Page 119 of Remorseless

“Daddy, I’m so sorry. Please, please forgive me,” she cried. “Please. Don’t take it out on Mommie. She loves you and—”

“I do, Lucas. You know I do—”

“Saying it and showing it two different things, Bailey.”

“Don’t leave us,” Harley begged. “Please, please, please. Don’t. I swear I’ll behave. Please—”

“If you walk out now, you’ll scar our baby girl for life,” Mommie said.

Daddy glared at her. “First of fucking all, I’m not walking outwithoutmy baby girl. She not staying under this fucking roof.”

“Daddy, please!” Harley screamed. She turned to her mother. “Mommie, talk to him. Tell him he can’t put me out.”

“I already told you that you can’t stay here.”

“No! No! No!”

But Mommie wasn’t listening. She turned to Daddy. “Forgive me, Lucas. I’ll do anything. If you don’t want us to have another baby, I’ll get back on birth control.”

The words sank into Harley, and she sucked in a breath. She’d briefly forgotten her mother’s desire for another baby.

“It’s not fair of me to hold you back if you want another kid,” he told her.

“With you!” Mommie said wildly. “I want it with you. No one else. If you leave—”

“Bailey, fuck, you found out you not pregnant. I’m glad. Bringing a baby into the hot mess of our fucking lives not the fucking wisest thing. Babies don’t fix fucking relationships.”

You found out you not pregnant…

The words turned over in Harley’s head. She didn’t want a little sister. She was already losing her parents’ love and attention. A new baby, especially a girl, would make it ten times worse. But, Daddy was like CJ—honorable. Daddy would never leave Mommie if she were pregnant.

“I love you, Lucas. Harley loves you. The boys. We all love you. I love you,” she repeated. “I love your smile and your sense of humor. I love the way you take care of our family and what a fabulous girl dad you are.”

“I love you too,” he said. “I just don’t fucking like you right now. You and Harley hurt the fuck out of me.”

“What about…what about…couples therapy?” Mommie croaked. “I want to save our marriage.”

Daddy thought for a moment, then he shrugged. “I’ll try.” He didn’t sound hopeful.

Harley wasn’t sure if her father still intended to go to the club tonight, and she didn’t want to bring it up and remind him if he’d changed his mind. Until recently, he rarely visited the club at night without Mommie. Harley didn’t want him to go. She wanted their lives to return to normal. Whatever that looked like, since she no longer knew.

“Daddy?” Harley said pitifully, thinking of anything to change her father’s mind. It was cold and rainy.

Folding his arms, he lifted a brow.

“Can you…can you make me some chocolate chip pancakes before we go?”

Mommie nodded. “Me, too? You haven’t made them in weeks.”

He shook his head and offered another sad smile. “Some other time. Pack some extra clothes so I can walk you to Chester’s.” He left.

Her chin trembling, Mommie stared at the spot where Daddy had stood. The scent of his cologne lingered. Although he was gone, his presence loomed large.

“He’s coming back,” Harley told her mother, unsure what to say.

“I know.” Mommie stumbled away and quietly closed Harley’s door.

A text message alert chimed. She picked up her phone and read the message.