“I see.” She looked at him. “Why?”
He remained silent because it was none of her business.
“Ah,” she said. “That explains it, at least.”
“That explains what?”
“Well, you look worn out.”
“Thanks,” he replied dryly.
He hadn’t slept, but he had glanced in the mirror. He knew what he looked like.
Lucy smiled apologetically and exhaled for the hundredth time. “So, about...”
“I’m not going to fight Dax.”
She laughed. “No, of course not. He’ll behave himself. There will be children present. That...” She frowned. “That will hopefully restrain him. But you said your niece attends this kindergarten.”
Niece. It was the truth. It was the right word to describe Melody. But at the moment, he hated it.
He merely nodded and rubbed his chest, where a dull throbbing pain had begun.
“Would you mind if we took some photos of you with her...”
“I would,” he said abruptly. “She won’t be in any photos.” His words were perhaps a tad too cold and threatening because Lucy took a surprised step back, but he didn’t care.
“Okay. Come with me then. The others are already inside.”
By inside, she meant the children’s coatroom, which, in his opinion, had always looked like the inside of a dollhouse. All the benches were so low they barely seemed to rise above his ankles, and colorful animals marked each child’s coat hook. Melody’s was the eagle. She had traded a pack of crayons with one of the other children to get it. She’d been so damn proud when she’d told him about it: “I didn’t care about the crayons! So I won.”
“Hey, asshole,” Dax greeted him casually, his hands in his pockets and a look as hard as Lucas’ fist would be, landing on it, if he didn’t wipe that expression off his face.
Lucy groaned. “Dax! What did I tell you?”
“I held back. I was going to say motherfucker,” he replied coldly.
Great.
Lucas ignored him because whatever he wanted to say to Dax might end in a fight. He avoided Fox’s gaze, which was...concerned – what the fuck? – and landed on Leon, who just seemed furious.
“I hate you a little, you know!” Leon exclaimed incredulously. “It’s not fair. You get to fuck Anna, but I don’t? What’s different about you?” He placed his hand on Lucas’ shoulder and looked sullenly into his face as if he could find the answer to his question there.
“Leon?” he said coolly.
“Yes?”
“Take your hand off my shoulder before I break it.”
“Oh man, you’re all such jerks today, aren’t you?” he said, annoyed, but let go.
“Leon, back off,” Fox said darkly.
“What? It’s not fair that he’s screwing her...”
“No one’s allowed to screw her,” Dax growled. “Least of all you.”
“Dax...” Lucy’s voice was more than a warning.
