“I know. And you can tell yourself you stayed in New York all these years because of us if you like. But we know that’s not the only reason.”
“You’re my family,” I rasp.
Lizzie rests her head on my shoulder, the weight a comfort that makes my chest burn. “We are. And we always will be. But you didn’t just stay for us, and you know it. You stayed for her.”
I swallow at the mere thought of who she’s referring to.
“You saw someone as lost as you felt, and you didn’t want to leave until you knew she was okay. I saw the stories about what happened to her family. Dixie and I… we’ve been doing good for a long time… But Sinclair… She’s why you’ve stayed in New York all this time, and that’s okay,” Lizzie says softly.
I stare at my hands, letting her words soak in. “How did you know?”
Lizzie laughs gently. “The way you ran out of your apartment half-dressed after she knocked on your door and saw me there? Come on, Denver, you’ve never run after a woman in your life.”
“True.”
“You love her?”
“Yeah,” I rasp.
“Then she’s lucky to have you. You’re an amazing guy. It’s time you had some happiness of your own.”
My mind flits to Brad Garrett-Charles and his tiny hard prick as I hauled his ass out of Sinclair’s bed and my shoulders bunch up with tension.
“You’re going back, aren’t you?” Lizzie asks, lifting her head to study me.
I don’t answer.
“Mommy? Can you help me?” Dixie calls from the other room.
Lizzie pats my thigh and stands. “I’m needed, Big Guy. Back in a minute.”
I nod at her, then pull my phone out of my cargo pants as she leaves the room. I bring up the tracking app that I’ve been looking at multiple times a day. Monty’s small blue dot is at Sterling’s place again. But the larger one has disappeared.
I go to my contacts and hit call.
“She asked me to disable it.” Killian’s regretful confession comes the second he answers my call, sensing what I’m about to say.
“And you fucking did it?” I snap.
“I had no choice. She watched me until I did.”
I let out a low curse. “Sorry,” I mutter. “It’s not your fault.”
“No problem,” he says, giving me more grace than I deserve.
“How is she?” I ask, clearing my throat. I can’t bring myself to ask after her using her name.
Killian’s pause has me screwing my eyes shut and balling my free hand into a fist.
“She’s… I’ve seen her look better,” he admits.
“Jesus,” I rasp, squeezing until my knuckles turn white.
“What happened between you two?” he asks.
My eyes roam over Dixie’s new bedroom and my heart pangs at how excited she is about moving here and having a new adventure with her mom.
“Everything,” I confess. “Fucking everything.”
