Page 28

CHAPTER 28

ELI

It wasn’t difficult to recognize the woman who showed up at the park as Edin’s mother. He didn’t get his darker complexion and curly hair from her, but his bone structure and facial features are definitely hers. Mo looks a lot like her as well.

I saw twin fear in Mo’s and Edin’s faces when they looked at her. When Edin heard her voice. I wasn’t sure what to do. It was the first time in my entire life that I felt truly helpless without direction. What was appropriate for me to do? How could I help them?

Taking Mo away was difficult for both me and Mo. She didn’t want to leave her father alone with that woman any more than I did. I’d intended to stay close, but my heart fucking stopped when he told her I’m his boyfriend.

I felt like the damn Grinch on Christmas, with my heart expanding far too big to fit in my chest. It was probably that distraction alone that had me walking Mo to the bench. On the one hand, I wanted to stay close so I could hear if he needed help. On the other, Mo didn’t need to hear any of this.

She didn’t speak as she clung to my side and stared at her father. Minutes passed. The only thing I heard from them was when Edin shouted LEAVE! Otherwise, we were out of earshot.

If I’d have had any experience at all, I might have tried to engage Mo in conversation, but I think it’s a little na?ve of me to think that she’d give me any attention at all.

The woman finally left. Edin remained where he stood while talking to his mother on his phone. Hopefully, he called the police.

My heart broke as he explained to Mo how she needed to scream and fight if someone tried to take her. That shouldn’t be something she has to think about. Ever. She’s a child. Those shouldn’t be concerns. Tears pricked my eyes as I watched them cling to each other.

I’m so horrified by the entire situation that I don’t even give the proper amount of attention to the fact that Edin included me as one of the four people he trusts with his daughter. That’s huge. Enormous. Just as big as him calling me his boyfriend and deserves equal attention.

We’re still sitting like this when two men show up. I recognize Dak from having seen him in passing. He immediately crouches down with Edin and wraps him and Mo in his arms. The second man, who I’m assuming is Sparrow, stands protectively over them with his hand in Edin’s hair, his eyes locked on me.

This isn’t my rodeo, so I don’t say anything.

“You guys okay?” Dak asks.

Edin nods. Mo answers with a yes.

“Where is she?”

Edin shakes his head. “She headed back toward guest parking behind Champlain.”

“Want to come home with us tonight?” Sparrow asks.

My heart races because I don’t want to be away from Edin tonight. Well, not any night, but definitely not tonight.

Edin leans back. He and Dak get to their feet. I feel really good when Mo chooses to lean into my side again. Knowing she seeks comfort from me, that she trusts me, means so fucking much. I had no idea I’d want a child’s approval so badly in my life!

“Did you call the police?” Sparrow asks before Edin can answer.

Edin shakes his head. “She left.”

“You need to talk to campus security and tell them what’s going on,” Sparrow says. “They can keep her from campus.”

Edin’s shoulders tense. “Yeah. Okay.”

“We can go with you,” Dak offers.

Edin looks at Mo and he shakes his head. “Will you take Mo tonight? I don’t want her on campus.”

“Are you coming too, Dad?” Mo asks.

He leans down to kiss her forehead. “I’m going to talk to the campus police and then go tell the guys you’re having a sleepover. I’m going to stay here.”

I’m not sure Edin truly sees the concern in Mo’s eyes as she stares up at him. “But… what if she comes back?”

“I have a hockey stick and I’m not afraid to use it,” Edin says. His attempt at teasing goes unnoticed by Mo. He sighs and sits beside her. “I have to take care of some things here to make sure she doesn’t come back. But I need you to be somewhere that I don’t have to worry about your safety. I’ll call you when I get back home, though, so you know I’m safe, too. Okay?”

Mo’s tension releases and she nods.

“It’ll probably be a couple hours, but if you’re worried before I call, you can text or call me. Okay?” Edin offers.

Mo smiles bravely. “Okay, Dad.”

“Be good.”

She nods and hops down from the bench. I’m surprised when she throws her arms around my neck in a tight hug. It’s brief, but man, does it make me feel all warm and gooey inside.

Before she steps back, she whispers in my ear. “Keep my Daddy safe, Eli.”

I squeeze her tightly. “I will,” I vow in a whisper as quiet as hers. “Pinky promise.”

Dak pats Mo’s curls and urges her to Sparrow. Sparrow takes her hand, leading her to the car and leaving Dak with us.

He looks at me and for a minute, I’m expecting to be put under some scrutiny with questions and threats. Instead, he says, “You must be Eli.”

