annoyance. “Neither. It was a sister.”
He lowered his head, shame obvious in his heavy sigh. “What
are you doing, Logan? How long do you think you can live like this?”
“Don’t start.” I pulled the shirt over my head. “That
fucker was just looking for a fight.”
“I don’t care about him, and I know you’re smart enough
to take care of yourself. My concern is for that little boy of yours out there—the
one who knows that when the small hand of the clock hits the number five that
his daddy will be back to get him. Do you want to know what he’s been doing for
the last thirty minutes? Huh?”
My shoulders deflated. “I get it. But I’m never late, so
don’t put a guilt trip on me now.”
Lawrence continued, ignoring my plea.
“He’s been sitting in the foyer, refusing to play or even
move from that spot because he knows any minute you’re going to appear through
that door. And the longer he waits there, the deeper his frown grows. He’s
worried about you.”
A sharp pain ripped through me. I pushed past Lawrence to
go to my boy, but he shoved me back.
“Wash your face.” He held up a washcloth in his other
hand.
I took it, ducking my head to look in the small mirror on
the wall. Dried blood was splattered across my cheek and down my neck.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you
about. Katherine wasn’t sure how to tell you, but Oliver’s been asking her
about his mother a lot more.”
“Don’t.” I threw the soiled cloth down with my stained
shirt.
“She doesn’t know how to avoid it any longer. He wants
answers, Logan. He’s going to be four in a few months, starting preschool, and seeing
all his classmates with their mothers.”
Anger boiled inside me. There was nothing I could do
about that except make sure I provided everything he needed. “He’ll be fine.
I’ll make sure of it.” I started forward again, but his hands shot out, holding
me back once more.
“Oliver’s going to find out about her, one way or
another. It’s best that it comes from his father.”
Unable to control the fury brought on by even thinking
about that woman, my fist connected with the wall, cracking the sheetrock.
Lawrence didn’t even flinch.
“For Christ’s sake, he’s still a baby!” I roared.
I stepped back, turned away, and inhaled deeply. The
oxygen filled the lungs constricting within my chest before I finally exhaled. I
never even thought about Natasha. She was a box I’d locked up long ago and
wasn’t about to open again.
My next words were spoken with my back still to him. “I
can’t give him a mother, Lawrence, but when I believe he’s ready, I’ll answer
his questions about her.” I turned back to face him, my expression as hard as
the clamp around my heart. “Now move out of my way.”
“Maybe you can’t give him a mother, but you can try a little harder to find someone worth caring for again. I have a friend who
works for a matchmaking—”
I groaned, running my hands through my hair. “You know me
well enough to know that’s not happening!” I interrupted. “Now move, or I’ll
move you myself.” I stepped into him, making it clear the conversation was over.
“You need to stop whoring around and find a good woman,” he
pressed, despite my evident turmoil.
My hands ran up over my jaw and wrapped around my neck,
fingers locking there so I wouldn’t hit anything else. “Give it up—I’m not
interested. I take care of my son, and I take care of business. That’s all I
have time for. That’s all I want.”
Lawrence said nothing. He just opened the door and moved
aside, allowing me to pass. I dropped my hands and walked out.
“You’re better than all this, Logan,” he said behind me,
his tone dejected. “You’re just lost right now.”
“And I don’t want to be found.”
I found Oliver sitting crossed-legged across from
the front door, just as Lawrence had described, his little hands holding up his
chin. He looked as
He lowered his head, shame obvious in his heavy sigh. “What
are you doing, Logan? How long do you think you can live like this?”
“Don’t start.” I pulled the shirt over my head. “That
fucker was just looking for a fight.”
“I don’t care about him, and I know you’re smart enough
to take care of yourself. My concern is for that little boy of yours out there—the
one who knows that when the small hand of the clock hits the number five that
his daddy will be back to get him. Do you want to know what he’s been doing for
the last thirty minutes? Huh?”
My shoulders deflated. “I get it. But I’m never late, so
don’t put a guilt trip on me now.”
Lawrence continued, ignoring my plea.
“He’s been sitting in the foyer, refusing to play or even
move from that spot because he knows any minute you’re going to appear through
that door. And the longer he waits there, the deeper his frown grows. He’s
worried about you.”
A sharp pain ripped through me. I pushed past Lawrence to
go to my boy, but he shoved me back.
“Wash your face.” He held up a washcloth in his other
hand.
I took it, ducking my head to look in the small mirror on
the wall. Dried blood was splattered across my cheek and down my neck.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you
about. Katherine wasn’t sure how to tell you, but Oliver’s been asking her
about his mother a lot more.”
“Don’t.” I threw the soiled cloth down with my stained
shirt.
“She doesn’t know how to avoid it any longer. He wants
answers, Logan. He’s going to be four in a few months, starting preschool, and seeing
all his classmates with their mothers.”
Anger boiled inside me. There was nothing I could do
about that except make sure I provided everything he needed. “He’ll be fine.
I’ll make sure of it.” I started forward again, but his hands shot out, holding
me back once more.
“Oliver’s going to find out about her, one way or
another. It’s best that it comes from his father.”
Unable to control the fury brought on by even thinking
about that woman, my fist connected with the wall, cracking the sheetrock.
Lawrence didn’t even flinch.
“For Christ’s sake, he’s still a baby!” I roared.
I stepped back, turned away, and inhaled deeply. The
oxygen filled the lungs constricting within my chest before I finally exhaled. I
never even thought about Natasha. She was a box I’d locked up long ago and
wasn’t about to open again.
My next words were spoken with my back still to him. “I
can’t give him a mother, Lawrence, but when I believe he’s ready, I’ll answer
his questions about her.” I turned back to face him, my expression as hard as
the clamp around my heart. “Now move out of my way.”
“Maybe you can’t give him a mother, but you can try a little harder to find someone worth caring for again. I have a friend who
works for a matchmaking—”
I groaned, running my hands through my hair. “You know me
well enough to know that’s not happening!” I interrupted. “Now move, or I’ll
move you myself.” I stepped into him, making it clear the conversation was over.
“You need to stop whoring around and find a good woman,” he
pressed, despite my evident turmoil.
My hands ran up over my jaw and wrapped around my neck,
fingers locking there so I wouldn’t hit anything else. “Give it up—I’m not
interested. I take care of my son, and I take care of business. That’s all I
have time for. That’s all I want.”
Lawrence said nothing. He just opened the door and moved
aside, allowing me to pass. I dropped my hands and walked out.
“You’re better than all this, Logan,” he said behind me,
his tone dejected. “You’re just lost right now.”
“And I don’t want to be found.”
I found Oliver sitting crossed-legged across from
the front door, just as Lawrence had described, his little hands holding up his
chin. He looked as
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