“Oh,” Calvin said. “But I thought he liked me.”
Her heart broke. This was all her fault. She knew better than to let Alex get too close. She swallowed past the guilty lump in her throat.
“He does like you, sweetheart,” she said, pulling him onto her lap. “He just has a lot going on at work right now.”
“Okay,” Cal said. “Maybe Santa will still bring me a LEGO set.”
“You’ve been a good boy,” she said. “I’m sure he will.”
She would order one online as soon as she could distract him. Now that she had his Christmas list, she vowed to buy everything on it. Well, everything possible. A dad would be a Christmas miracle, and miracles were out of her control.
And the vacation idea. She’d get back to that. In the little time she’d had to price tickets to England, excitement for that idea had faded. Between the weather, the time difference, and the fact that everything was more expensive because it was the holidays, the whole thing was turning into more of a production than she had time to bother with. She’d look again after she finished her shopping. Something domestic seemed doable. Maybe even somewhere sunny.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
He hadn’t wanted to hurt Julia, but she’d left him no alternative. Going away with the fireman to a cozy cabin in the woods? When it washisturn to be with her? No, that couldn’t go unanswered.
He’d watched in horror through the glass windows as she straddled the burly neighbor like a common street whore. When she ripped off her shirt and offered herself to him, he’d snapped. Larry thought the irony of a fireman burning would be poetic justice.
Lindy didn’t think they had to be so violent, but Larry was adamant it had to be something drastic. He said Julia’s behavior must have consequences and that she had to be taught a lesson. If he couldn’t have her, no one would.
It was too risky to stay and watch the place burn. He’d left as soon as the flames started, so he wasn’t sure what to expect the next morning.
When he showed up to work and learned they were all okay and back in their apartments, he took it as a sign there was still hope. He’d give her one last chance—an ultimatum. Be with him, marry him, or she and Calvin would have to die. Larry had convinced him those were the only choices. Lindy tried to break in with reason, but Larry and the other nameless voices in his head drowned her out.
That was one thing he missed about the medication his parents always forced him to take. A quiet mind. Dull and lethargic too—which was why he’d quit in the first place—but at least he could sleep and not have to deal with four or five others intruding on his thoughts.
If it were up to him, he’d reveal his feelings to Julia and let her come around on her own. It was obvious, that deep down, she loved him too. It would just take a little courage on his part to say it first. Then she’d be confident telling him how she felt. She was sweet and shy, so, of course, she would be reluctant to seem too forward. She was only hanging out with the fireman because he hadn’t made his feelings known.
Given the choice, she would surely pick him over Alex. Now was his opportunity to tell her how he felt. If it didn’t work out how he hoped, he’d allow Larry to take over.
He bought some flowers, put on his best suit jacket, and went to see her. She smiled and ushered him in when he said he had news about the person threatening her. That was a lie. He had no idea who that bastard was. But it got him in the door.
From there, nothing had gone as planned. Larry had taken over and was saying mean, horrible things to Julia and her son, and he was helpless to stop it.
“Sit down and shut up,” sneered a voice, not his own. He willed Larry to be nice. How could he win Julia over being so vicious?
“Why are you doing this?” Julia asked. “We’re friends.”
“I love you, and I know you love me,” Kenneth said, finally breaking through.
“No. We’re just friends,” she said slowly, a hint of caution in her voice. “We don’t really know each other that well.”
“Is that why you’re fucking the next-door neighbor?” Larry slipped through again.
“Please don’t swear in front of my son. This isn’t like you. You seem unwell. Can I call someone to help you?”
“I don’t need help. I’m tired of people saying I do. That’s why I left California. Everyone ‘helping’ was driving me crazy.”
“How were they trying to help?” Julia asked.
She was asking about his health. That meant she cared for him, right?
“All they wanted to do was shove pills down my throat. Pills that made my mind go numb. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t be myself.”
“So, you don’t take pills anymore?”
“No. And I won’t ever again,” Kenneth said.
