Page 133 of Ruin

He’s coming back, Cam. It’s going to be okay.

“Mommy, why is Daddy going in a powice car with Wich?”

The sound of Gigi’s voice beside me has me shutting my fears away and clearing my expression. I reach down and pick her up. She wraps her legs around my waist, her arms around my neck.

“Daddy’s just helping Rich with something.”

“Daddy a powiceman now?” Her eyes light up.

“No.” I kiss her hair. “He’s just helping Rich with some questions; that’s all. Nothing to worry about.”

I watch the car pull away, catching sight of Zeus in the backseat of the police car. His eyes on me and Gigi.

And my heart starts to hurt.

Closing the front door, I turn my face to Gigi, painting on a bright smile. “How about we bake some cookies for Daddy to have when he gets home?”

“Chocowate chip?” She smiles hopefully.

“How does double chocolate chip sound?”

“Yay!” She excitedly claps her hands.

“I just need to call Granny Elle real quick. Why don’t you go watch Tangled for a few more minutes, and then we can go to the store to buy the ingredients, as I’m sure Daddy doesn’t have any?” I smile at her.

“Okay, Mommy,” she says cheerfully. Blissfully unaware that her father is currently on his way to the police station for assaulting a paparazzi. And the arresting officer is a guy I used to sleep with.

God, what a clusterfuck of a mess.

The only consistent and sure thing in my life is this little girl in my arms. And the fact that, no matter what, I love Zeus, and I always will.

I put Gigi to her feet, and she runs off to the living room. I wait until I hear the sounds of Tangled resume before I slide my cell from my jeans pocket and speed-dial Aunt Elle’s cell.

She answers on the second ring. “I literally just heard about the complaint filed against Zeus,” she tells me before I get a chance to say anything. “I’ll deal with it, Cam. Don’t worry about anything.”

“Thank you,” I breathe, blinking back tears from my eyes.

“Mommy! Can we go to the store yet? I wanna make cwookies!” Gigi calls from the living room.

“One more minute,” I call to Gigi. “Sorry,” I say to Aunt Elle. “I told Gigi we’d make Zeus some cookies for when he got home. I have to take her to the store—” A sob catches in my throat. I press my hand to my mouth.

“It is going to be okay, Cam. Say it.”

I take a deep breath, blinking back tears. “It’s going to be okay.”

“Good girl. Now, you and Gigi get to baking those cookies, and I’ll have Zeus back home before they’ve cooled.”

“Thank you,” I say again.

“You never need to thank me. There isn’t a thing in this world that I wouldn’t do for you or our Gigi girl.”

Emotion clogs my throat. “I love you, Mom,” I say, surprising myself.

That’s the first time I’ve ever called her it. I don’t know why I just did now. Or why I haven’t always called her it.

There’s a pause.

I don’t know what she’s thinking, and that scares me. A lump fixes in my throat, and my damp hand clamps tight around my phone.