I roughed one hand through my hair, looking away, still holding on with the other because I didn’t know how to let her drive away. “Please, Vi. Need to explain a few things.”
What the hell I thought I was going to say, I didn’t know.
Only thing I did know was I needed to ensure she was safe. Keep a close eye. Laying low like Royce had told me to do just wasn’t gonna work.
Standing there?
That had become a fact.
She angled forward fast, catching me off guard. Her head was outside the window and she had us nose to nose, venom on her breath as she seethed the words, “First you chase me down last night saying you want to talk to me, then you turn around to tell me to stay away from your family, and now you’re chasin’ me out here? I’m not doing this. Stay away from us, Richard. I don’t know what your game is, but I’m tellin’ you right now, our plates are full. That child back there?”
Her voice lowered more.
A bear protecting its cub.
Vicious and sure.
“She loves fast and she loves hard. You had your chance with her, and you lost it. So, don’t you dare come sniffin’ around here. It’s too late. My heart can’t handle it, and neither can hers.”
With that, the truck lurched into reverse, and I stumbled back to get away from the front wheel as she tore out of the spot. Violet refused to look at me as she shifted it into gear and rumbled toward the main road.
But Daisy waved as they passed, and my heart shattered a little more.
Violet made a left out onto the main road, the truck roaring as it accelerated.
I looked to the sky and shouted, “Fuck.”
A hand clamped down on my shoulder, and I jumped ten feet in the air.
Rhys cracked up. “You’re fucked, man. Always wondered. Guess I should have known.”
“You don’t know anything.”
“Don’t know anything?” he challenged as he followed behind me to his car.
“Nope,” I told him, shoving around to the passenger side.
He clicked the locks, and I climbed in. Knee bouncing a million miles a minute. Heart frantic. Stomach in knots.
Rhys slipped inside. His cocky demeanor gone. He pushed out a heavy sigh as he gripped the steering wheel. “I know a couple things, man. One, you’ve been missing something for years. Hiding something. Burdened in a way I didn’t quite get.” He shifted his attention over to stare at me. “And I know after that right there?” He hooked a thumb toward the spot where Violet had been. “You lied when you said you didn’t love her anymore.”
He pushed the button to start the powerful engine.
“Now the question is…” He threw it in reverse and glared over at me as he backed out of the parking spot. “…what are you going to do about it?”SevenVioletA cool breeze stirred through the mornin’ air, and I pulled the collar of Daisy’s jacket up higher around her neck as I knelt in front of her. She squished up her nose in the cutest way.
“I hope you have a wonderful day at school today.” I brushed back a dark lock of hair that whipped around her face. “Remember, open your heart and your mind to all the beautiful, amazing things out there waiting for you.”
She grinned. “And I hope you have the most wonderfulest day at work. Remember to opens your heart and makes sure not to smash any flowers.”
Affectionate laughter rippled free. “I will definitely try to have a great day, but that’s hard to do when I’m missing you so much.”
I tapped her nose when I said it.
She giggled and sang, “You not gonna miss me that bad.”
This time I poked her chubby belly. “Oh, yes, I will,” I sang right back.
Her expression turned sly. “Maybe I can just stay here and work with you. It’s gonna be my job, anyway, when I’m the boss.”
I gave her a stern look that was nothing but a tease.
She giggled more. “Okay. Fine. I got to go to school. Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
On light laughter, I pushed to standing when I heard the bus rumbling up the hill. She’d been trying that one on me ever since she started preschool the year before.
The little yellow bus that picked up the kindergarteners came into view as it rounded the curve, and it rambled to a stop in front of our drive. The door whined open, and the driver shouted from his spot, “Good mornin’, Miss Daisy and Miss Violet.”
I waved at him, Daisy’s other hand still in mine. “Good mornin’, Mr. Duprea. How are you?”
“Can’t complain on this fine Wednesday mornin’.”
“I can!” Daisy shouted.
This kid.
“Get on that bus, you silly girl.” I dipped down and kissed her cheek.
She threw her arms around my neck and held on like she wasn’t about to let go.