still am,” I said. “I really don’t know.”
She chewed on her thumbnail for a moment, who knows what running through her head. I wouldn’t have trusted me if I were her. She was probably contemplating whether or not to check the FBI’s Most Wanted list for my picture. For all I knew, I was on it.
“Answer me honestly,” she finally said. “Should I be afraid of you?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s not like that. It’s just … ”
“Complicated,” she said.
“Complicated.”
“My kid likes you,” she said, her eyes drifting toward the bedrooms. “I need to make sure … he’ll be okay.”
“You don’t need to be afraid of me, Bella,” I said. “Either of you.”
She thought about that for a long time, then finally nodded. “I believe you, Noah. And thank you.”
“Thank you? For what?”
She stood and walked over to me. She placed her hand lightly on the bruised side of my face. I felt uncomfortable under her gaze, but didn’t move.
“For helping me,” she said. “It’s been forever since anyone wanted to help me.”
TWENTY-FIVE
I stayed with Jackson while Bella went to make the pick up. We built a Lego beach in the living room. Or rather he did, while I sat on the sofa and watched.
Jackson had seemingly limitless energy. He bounced around the living room just like he had at the beach, talking as he went, describing and giggling and imagining. He was fun to watch and I liked spending time with him. He made the pain in my face far more tolerable.
Bella was back in a half hour, a navy blue knapsack slung over her shoulder. Tension invaded her body, the easy-going demeanor from earlier in the morning long gone. Her eyes were darker, sadder, frustrated, even as the cut under her eye and the bruises on her skin were fading.
She nodded at me. “We’re good.”
“Okay.”
“Hey, Jax,” she said, forcing a smile on her face. “We need to get going.”
He spun on his knees to face her. “Where are we going?”
“You’re going to the restaurant to hang with Allison,” she said. “Noah and I need to run an errand and then we’ll be back.”
“I wanna go with.”
“You can’t.”
He hopped to his feet and came over to me. “I wanna go with.”
I looked at Bella.
“Jax,” she said. “We won’t be gone long.”
He grabbed at my knee. “Please.”
“Jax,” she said. “Enough.”
Tears formed in his eyes and his lip quivered.
“We won’t be gone long,” I said to him. “When we get back, we’ll go down to the beach or something.”
He touched my knee with his finger. “You promise?”
I glanced at Bella, then back at him. “I promise.”
A smile cracked his face. “Okay.”
“Go get your dude,” Bella said. “We gotta hustle.”
He flew out of the room and back toward his bedroom.
“You don’t have to promise him things,” she said.
I pushed myself off the couch. “It’s fine.”
“Don’t make him promises you won’t keep,” she said.
“I won’t.”
“I mean it.” Her eyes were hard now and her appearance changed completely. She was no longer the pretty girl from the beach. She was a pissed off mom who would defend her kid at all costs.
I came up next to her. “I mean it. I won’t.”
She stared at me and her eyes finally softened, blinking several times. “I know. Sorry. I’m just … anxious.”
I nodded and Jackson bounded down the hallway with a raggedy old dog. “I got Dude!”
Bella smiled at him, bent down and wrapped him up in her arms, hugging him tightly. “Yeah, you do.” She kissed the top of his head. “Ready?”
He charged past us, out the front door. “Ready!”
We dropped him at the restaurant and circled back to Fort Walton, crossing the bridge back to the mainland and west through the town, then
She chewed on her thumbnail for a moment, who knows what running through her head. I wouldn’t have trusted me if I were her. She was probably contemplating whether or not to check the FBI’s Most Wanted list for my picture. For all I knew, I was on it.
“Answer me honestly,” she finally said. “Should I be afraid of you?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s not like that. It’s just … ”
“Complicated,” she said.
“Complicated.”
“My kid likes you,” she said, her eyes drifting toward the bedrooms. “I need to make sure … he’ll be okay.”
“You don’t need to be afraid of me, Bella,” I said. “Either of you.”
She thought about that for a long time, then finally nodded. “I believe you, Noah. And thank you.”
“Thank you? For what?”
She stood and walked over to me. She placed her hand lightly on the bruised side of my face. I felt uncomfortable under her gaze, but didn’t move.
“For helping me,” she said. “It’s been forever since anyone wanted to help me.”
TWENTY-FIVE
I stayed with Jackson while Bella went to make the pick up. We built a Lego beach in the living room. Or rather he did, while I sat on the sofa and watched.
Jackson had seemingly limitless energy. He bounced around the living room just like he had at the beach, talking as he went, describing and giggling and imagining. He was fun to watch and I liked spending time with him. He made the pain in my face far more tolerable.
Bella was back in a half hour, a navy blue knapsack slung over her shoulder. Tension invaded her body, the easy-going demeanor from earlier in the morning long gone. Her eyes were darker, sadder, frustrated, even as the cut under her eye and the bruises on her skin were fading.
She nodded at me. “We’re good.”
“Okay.”
“Hey, Jax,” she said, forcing a smile on her face. “We need to get going.”
He spun on his knees to face her. “Where are we going?”
“You’re going to the restaurant to hang with Allison,” she said. “Noah and I need to run an errand and then we’ll be back.”
“I wanna go with.”
“You can’t.”
He hopped to his feet and came over to me. “I wanna go with.”
I looked at Bella.
“Jax,” she said. “We won’t be gone long.”
He grabbed at my knee. “Please.”
“Jax,” she said. “Enough.”
Tears formed in his eyes and his lip quivered.
“We won’t be gone long,” I said to him. “When we get back, we’ll go down to the beach or something.”
He touched my knee with his finger. “You promise?”
I glanced at Bella, then back at him. “I promise.”
A smile cracked his face. “Okay.”
“Go get your dude,” Bella said. “We gotta hustle.”
He flew out of the room and back toward his bedroom.
“You don’t have to promise him things,” she said.
I pushed myself off the couch. “It’s fine.”
“Don’t make him promises you won’t keep,” she said.
“I won’t.”
“I mean it.” Her eyes were hard now and her appearance changed completely. She was no longer the pretty girl from the beach. She was a pissed off mom who would defend her kid at all costs.
I came up next to her. “I mean it. I won’t.”
She stared at me and her eyes finally softened, blinking several times. “I know. Sorry. I’m just … anxious.”
I nodded and Jackson bounded down the hallway with a raggedy old dog. “I got Dude!”
Bella smiled at him, bent down and wrapped him up in her arms, hugging him tightly. “Yeah, you do.” She kissed the top of his head. “Ready?”
He charged past us, out the front door. “Ready!”
We dropped him at the restaurant and circled back to Fort Walton, crossing the bridge back to the mainland and west through the town, then
Similar Books
