Текст книги "Until Jax "
Автор книги: Aurora Rose Reynolds
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Until Jax
Aurora Rose Reynolds
Copyright © 2015 Crystal Aurora Rose Reynolds
Kobo Edition
Cover and Cover design by Sara Eirew
Designs: Formatted by BB eBooks
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons or living or dead, events or locals are entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/ Use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owner.
All rights reserved.
Dedication
Natasha may everyone find a friend as crazy as you.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Bonus Excerpt of Until June
Acknowledgment
About The Author
Other books by this Author
Until Jax
Love isn’t always what we want, but it’s always what we need.
Prologue
Ellie
By the time I arrive at the hospital and get put into a room, I’m at my wit’s end. My body is exhausted from having nothing really substantial to eat or drink over the last couple of days, and my mind is a mess from what I have just survived. On top of all that, I need to get to Hope.
“I’m really okay,” I repeat for what feels like the hundredth time to the doctor, who has been checking me over since coming into my room a few minutes ago.
“Ruth, let’s start an IV,” he says, looking over my head at the nurse, once again ignoring me and pulling my arm towards him, prodding It with his fingers.
“I need to get to Hope,” I whimper, yanking my arm out of his grasp when the nurse walks around the bed with the needle in her hand.
“Let the doctor put in the IV, Ellie,” the guy named Jax says, taking my other hand in his and smoothing his thumb over my palm. He hasn’t left my side since I walked out of the woods. I’ve been trying to ignore him, but am failing miserably. He’s a giant, and intimidatingly good-looking, which makes it nearly impossible to be in his presence without acknowledging him.
“You don’t understand. Hope needs me¸” I cry as the doctor takes my arm again, placing the needle into my skin, causing tears of frustration to fill my eyes.
“Hey, don’t cry. I’m sure your dog is okay,” Jax says softly, running his fingers over the back of my hand.
“Ex-excuse me?” I sputter, turning my head towards him.
“Cat?” he asks, frowning.
“Hope is my daughter,” I hiss, pulling my hand from his grasp.
“Daughter?” He pales, searching my face. I’m not surprised by his reaction. That’s the normal response I get from men when they find out I have a kid, but something inside of me whimpers from his response.
“Daughter,” I affirm, lifting my chin, and then look at the doctor to glare. “I need to get out of here now,” I growl through clenched teeth.
“Fuck me,” Jax mumbles, but I ignore him and continue to shoot daggers at the doctor, which does nothing as he places the IV bag on a hanger above my head.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Anthony¸ but you’re severely dehydrated and we’re going to need to keep you here for at least a few more hours before you’re released.”
“I’ll drink some water,” I tell him, tempted to rip the IV out of my hand and stab him with it.
“Get some sleep.” He ignores me once more then walks away to speak with the nurse.
“This cannot be happening,” I mumble, falling back against the bed and feeling my eyes suddenly grow heavy, making me wonder if they put something else in the IV.
*
Waking to the sound of whispering, my eyes blink open slowly. The room is dark, with the only light coming from a TV in the corner, casting a blue glow throughout the room. As my eyes focus on the TV, I double blink. Jax’s uncle, Nico, is standing with a group of officers in front of the house I had been taken to, and the woman in front of the camera is speaking, but the volume is so low I can’t hear what she’s saying as the cameraman pans from the woman to the truck that had been driving after us. Sitting up, I find the remote next to the bed and turn up the volume.
“The two women were then chased by this truck while trying to get away on a four-wheeler they took from one of the assailants. One captor is dead and the other is still missing. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of the suspect, please call the number listed below,” the woman says before the scene is gone.
Replaced by a man and woman sitting behind the desk at the news station, announcing, “Tonight, you can watch Dan Seagan’s special report about sex trafficking in the Nashville area.”
Pulling my eyes from the TV and sitting up, I reach for the phone next to the bed, dialing the only number I can think of that will lead me to Hope.
“Hello?” my aunt answers on the first ring.
“Aunt Marlene,” I get out through a strangled breath, holding the phone closer to my ear. “Have you seen my mom?”
“Did, but she’s gone now,” she mutters, and I hear her light a cigarette. I’m sure she’s sitting in her recliner, where she always is, with her feet propped up, smoking cigarette after cigarette and watching TV.
“Where’s Hope?” I close my eyes, praying my mom didn’t take her with her.
