“You can’t just show up where I work and make a scene.I need this money,” she reveals.
“For what?”
She rubs her forehead and looks down at the ground.
“For what, Sutton?”I ask again.
“To leave,” she breathes out.
“And go where, Angel?”
“Away,” she whispers sadly, and my heart lurches at the thought.Something isn’t right.I think someone or something is causing her pain.I don’t know what or who, but I know it in my gut.
“Tell me and let me help make this better,” I order.
“You can’t.”She shakes her head then looks down at the ground.
I pull her into a hug and hold her to me, kissing the top of her head.She might not trust me yet to tell me what’s going on, but she will.
“I need to get back to the classroom,” she mumbles into my chest.
I let her go, and she looks up at me, resolve written all over her face.
“I’m going to crack your shell, baby.And then I’ll fix all these problems swirling around you.”
She gives a halfhearted smile.
“Zane looks just like you,” she says offhandedly, but her genuine smile comes across her gorgeous face at the mention of my boy.
I mirror that same beautiful smile.“He is pretty awesome.”
“Do you dress him up to match your outfit every day?”She’s referring to our black shirts, jeans, and black boots.
Her remark makes me laugh, but she has no idea how easy it is to have seven basic T-shirts and jeans or shorts with black shoes and just rotate them.Martha helped teach me that.
“That mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble one day, Angel,” I tell her then peck her plump lips.“I got you this,” I say as I pull out a phone from my back pocket.“It’s registered in your name and has everyone’s number in it.You need something—you call one of those numbers.Raegan and Ivy are already in there too.”
“But…how…why?”
“You need to have a phone that works and is all yours.It’s paid for the rest of the year, so don’t worry about the bill, just keep it charged,” I request then add.“Please.”
“Fine.”
“Want to grab dinner after work?”I ask, knowing our time is running out.
“I’m meeting with Raegan to do the finishing touches with her mom for the carnival tomorrow.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say, then bend down and press another kiss to her lips.As much as I want to deepen it, I know I can’t.The last thing I want is for her to get into trouble.“Let’s go see if I can pluck Zane away from all the fun.”
“I do have a fun class,” she says as we walk back down to the room.
When we get there, they are circled up listening to Ms.Chloe read animatedly from a book.
“I’ll call you later,” I whisper as she breaks off from me and heads over to the sink to clean the paint brushes, and I try to haul my kid from all the fun.
The carnival was a fucking disaster.Got us arrested and landed in jail, thankfully no charges were brought against us, thanks to Raegan.But ever since that day, Sutton has fully pulled away from me.I can’t find out where she’s staying, and the only interaction I have is when I drop off and pick up Zane from school.She’s missed several days and neither Jenny or the front desk lady are giving a reason why.
“What doyou mean you have a job?”Papa seethes after I told him that I couldn’t miss another day.
