Page 66 of Dancing in the Dark

His eyes turn furious.

“You didn’t like that some other jackass cut us off in traffic, so you decided to be an even bigger jackass and follow him for six blocks. You put us in that situation, and when he was sick of your shit and slammed on his brakes, you were too riled up to control our car. We slammed into the back of his, because of you. The airbags exploded because of you. And our baby was⁠—”

God.

I press a palm to my stomach.

“It was your fault, Anderson. And his. It was literally everyone else’s fault except mine. Except our baby’s. But because a couple of egotistical jackasses think masculinity means pounding their chests and shouting about how they’re top dog, the airbag crushed my stomach and the pregnancy I’d been alone with for twenty-five weeks already became the pregnancy I would mourn alone.”

“But—”

“I was grieving. I was healing. I was all alone, even when you were in the same room, and that kind of loneliness feels way lonelier than actually being alone, so I asked you for some space.”

“Sera—”

“I did not say our relationship was over. I didn’t say the engagement was off. I didn’t say a damn thing except that I needed space to breathe and grieve the baby I would never get to know. You took my words and twisted them in your brain to mean I wanted you to fuck every willing chick in the city.”

“It was an emotional time! You’d checked out on me.”

“No shit, it was an emotional time! And checking out on you was a far better plan than the one my rage wanted me to choose.” I take a menacing step closer and grit my teeth. “I wanted to gut you, kinda how the surgeons had to gut me.”

He pales, his throat bobbing with his nervous swallow.

“I tell people I don’t like children. That I don’t want them. I blame it on my corporate life and let them believe it’s a matter of ‘Seraphina doesn’t want to get her nails dirty’. But that’s not the truth, is it?” Another step forward. “Not even close.” Another. “I wanted our baby so fucking much, I still want to puke whenever I think of her. I dream of her so often, I could almost swear she’s here. Growing. Changing. She’d be talking by now. Walking. She would’ve started kindergarten this year. I act as if the mere thought of children makes me shudder, but really, it’s you. You make me shudder. You make me want to puke. You make me want to grab a knife, so you could know what I felt back then. All because you couldn’t handle another guy cutting us off in traffic.” I shoot a hand toward my apartment door and snarl. “Get out. Don’t come back here anymore. I will maintain professionalism within the workplace, just as I have for the last six months since your promotion tossed you back into my life, but I will not entertain you. I will not discuss us, and if you insist on forcing yourself into my space, I will tell Justin what a piece of shit you are. I assure you, he already knows something is up. For now, your job is protected by the fact he’s in the dark, but if you don’t leave me alone, I’ll tell him what you did, and then I’ll let him exercise every arm of authority he possesses to have you removed from your position.”

“Really, Sera?” Red-faced and with balled fists, he stalks closer. “You mix personal and professional and threaten the job I earned all because our relationship didn’t work out?”

“No. You mixed personal and professional the first time you attempted to discuss us during billable hours. Personally, I’d rather go with my filleting knife plan, but I have no desire to do time behind bars for you. Get the hell out of my apartment before I call the cops and have you removed.”

24

FLETCH

“Daddy!” Spotting me a quarter of a block from where she and Cato loiter, Mia spasms in his arms and fights to be let down. Her legs swing and her messy hair points in a thousand directions. The instant her feet touch the sidewalk, she takes off like a shot, leaving Cato behind.

Her backpack.

Oh look. A single shoe.

She drops her head and pumps her little arms, sprinting as hard as her tiny body can manage. Closing the gap between us while, behind her, Cato collects her things, she turns her run into a skip, and her skip into what I think she means to be a pirouette. She jumps, still six feet away, and trusts that I’ll dart forward and grab her.

I dart forward and grab her.

“I’m so happy to see you, Daddy!” She grabs my ears with sticky fingers and slams a juicy kiss right on the center of my forehead. “I.” Another on my cheek. “Missed.” And a third on my chin. “You!” Leaning back, she studies me and beams brighter than the afternoon sun. “Jordy wasn’t at school today, Daddy.” Lowering her voice, she leans closer. “Did you take care of it?”

“What? No!” Laughing, I squeeze her extra tight and turn her suspicion to bubbling giggles. “I think you need to spend less time with Cato, Moo Moo Fletcher. We do not take care of people.”

“Even when Jordy’s dad smiles at Miss Fifi too much?”

“He… what?”

“Not so against taking care of folks now, are you, Detective?” Cato comes to a stop on my right and flashes a teasing grin. “I heard all about Jordy’s punk-ass dad and how he thinks Miss Fifi is beauuuuutiful. Mia’s as loyal as they come, and ruthless, too, so if she sees that guy moving in on her territory, it’s her responsibility to clear the streets again.”

“He finks she’s pretty, Daddy. Jordy said his dad said Fifi is beautiful, and then he asked how often Fifi picks me up from school. Cos Jordy’s dad doesn’t always pick Jordy up, but if he knew what day Fifi would for sure be there, then he would make sure he picks Jordy up that day, too.”

“You’ve got a competitor moving in on your turf.” Cato arrogantly studies his nails. “I could teach you the way of my people.”

“No. Stop it, Jesus.” Scrubbing a hand over my face, I bring my eyes back to Mia. “We are not doing anything to Jordy or his dad. We’re not even saying anything to Jordy or his dad.”