“I won’t.”
I smirked. “You’re working on getting tossed into that six-foot-deep hole without the box.”
“Ha! You’re all talk. You may be an asshole, but you care about all therightshit, which is more than I can say for most people.” Smiling, he leaned further back in his chair. “Now, get out of here before I get up and kick you out. My court show is on.”
Shaking my head, I gave him a quick hug, then walked out of the house.
As I headed to my car, I thought about all of the shit Ol’ School had been through over the years. He wasn’t just an old Army vet that ended up on the street because he suffered from PTSD and drank away his life savings. He was tricked, mistreated, and abandoned.
My cell phone rang, pulling me out of my thoughts.
It was Melina.
I answered as I reached my car. “What’s up?”
“I’m going to end things.”
“End things? What are you talking about?”
“I’m going to tell my husband I want a divorce...and I’m telling him about us.”
My eyes widened.
What the fuck?
9
SKYE
I leaned against Ocean’s kitchen counter, eyes glued to my phone as I watched my sister’s latest post on social media. My nephew’s soft cooing filled the video, pulling a smile from me without trying.
He was beautiful, such a tiny thing.
Seconds later, my sister came into view, and a bittersweet feeling came over me.
I hated that feeling.
It was an ache I couldn’t fully describe, and one I’d been forced to carry for two years.
The video cut off, replaced by my mother’s picture and her number flashing across the screen.
I sighed, then answered. “Hi, Mama.”
“Skye, where are you? Why haven’t you returned my calls?”
I could hear the panic in her voice, and I immediately felt bad.
I’d been so caught up in everything that I’d forgotten to call her back.
“Sorry, mama, I just had so much going on.”
“I bet. I talked to Nyx.”
My eyes widened. “You did?”
“Mmhmm. Thankfully, she told me you were okay.”
I sighed. “Yes, I’m fine.”