“Hope’s with me. When are you coming to get her?”
“I’m in Tennessee,” I whimper, not knowing exactly how far away I am from Kentucky.
“I know. Your mama was here when the news came on,” she tells me.
Tears fill my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I refuse to let these people hurt me anymore. I wasn’t surprised my mom told my aunt what happened or that she didn’t care. My mom stopped caring about me when my dad died, when she no longer had to pretend my brother and I mattered to her more than her next high.
“I’m on my way. Please tell Hope I’ll be there soon.”
“I gotta work tomorrow night, so keep that in mind,” she says right before the line goes dead. Setting the phone in its cradle, I rub my eyes.
My family is what most of America would classify as trailer trash. I hated that term growing up, but we were poor and lived in a trailer. There was a time in my life when I was okay with the kids at school calling me that, because I knew I might’ve lived in a trailer and been poor, but at least I had my family. Then, when I was seven, my dad died in a coal mining accident, leaving my older brother and me alone with my mom, who had an addiction to pain pills. Even though she was sick long before we lost my dad, we never suffered because of it. My dad always made sure we had food and clothing. We didn’t have much, but we had each other. After he passed away, we lost everything.
“You’re awake.”
Looking over my shoulder at the open doorway, my gaze connects with Jax’s concerned one. I don’t know what to make of him. I still don’t understand how someone who has just met me could show me more care in just a few hours than the people I have known my whole life ever have.
“I need to get to Hope,” I say, placing my fingers on my throat, which I’m just noticing is dry and scratchy.
“I know, baby. I’m gonna take you,” he says, stepping into the room.
Baby? Why do I like that? Why do I get warm all over every time he calls me that?
“Thank you.” I close my eyes in relief then open them, saying, “I’ll pay you back as soon as I get home.”
“No,” he rumbles, making me jump, which seems to cause his jaw to grind. “I mean that’s not necessary,” he says gently, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans giving me a chance to really look at him.
I wasn’t kidding when I said he’s a giant. His shoulders are so wide I’m pretty sure I could fit twice between them. His hips are lean, his thighs thick, and his legs are long.
His head is covered in a ball cap, drawing attention to his eyes that seem hazel in the dark, and he has an angular jaw, full lips, and an almost perfect nose that has a slight tilt to it. “My mom and dad are here. Mom brought you some clothes if you want to change before we leave,” he informs me, taking a step towards me then stopping and pulling his ball cap off his head, giving me the opportunity to see his dark brown hair for the first time, which is short on the sides and longer on top.
Standing and running my hands down the front of my dingy jeans, I look over his shoulder into the hall, where there’s a woman with red hair standing next to a man who looks like an older version of Jax. The moment my eyes connect with hers, she steps into the room.
“Honey,” the woman calls softly, “why don’t you go wait in the hall with your dad while I help Ellie get changed?”
“Mom.” He shakes his head, not taking his eyes from me.
“Come on, bud,” the man, who I’m assuming is his dad, says, stepping slightly into the room.
Jax pulls in a breath then releases it, looking at me like he doesn’t want to leave. Weirdly, I don’t want him to either.
“I’ll be right outside,” he says after a couple beats.
“Sure,” I whisper, fighting myself from going to him and begging him to stay.
“You can come back in once she’s dressed,” his mom tells him softly as he moves past her out of the room.
Once the door is closed, the room becomes even darker, but then the light comes on, causing me to squeeze my eyes closed in surprise.
“Oh crap, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think,” the woman mutters, and I see through my closed eyelids when the room goes dark once again.
“It’s okay; you can turn it on.”
“Are you sure?” she prompts.
“Yeah.” When the lights turn back on, it takes just a moment for my eyes to adjust, and when they do, I watch Jax’s mom step closer to me.
“I know my son didn’t introduce us, but I’m Lilly, and you’re Ellie, right?” she asks, studying me.
“Yes,” I croak out and she frowns, walking to the bed. Picking up a pink cup off the side table, she brings it towards me, holding it out for me to take.
“Just take sips, honey,” she says gently, with her hand under mine like I might drop the cup. “Is that better?”
“Yes, thank you,” I say, surprised to hear my voice crack again, but this time with emotions from having someone look out for me.
Nodding, she takes the cup back and sets a bag on the bed.
“Jax said you were small, so I just grabbed some of my yoga clothes for you.”
