Page 157 of Reaper and Ruin

He kissed me back. “You feeling okay? You should eat.”

“You worried about my lack of desire for a heart attack?”

“No, just worried that coming out here today was too much, too soon. I still think you need to go to the hospital and get checked out.”

I sighed. It wasn’t the first time we’d had this argument since I’d run into his arms outside Francine’s house. He’d been nagging me for days.

But I shook my head. “I can’t afford it. I have no health insurance. Unless I want to go running back to my father, which I do not, I can’t afford to be going to the hospital for no reason.”

Dax picked up my hand and threaded his fingers through mine. “Having a miscarriage is not no reason. Being held captive for over a week is not no reason.”

I knew that. But I also felt fine. At least, mostly fine. I was weak and tired, but it was nothing rest and watching X crawl around the ice wouldn’t fix. I’d stopped bleeding. Being here was good for me.

“I promise, I’m okay. You can take me home straight after this and pamper me for the rest of the night if you want.”

Dax nodded at that. “Exactly what I plan on doing for the rest of my life.”

My stomach sank at the easy way words like that fell off his tongue. “Don’t say things like that.”

He glanced over at me, his eyebrows furrowing. It took him a long moment of silence to say, “Why not, Nyah? I know what I want.”

I breathed out a long shaky breath, a smile forming on my lips. I turned away so he wouldn’t see. “Let’s just watch the game.”

He didn’t push me. Just like I’d requested, he gave me space. I shoved the thoughts away, and we watched the game, cringing every time the other team scored.

Which was a lot. Our team sucked as bad as X’s skating.

During the third period, my phone rang. It was just a string of numbers, but instantly, my blood ran cold.

I quickly cancelled it and shoved it in my purse.

It rang again, and my gut knew that until I picked it up, it would just keep going.

If I didn’t answer, it would be worse.

Dax was distracted, shouting at the players on the ice. I slipped the phone from my bag and answered it quietly, turning to face Violet, so Dax would be less likely to hear. “Dad?”

Violet looked at me sharply.

I’d had his number memorized since I was old enough to know what numbers were. His voice on the other end of the line was no surprise.

“Hello, my princess. Long time no speak. How are you?”

I fought to stiffen my spine. To not let his smooth tone and fake care get to me. “I’m not even going to ask how you got this number. What do you want?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, where I could practically feel the crackle of his annoyance that I’d dared to speak to him like that.

It was not how I’d been raised. I’d been brought up to speak to him only with the respect my mother had claimed he deserved, as head of our family. It hadn’t taken me long to disagree with her. But I’d mostly kept my true opinion of the man to myself, never wanting to rock the boat, knowing that whenever I acted out, it was my mother he took his anger and frustration out on.

But I’d left. I’d gotten out. And I’d realized I couldn’t live my life for her. She’d made her choices. I had to make mine.

“I think it’s time you came home, princess.”

“No.”

This time, there was no hesitation. “I wasn’t asking.”

I closed my eyes. He never was.