week was weighing him down, but he needed to talk to Brooke first. She paused in the doorway when she saw him.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Waiting for you.”
“I’m too tired to deal with you,” she said with an exaggerated sigh. He patted the couch next to him. “Why can’t you just let anything go. Talk, talk, talk, that’s all you do.”
“I can’t keep doing this, Brooke.” He had planned to keep their conversation civil, but that looked like it was going to be easier said than done.
“This isn’t okay,” he added, pointing to the bruise on his face. “None of this is okay. I don’t know what’s been happening with you, but it has to stop.”
“What do you mean what’s happening with me? I don’t ask anything from you except to pick up Ethan from daycare on occasion, and you can’t even do that lately.”
“I have to work,” he snarled. It was the same argument from earlier. “I’ll try to get away earlier from now on, but you can’t come at me every time plans change. You go out more often than not now. Where are you? It’s not a relationship if you’re never here to be a part of it.”
“You know what? I’m not doing this tonight.
I’m tired, I’m going to bed.” She stomped toward the bedroom.
“You know I can do much better, right?” she said, stopping with her hand on the doorknob to the bedroom.
“I get better offers all the time. It would be nothing for Ethan and me to move in with one of them.”
“Brooke—”
“Just think about that tonight while you’re sleeping on the couch.”
“I’ll go sleep at my sister’s place,” he said, following her into the bedroom.
“Good idea. You need some time to think over what you want.”
He went to the closet and dragged out an overnight bag. She watched as he tossed a change of clothes inside. He added his toiletries before zipping the bag closed. He was on his way to the front door when he turned to find her watching him with a smirk from the bedroom doorway.
“We will talk about this tomorrow,” he said.
“We’ll see.” She shrugged, and he opened the front door. Maybe by tomorrow he really would have a plan thought out for their future. He didn’t see continuing the relationship with Brooke. That wouldn’t even give him pause, except for Ethan.
He closed the door behind him. The walk down the stairs seemed to take him twice as long as normal. He climbed in his truck with his mind swirling over everything going on. It was probably why he drove past his sister’s apartment and straight out the north side of Boston.
That’s what he told himself anyway. He couldn’t admit that he needed Bailey more than he ever had at that moment. She had become his safe place. The place where he could either work out his problems or leave them behind.
This time, he didn’t even want to think about them. He simply wanted to lay in her arms until everything went away.
Bailey was sound asleep, dreaming about the new dog she planned on picking up from the shelter soon. In her dreams, she was trying to decide between an adorable black something-doodle and a fluffy retriever mix.
For some reason they kept banging on her door to be let in. She knew she needed to make a decision soon, but this seemed like a bit much.
Her eyes popped open right before she heard the banging again. Throwing the sheet off, she sat up in bed. The banging started again. So, it wasn’t two cute dogs begging to be let in. Shame.
She couldn’t imagine who would be at her front door this hour. It was well after midnight. Grabbing a baseball bat she kept under her bed, she eased out of her bedroom.
She paused at the top of the stairs at the shadow behind the small glass windows to the side of the front door. Someone was still out there.
Careful to avoid the squeaky stairs, she slowly crept down them until she could look out the peephole. Quickly, she unlocked the door and pulled it open.
“Fox?” she rasped, looking through the slit she had allowed.
“Yeah.”
“Do you know what time it is? Has something happened? Where’s Ethan?” she asked, pulling the door a little further open. Then she saw the bruise on his face. Grabbing his wrist, she pulled him inside.