“Thank you,” I mumble absently, watching her pull out a pair of black yoga pants and a tank with a jacket to go over it.
“Do you want to wash up a little in the bathroom?”
Following her gaze to a door I hadn’t even noticed, I nod. Taking the stuff, she helps me into the small room murmuring, “I’ll be out here if you need me,” closing the door behind her.
Turning on the water I don’t even look at myself in the mirror above the sink as I strip off my clothes and grab a few paper towels, soaking them. Scrubbing myself from head to toe, being careful of my hands, which are still sensitive from carrying a two-by-four around as a weapon.
Once I’m as clean as I’m going to get without a shower, I catch my reflection in the mirror and cringe. My dark hair is matted, my skin pale, and my brown eyes are sunken in, I look like hell run over. “You’re alive,” I remind myself, pulling on the yoga pants that are a little too long, but they are clean and thankfully fit. Putting on the tank, I cover it with the jacket, zipping it all the way up before slipping my sneakers back on and running a hand through my hair, watching as dried leaves and dirt fall to the floor. Giving up on getting the knots out, I pull it all up on top of my head and spin it into a bun, tucking the ends in so it stays in place.
“Everything fit,” I say when I step out of the bathroom, finding Lilly sitting on the bed with her head bent, like she’s deep in thought.
“I’m glad.” She smiles softly then her head tilts to the side, studying me. “Jax said you have a daughter.”
“I do.” I nod, taking my old clothes to the waist basket and dropping them in.
“And your mom did this to you?” she asks, catching me off guard with her question, making my body go solid in response.
Licking my lips, I turn to look at her. “She did.”
“Does she live near you?” she questions softly, looking me over.
“About twenty minutes away, with my aunt.”
“So…your daughter’s father?”
“He’s dead,” I say, feeling tears fill my eyes at the thought.
Hope isn’t my biological daughter. Edward, my brother, and his girlfriend, Bonnie, were hit head-on by a drunk driver. Both died on impact. Hope survived with only a few scrapes. I was granted custody of her the next day on my ninetieth birthday, when she was just four weeks old.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers quietly.
“It was a long time ago,” I say, wrapping my arms around my waist, trying to keep myself together.
“Do you have a job back home?”
My body stiffens further and I feel my eyes narrow. I know people make assumptions about me all the time because of where I live and how I grew up, but I went to school and got my hairdressing license right after highschool and have been on my own since then. I’ve worked hard at making a life for me and Hope, so her future will be brighter than Edward’s and mine. I know that’s what he wanted for her, and for me.
“I do hair,” I reply, just because I don’t want to be rude after how nice she has been.
“I know this is going to sound completely outlandish, but have you ever thought about moving and starting over somewhere else?” she inquires softly.
Sure, I had thought about it, but as a single mother, I was only able to save a few dollars here and there. Having a child isn’t cheap, and I refuse to use government assistance. My mother did it for years, even though she could have worked. “I’m only asking, because this is a nice place to live, a good place to raise a child.”
“Maybe someday,” I mutter, feeling uncomfortable.
“I was a single mother for awhile,” she says, surprising me. “I know how difficult it is to raise a child without having people around you can lean on. Not that I’m saying you don’t have that, but—”
“All I have is me,” I cut her off. Yes, I have a few friends, but no one I can trust. Not really, anyways, and family…I don’t have that either. It’s always been just Hope and me.
Her eyes go soft and she stands from the bed. “You could move here. My friend owns a salon in town. He’s always looking for help, and Jax already said you could stay with him until you got on your feet. He’s hardly home anyways.”
Stay with Jax?
Yeah, no thank you.
“We would all feel better knowing you’re here—at least until the other guy is caught.”
Oh, God. How did I forget about him? I don’t know if he knows where I live, and what if something happens to Hope? Closing my eyes, I rub my forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
“I know you want to keep your daughter safe, and my son will make sure of it.”
“I don’t know.” I open my eyes. This is too much to handle right now.
“Sometimes you have to jump off the ledge with both feet, honey. I know this is a scary time to be making big life changes, but I believe everything happens for a reason, and maybe…just maybe…you’re supposed to take a chance on something new.” She reaches out, rubbing my arm.
My grandma before she died told me, Devour life without chewing, and pray that you don’t choke. Could I do that now? Take a chance and pray for the best? “Are you sure your friend needs help?” I hear myself ask without even realizing it.
She smiles then nods. “I’m positive.”
