Page 56 of Unbearable
He guessed he could talk to his brother about it, but he still wasn’t sure how he felt about his new instant family. Besides, as much as he liked the idea of Jimmy behind bars where he belonged, he didn’t really approve of Knox’s methods.
He put it all out of his mind as he trudged up the stairs to his apartment. Brooke was after him to upgrade to a building with an elevator.
He liked this one though. Only three floors and not too many tenants. The old walls were thick enough you couldn’t hear your neighbors. Everyone minded their own business, which was an added bonus.
“Yay, Fox is home,” he heard when he unlocked the door. He smiled when Ethan ran to him before he could even set his stuff down.
“How was your day?” Fox asked, hugging him.
“It was good. Jodie threw up all over the lunch table. She had to go home,” Ethan answered. “It was awesome!”
“I bet it was. What else happened?” he asked with a laugh. Only a child would think someone barfing was cool.
“Hmm,” the little boy said, thinking about it for a moment. “We made handprints with paint and learned a new song in music.”
“Wow, that was a good day.”
“I don’t understand what was so important at work you couldn’t pick him up. I had to leave early, and the boss doesn’t like that,” Brooke said, stepping out of the bedroom.
“There was a problem at one of the job sites like I told you.” He didn’t know how much longer this could go on. “Hey, buddy, why don’t you go wash your hands. I brought home chicken.”
“Chicken!” Ethan declared as he ran off to the bathroom.
“Can we just have a nice evening for a change?” he continued when he noticed Brooke had stopped with her fist on her hips. He was too exhausted for another fight. Was he asking too much to have a quiet evening with his family? Gazing at Brooke, he decided it must be.
“So you being late is my fault?” she sneered. “All I’ve asked is that you pick up Ethan for me three days a week. I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”
“I didn’t say it was. You know I never mind picking Ethan up, but on occasion, I have to work late. I can’t always stop what I’m doing to leave. There haven’t been but a handful of times I’ve had to ask you to pick him up. My job is what keeps the lights on.”
“But I don’t contribute anything. Is that what you’re saying?” She rolled her eyes.
“Enough to keep yourself well entertained.” He wished he could take back what he said the moment it left his mouth. “I’m sorry.”
He hadn’t even realized she was holding something until it hit him in the temple. There had been no time to duck. The coffee cup shattered when it hit the floor.
“Shit, Brooke,” he said as he bent over, his hand pressing to the side of his face.
He felt where the heavy mug had hit both his temple and his cheek. Coffee soaked into his shirt and spread across the floor as he stared at the pieces of pottery now broken on the floor.
Out of the corner of his other eye, he saw Ethan hiding behind the corner of the bathroom door. Brooke just pushed past him and out the door. He didn’t bother trying to stop her.
“Hey, little man. How about we get you some of that chicken?” he said, trying to lure Ethan from behind the door. He pulled everything from the bag and spread it across the table.
Slowly, Ethan walked over to his chair. “I got the crispy stuff like you like.” He picked out a drumstick for him. “I’ll be right back, okay?” Ethan nodded, so Fox headed into the bedroom.
With a dry shirt on, he grabbed the broom and some paper towels from the kitchen. By the time Ethan finished, he had all the remnants of the cup cleaned up. He started one ofEthan’s favorite movies on the television before going back into the kitchen. He stored the broom and found a bag of peas in the freezer. How would he explain the shiner at work the next morning?
What he really needed to do was go find Brooke. They should talk this out. He was tired of the back and forth. It was time to decide if they could work out the strife in their relationship or whether they should walk away.
He would offer to keep Ethan with him while she found somewhere else if it came to that. He would even offer to continue paying for his childcare. It might just convince her to let Ethan stay.
Except, he had no idea where to find her. It occurred to him that he really didn’t know much about her at all. Their relationship had been a whirlwind. They met, and the next thing he knew she was moving in with a young boy in tow. He didn’t know who her friends were or where she went when she went out. Now, all he could do was wait for her to cool off and return home.
It was several hours later before he heard her key in the lock. Ethan had been tucked into bed long ago, but Fox sat on the couch waiting for her. He wanted to be asleep also. The exhaustion from the week was weighing him down, but he needed to talk to Brooke first. She paused in the doorway when she saw him.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Waiting for you.”