I nod. “Yes. And you’re Dak Bozik.”

Dak grins. “I’m guessing by your tone that you know who my parents are.”

Edin snorts. “This is Elijah Vincent. Want to guess who his parents and brother are?”

Dak’s head tilts, and then he’s smiling. “ Those Vincents, huh?”

“Yep. Those Vincents.”

“Nice. Good to meet you.”

“You, too.”

Dak looks at Edin and then at me. It’s clear he wants to say something else, but he chooses not to. “You sure you want to stay here tonight?” he asks Edin.

Edin takes a breath and inclines his head. “I’ll be fine. I just need Mo off campus.”

“You’re both welcome whenever you want. You know that.”

Edin nods. “I know. Thanks.”

Dak wraps an arm around Edin, leaning his head against Edin’s, too. “What did she want?”

“I’m sure you can guess. She wanted us to ‘ go home ’ to Lydia. Mo needs her mother, after all.”

Dak snorts. “Right. Oblivious bitch.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Call me, okay? Keep me updated.”

“I will.”

Dak squeezes Edin’s shoulders before stepping away. He gives me a wave and heads for the car. I look around, examining the faces as they pass. The people in the shadows. The bodies lingering about.

Edin’s doing the same. I reach for him, grabbing his arm and pulling him down the bench so I can bring him into my arms. He comes willingly, giving me his body weight.

“Are you okay?” I ask. “What do you need?”

“To get this over with. I’m going to be repeating shit I don’t want to talk about a couple times tonight.”

“I’m right here,” I assure him. “For whatever you need.”

Edin looks up, meeting my eyes. People say a lot about what you can see in someone’s eyes. They’re a window to the soul and whatever nonsense. It’s always been a strange concept to me. The eyes alone don’t convey much because the entire face is needed to truly read a person.

At least in my experience. I guess there are others who would disagree.

Right now, staring into Edin’s eyes, I think I disagree with myself. There are shadows and fear and unease. A darkness is surfacing.

Lifting my hand, I tangle my fingers into the curls at the back of his head and bring his mouth to mine. It’s not meant to be sexy or seductive. I just want to make sure he understands he doesn’t have to fight alone anymore.

He braces himself with his hand on my chest, a clear barrier that he’s not willing to get close. That barrier crumbles when his hand slides up my chest and over my shoulder to get closer, kissing me with a desperation I can feel in my gut.

“Listen to me,” I murmur. “You’re not in this alone, Edin. You will never have to fight alone. Do you understand me?”

“It’s not your burden to?—”

“You’re not a burden. You and Mo are so fucking far from a burden, you’re… a feather comforter.”

He snorts laughter. “Oh, yeah?”

I roll my eyes. “So I didn’t have an analogy to describe it accurately, but yes. You’re not a burden. I meant what I said, Edin. There is nowhere I’d rather be than with you. Wherever you are. Whatever you’re doing. However you need me. I will do everything in my power to protect you and Mo. Not because I have to or because you can’t do it yourself. Because I want to, and I want you to let me be here for you.”

He stares into my eyes for a long time before taking a deep breath and looking away. I’m not expecting a response. Minutes pass before he speaks. “For years, I felt like I was trying to survive a hurricane all alone. My choices were keeping myself alive or keeping my baby alive. But doing both was… beyond the strength I had. Every day, I was stripped of a little more strength, and we’d go under more and more. I thought it was a battle I needed to fight on my own. Since I got us into this mess, I should be the one to get us out.”

I shake my head and press my face to his, brushing soft kisses along his cheek and jaw. His eyes close.

“One of the things I’ve learned in therapy is that it’s really hard to allow someone in to help you when you feel like everyone’s turned their back on you. It becomes even harder to accept help when you feel like a burden to those willing. Like Dak, who was only married for a week or something when he took in me and Mo. I understand that’s not how he or Sparrow feel about us, but… the thought is never far from my mind. They’ve literally put their lives on hold for us and… that’s a hard pill to swallow.”

“I bet it is. Even knowing they’re here by choice and because they want to be. It’s not an obligation for them,” I say. I’m confident of that even though I know very little about them.

He releases a breath and sags into me a little. “Yes. Even then. I’m not sure if I use them as a crutch or… if I still need their help. Today, I feel like I truly need them here because I’m afraid I’m going to get caught in another hurricane.”

I grip him tightly and try to make my next words sound as little like a cliché as possible. “Let me be your buoy.”