“Maybe I have a concussion,” I mutter, surprised I’m really thinking about doing this. It’s not like me to take unnecessary risks.
“I’ll be here for you whenever you need me, and I know my husband and daughter will do the same, along with Jax.”
Oh, God. Jax. I’m not sure what to do with him, but I need to keep Hope safe, and the farther I get away from my family, the better, not only for her, but for me as well.
“Okay,” I state.
“Okay?”
“Yes, I need to make sure my daughter is safe,” I explain softly.
Her arms wrap around me in a hug and she mutters, “I promise things are going to be better now.”
I’m not so sure about that. I feel like I just went from the frying pan into the fire.
Chapter 1
Jax
“Thank you again for taking me.” Pulling my eyes from the road for a brief moment, I look at Ellie. Her head is resting against the window, her legs pulled up onto the seat, tucked near her ass, and her arms are wrapped tight around them. One thing I’ve noticed about her over the last few hours is she’s always wrapping her arms around herself or tucking her body into a tight ball. It’s like she’s forcing herself to stay together.
“I told you I got you, baby,” I say gently, wanting more than anything to take her hand in mine, but every time I touch her, she freezes up like she’s waiting for me to strike out at her, and I would be lying if I said that didn’t piss me the fuck off. It does; it feels like a slap in the face every time it happens.
“I know,” she whispers, and the tears I hear in her voice cause a sharp pain in my chest.
Fuck.
“This is the turnoff.” Her feet go to the floorboard and her hands to the dash as she sits up taller, moving her face closer to the windshield. We drive up a long dirt driveway with forest and the occasional broken down car on each side. When we make it to the top of the hill, a singlewide trailer comes into view, with junk cars and garbage piled up out front.
As soon as I come to a stop, she opens her door and hops out before I can tell her to keep her little ass in the cab. I don’t even know how I’m going to deal with the range of emotions that have settled over me since seeing her for the first time.
“Fucking Boom,” I mutter, getting out behind her and doubling my steps until I’m able to reach her side, where I wrap my hand around her waist and pull her closer to me. She’s so fucking tiny that the top of her dark head sits right at my chest. So fragile, from her too soft skin to her petite size. And she’s mine.
“Took you long enough,” a very large woman says, opening the front door to the trailer. Her thin blonde hair is pulled away from her face with a headband, and her large, round body is incased in what looks like a baggy dress with long sleeves. I know right away this must be Ellie’s aunt Marlene, her mom’s sister.
“Where’s Hope?” Ellie asks from my side as I wrap my hand tighter around her to keep her in place.
Taking a puff off her cigarette Marlene tosses the butt into the yard while stepping back into the trailer as we come up the creaky wooden steps that lead inside.
“Where’s Hope?” Ellie asks as we step into the small living room. Feeling a shiver slide through her and I give her side a squeeze reminding her that she’s not alone.
“Hope’s asleep in the back bedroom.” Her aunt points down a long hall then looks at me. “Who’s him?” she asks, but Ellie pushes past her and rushes down the hall, ignoring her question.
“Who you?”
Jesus. It takes everything in me to keep my mouth shut. Crossing my arms over my chest, I wait for Ellie, ignoring the woman, afraid of what I’ll say if I speak.
“You a cop?”
Fuck me.
“I’m not a cop,” I growl, wanting to tell her she shouldn’t look relieved by that.
“That niece of mine has always acted like she’s better than all of us. Figures she’d meet a guy who thought the same.”
My fists clench and drop to my sides. I don’t know much about Ellie, but there isn’t a doubt in my mind that she is better than this dump and her fucked up family.
“Jax.”
My gaze goes toward the open mouth of the hall and collides with Ellie, who is holding a little girl in her arms; her face is pressed to Ellie’s chest, her long, dark hair hanging over Ellie’s arm, and her legs wrapped around her side.
“What is it, baby?” I question, closing the distance between us.
“Can you hold her while I get her stuff?” she asks in a hushed tone.
“Sure,” I mutter, and she slips the sleeping little girl into my arms. Her small, warm body presses close to my chest and I lift her higher, adjusting her against me.
“Hurry, baby,” I tell Ellie as her eyes stay fixed on me. “Babe,” I say, and she blinks then turns around, heading back down the hall, and my eyes drop to the tiny girl. I know she’s three from the info Ellie gave me. Her skin is the same cream color as her mother’s. Her cheeks are slightly rosy from sleep, her lips are in a small pout, and her long, dark lashes fan out across her cheeks. She’s beautiful, and she hasn’t even opened her eyes.
