“Sorry,” I said, releasing her.
Harrison kissed her head and ruffled her hair before stepping around us to go back into the house.
Joey sat up from the couch, surprising me. “I’m exhausted.”
“I bet,” I said, feeling only a little bit validated. “How’s George?”
“He’s napping in his study. He’s been in a crap mood all day.”
Maybe us both being gone was too much for him. “Glad you two ladies had fun.”
“Honestly, she is nonstop. Just like a little too much.” Joey spoke as though Collette wasn’t right there. Thankfully, Collette was using sticky fingers to press play on a video. The child shouldn’t feel like a burden by just being herself.
“She’s an imaginative kid, for sure,” I said, jaw grinding. One day, and Joey was already throwing in the towel. My good mood evaporated with every second.
“No wonder you’re always begging me to come get her.”
I opened my mouth to snap that I wanted hermotherin her life, but Harrison was back in the room, his hat and sunglasses replaced with a fierce look of worry.
“Where’s George?” Harrison asked.
Joey rolled her eyes and gestured to his study. “He’s in his office napping. He’s a grown man. Geesh.”
She flopped back onto the couch.
“Collette, can you go wait for me upstairs for a bath?” I said, and Collette left. Tension was rolling off Harrison. My own control was slipping the second I walked back into the house, and I didn’t want her to feel any of it.
She glanced back to her mom, and just as she was about to leave, Joey’s hand shot up. “Phone.”
Collette started to whine.
“Time for bath, sweetie. You know you can’t have electronics up there,” I said.
“Okay,” she moped but handed the phone to her mom before sprinting upstairs.
“Gross. Why is it sticky?” Joey mumbled.
Harrison, who looked like he was seconds away from screaming at the interruption, ground his jaw and spoke in Joey’s direction.
“He’s not. I just checked there. And his room,” Harrison said in a flat voice, but his posture was stiff.
“Well, hewasthere.” She tossed an arm in the air.
My heart dropped into my stomach, and a tingling sensation spread over my extremities. “When was the last time you saw him?” I asked, hardly able to talk, let alone move.
“I don’t know. Around lunch I asked if he wanted food. He started, like, freaking out on me. Acting like I was an idiot or something. I told you he was in a shit mood all day. So I left him to his pity party.”
“Joey,” I gasped.
“I was not about to be disrespected like that. God, you never take my side on anything.” She shot up from the couch.
“That is not true.” My voice shook.
“I don’t have time for this. I need a break. I’m going up to my room and don’t want to be disturbed.” She made her way to the stairs, not concerned with Collette or George.
A sudden wave of fury overtook me. I couldn’t stand any of this. How could she say I never took her side when that’s all I ever did? This was too much.
“I’m going out to go look for him,” Harrison said, grabbing his coat and collecting the keys he just set down.