Yep, I failed. Edin’s smile is all kinds of amused when he pulls his face back to look at me.

Huffing, I say, “You know what I mean. I won’t let you get lost in the hurricane, Edin. Never again.” Cupping his face, I kiss him softly. “Not because I feel obligated, but because I want to be here for everything if you’ll let me.”

Edin swallows and bows his head. “Everything about my life is far more than you signed up for,” he murmurs.

“Not at all. I signed up for you and everything that comes with you.”

He shivers. Edin leans into me, tucking his face in my neck and taking deep breaths. “It’s hard,” he whispers. “Trusting someone after spending so long surrounded by those I didn’t trust. Everything got even harder to survive when Dak left for college. I wanted him to go. I made sure he knew I supported him. But… without him, I was just… alone.”

His lip quivers and I feel him take a deep breath and hold it while he works through the emotions. “Sorry,” he whispers.

“Don’t apologize.”

“Don’t tell him that,” Edin counters. “I know he feels guilty for leaving me. It wasn’t his responsibility to stay, and I didn’t want him to put his life on hold for the sake of watching my personal hell when he couldn’t do anything about it.”

“I won’t,” I promise.

“Stay with me tonight?” Edin asks. There’s a whole rainbow of vulnerability in his voice.

“Again, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Edin sits up and rubs his face with both hands. He sighs heavily. “Stop saying such sweet things, Eli. If you’re not careful, I’m going to think you like me or something.”

He takes a step and glances back at me. His cheeks are pink and he’s fighting a smile. I link our hands as I grab the bag we’d brought to the park.

“Wouldn’t want that,” I deadpan.

We spend forty-five minutes at campus security as Edin gives them an abridged version of his life story. They searched out a picture of his mother via social media and the officer we spoke to assured us he’d put out a bulletin to the team to keep an eye out for her and that a child who attends aftercare on campus might be at risk.

When we’re done, we stroll back to his frat house. I can feel his unease in how he’s holding himself and how slowly we’re walking. Edin is lost in thought. I imagine he’s deciding how much to tell his housemates when they ask where Mo is tonight, since she was supposed to be home.

As soon as we step into the main room, a dozen guys turn to look at us. Among them are Mario and my brother. I’m surprised and happy to see Zeke here.

“What took you so long?” Zeke asks. He comes to the same conclusion that Mo’s not with us as Mario asks, “Where’s Mo?”

“She went home with Dak,” Edin tells them.

“I thought she was coming home tonight,” Mario says, and I think we can all hear the pout in his tone.

I rest my hands on Edin’s hips, making sure he knows I’m there. He leans back into me, and I press my lips to his shoulder, my eyes meeting my brother’s.

“Okay, look,” Edin says. “I’ve always been really cagey about my past and what led me to be a single parent.”

“No judgment, man,” Denton says. “As someone whose father walked out on him and his family when he was eleven, I think it’s really fucking cool how your daughter is your top priority.”

Edin smiles, bowing his head. “Thanks. So… I’m twenty-three. I know you can all do the math and know I was a kid when Mo was born. I fucked up and my parents made sure I knew it for years. It was a really shitty situation that took me five years to claw my way out of. Just so it’s clear, I have full legal custody of Mo. Her mother signed our divorce papers and her parental rights away as soon as I offered her the opportunity. My mother is not happy about this. She showed up on campus today, trying to demand that we return to Mo’s mother.”

Silence fills the room. “I’m confused,” Mario says after a minute. “Does her mother want her back or… how does your mother fit in?”

“Lydia has no interest in being a parent. I don’t begrudge her that. We were kids, and we fucked up. It was a very toxic and unhealthy situation I left, and I’m confident Lydia was grateful I gave her an out. In fact, I know she is. She hated me and resented Mo for existing. My mother’s demands come from her need to control the situation and remind me about how I fucked up nine years ago.”

“That’s shit,” Brent says.

“Yeah. So, we reported her to security and they’re keeping an eye out.”

“What’s she look like?” Denton asks. “We’ll keep an eye out, too.”

I smile into Edin’s shoulder. His tension doesn’t leave, but I can feel him relax a little. He has an entire house of support right in front of him.

Once Edin shares her picture, I have a feeling Denton will share it with the hockey team. My brother will share it with the cheer squad and DIK. We’re a small number of people in the big picture of how many people are on campus, but we’re still a lot of eyes watching for this woman to keep Mo and Edin safe.

“Thank you,” Edin says.

I hope they hear how much it means to him. For a minute, I hold him a little tighter.