“Her dad never even seen her grow up,” Marlene says, putting another cigarette in her mouth.
Looking down at the little girl in my arms, I imagine her being mine and never seeing her. The thought alone causes my heart to bleed and my arms to tighten around her. “Don’t light that,” I growl when she lifts a lighter to the cigarette hanging out of her mouth.
“It’s my house.”
“I don’t give a fuck. You can wait until we’re gone.”
Her face screws up, but she pulls the cigarette out and closes her hand around it.
“Ready,” Ellie says, carrying a large bag over one shoulder then a smaller diaper bag in her other hand. Taking the large bag from her and being careful not to wake Hope, I carry her outside to the truck. Once I have her buckled in the car seat I had my mom pickup when we were still in the hospital, I lift Ellie up into the cab and pull her seatbelt around her.
“Jax.”
“Yeah, babe?” My hands stop and my gaze meets her beautiful brown eyes that are surrounded by long dark lashes.
“I can buckle myself in,” she whispers, and my eyes drop to her mouth. She has a gap between her front teeth that I have become obsessed with since meeting her. Really, I’m obsessed with her mouth. Her lips are plump, the bottom; slightly fuller than the top, the pink so dark that I want to lean in for a taste, just to see if they’re as soft and sweet as they look.
“You owe me for watching Hope,” her aunt says from behind us, breaking the moment and causing a growl to vibrate my chest.
“Stay put.” I growl, clicking her seatbelt into place, stepping back and slamming the door. Once I’m a few steps away, I set the locks and the alarm so I’ll know if Ellie tries to get out then storm up the few stairs into the trailer. Pulling the door closed behind me, the small room turns almost black, the only light coming from a small window in the living room, and a smaller one above the sink in the dirty kitchen.
“What are you doing?” Marlene asks, and I can hear the nervousness in her voice as she backs away from me.
“I’m going to give you a chance to be honest with me. I’m going to ask you where Ellie’s mother is, and I want you to tell me the truth. If you don’t tell me where she is now and I find out later on that you knew her whereabouts and kept that from me, I’m going to make you pay for that mistake.”
“You ain’t the law. You can’t talk to me like this,” she says, putting her hands on her wide hips and looking toward the door.
“You’re right. I’m not a cop, and that information should lead you into doing the smart thing,” I snarl.
“She’s my sister.”
“I don’t give a fuck if she’s the fucking Pope. Tell me where she is.”
“I don’t know,” she says quietly after a long moment.
“You sure you want that to be your final answer?” I ask her, turning toward the door.
“It’s the truth.”
“Remember I warned you,” I say, opening the door and stepping down the rickety stairs to the grass.
“What about my money?”
“Get it from your sister,” I tell her, clicking the alarm for my truck and swinging up inside. I’m so pissed that I can actually feel my heart pounding in my neck. I want to take a can of gasoline and light her damn trailer on fire.
“What did she say?” Ellie asks quietly from my side as I pull out onto the main road. Pulling my eyes from the asphalt, I look over at her quickly, seeing a sadness in her gaze that makes my fist tighten on the steering wheel.
“Nothing, baby.”
“Jax.”
“Ellie,” I say in the same tone, feeling my lips twitch.
“I don’t know what you could possibly think is funny right now,” she huffs, and I see her cross her arms over her chest out of the corner of my eye, the action making me smile. Fuck but she’s cute.
“So annoying,” she mumbles under her breath, making me chuckle.
“Mama,” I hear, and I look over my shoulder at Hope, whose eyes are open and locked on her mom in the front seat.
“Angel baby.” Ellie pulls off her seatbelt, gets up on her knees, and leans over the backseat. Pulling off the side of the road, I put the truck in park, walk around, to help Ellie out, but before I get there, she’s out and has the back door open, trying to get Hope from her car seat.
The moment she has Hope unbuckled and in her arms, sobs begin to wrack Ellie’s small frame. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around both of them as a feeling of rightness settles in my gut.
“It’s okay, Mama.” Hope pats her mom’s back, making Ellie cry harder.
“I know, Angel,” Ellie says, pulling her face away from Hope’s neck and kissing her forehead. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. Gwama said you were workin’,” she says, putting her hand on her mom’s cheek and looking into her face.
“I was, Angel, and guess what.”
“What?” Hope asks, and my heart does another tug when both their faces light up with smiles so bright they steal the air right out of my lungs.
“Mommy has a new job.”
“Yay!” She laughs, and Ellie places her hand on the back of Hope’s head and dips her backwards, whispering in her ear.
“I love you, Angel baby.”
“Lub you, Mama,” she says then her eyes come to me and she tilts her head to the side.
“Hope, this is Jax,” Ellie says, and I watch her cheeks get pink as she realizes her body is pressed against the length of mine. “Jax, this is Hope.” She steps away, turning so Hope is facing me.
“It’s nice to meet you, Hope.”
“You too, Ax.” She smiles, showing off a gap between her front teeth that makes her even more beautiful.
“All right, Angel, get back in your car seat,” Ellie tells her, and she climbs up into the seat then locks herself in place, like she’s done it a million times before. Not trusting her, I check to make sure it’s secure then tap the end of her nose, making her smile before I shut the door.
Once I’m back behind the wheel, I head towards Ellie’s place so we can pick up her stuff. Do I feel shitty I told my mom to find a way to get Ellie to Nashville, even if she had to use her fear against her? A little, but at the end of the day, she will be under my roof, so fuck it. All’s fair in love and war, right?
“Turn here,” Ellie says, bringing me out of my thoughts. Frowning, I turn and enter a large trailer park. I know places like these; rent’s cheap, making it easy for everyone and anyone to live here. Following Ellie’s directions, we pull up in front of a small singlewide trailer. Just from the outside, I can tell she is one of the few people in the park who takes pride in her place, judging by the flowers on her small front porch, which have died in her absence, and the colorful floral flag hanging off to the side of the front door, welcoming anyone who might come for a visit.
Shutting down the truck, I hop out and round the hood, taking in my surroundings. Two trailers down, there are a group of guys sitting outside in lawn chairs, drinking beer. A little farther down from them, I watch a man pass a small bag of something off to a kid who’s probably no older than seventeen.
“From now on, wait ’til I open your door,” I tell Ellie, taking a sleeping Hope from her arms.
“Why?” She frowns, shutting the door.
“Because my mom would kick my ass if I didn’t.”
“Oh.” She presses her lips together like she’s trying not to smile, making me want to lean in and kiss her.
“Ready?” I ask knowing I cant do what I want, not yet anyways.
“Ready.” She sighs, going to the porch, lifting the edge of the mat, and pulling out a key.
“Are you kidding me?” I growl, looking at the key in her hand.
“What?” she asks, opening the door and stepping inside.
“Ellie, baby, you do not leave a key to your house in such an obvious place. That’s basically an invite to anyone who comes over to walk inside and steal all your shit.”
“Nothing has ever happened before.” She shrugs.
“Thank fuck but there’s a first time for everything,” I tell her, trying to gentle my voice, which is hard to do considering how pissed I am, knowing a single mother is living in a place like this with a key under her motherfucking doormat.
“I won’t do it again,” she says, reading my face.
Nodding, I lay Hope down on the small couch by the door then look around.
The place is small but clean and homey. A small flat screen TV sits in front of the couch on a stand with tons of picture frames scattered across the surface, most containing shots of Ellie and Hope, but in a few, are pictures of a man holding a baby. There’s one with the same man, but this time his arm is wrapped around a woman as she looks down at the small bundle in her arms while he smiles at the camera. I wonder absently if that was Ellie’s ex, but still can’t drag enough courage to the surface to ask.
Pulling my eyes away from the photos, I take in the rest of the space. A stylish chair sits in the corner, adding color to the room, and it matches the drapes on the windows. In the kitchen is a small dining table, with two chairs that are old but still fit with the decor.
“I don’t know what I should bring,” Ellie mumbles, walking into the kitchen and looking around.
“Whatever we don’t take now, we can come back for,” I tell her softly, moving to her side. “My place has everything you’ll need for now.”
“Are you really sure about us staying with you?” she asks, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “I know your dad said he could get us an apartment in town.”
“I’m sure.” I feel my chest vibrate in annoyance. I don’t want her or Hope out of my sight. And God, I love my dad, but I was ready to pummel him when he suggested that. “Like my mom said, I’m hardly home. I work a lot, and my place already has security set up. It’s the safest place for you both.”
