AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He handed her a Styrofoam cup of coffee and took the seat she’d previously occupied. “She didn’t move at all during the night. Figured it was safe to go get us a drink.”
Alice nodded. “Thanks.”
“It could use a little Irish, but I made do with the powdered creamer stuff.”
The coffee was terrible, but Alice would take anything at that point. In spite of sleeping, she felt like a zombie, and even awful cafeteria coffee still had caffeine in it.
“Look, Alice…” He had a we need to talk tone, the one that could make anyone’s guts bottom out just to hear it. “I talked to the doctors. Everything is taken care of. For Liv and Kevin. I gave them my accountant’s info, and told Barry to get you anything you need. Okay?”
She wanted to be relieved, to feel grateful she hadn’t needed to ask, but all she felt was foolish. She hated that he knew she needed money, and hated even more that his money was the only thing he could offer their child.
The youth charities he contribute
d to probably got more time and money from him than his own daughter. And he was willing to be photographed with those kids.
“Thanks,” she said again, refusing to look at him. She was tired and angry, and she was sick to death of crying, so it seemed safest to keep her eyes focused elsewhere.
“It’s the least I could do,” he replied.
“Yeah. It is.” Alice couldn’t bite her tongue in time to keep the comment from slipping out.
“Are we really going to do this right now?” Matt sounded as tired and frustrated as she felt, which didn’t seem fair because he was just a tourist in their tragedy.
“When would you rather do it? Or do you want to ignore me awhile longer until you can pass it off to your lawyers again? How are Andrew and David these days anyway?”
Matt’s nails dug into the foamy exterior of his cup. “Why do you have to make everything so difficult?”
“Me? You’ve got to be kidding. You’re never around, you avoid us, you don’t care about her unless something happens—”
“Mom?” The voice was quiet and raspy, like it hadn’t been used in years, but it was unmistakably Olivia’s.
All the animosity between Alice and Matt vanished with one syllable. He shot up from the chair. “Livvy?”
“Daddy?” One of Olivia’s eyes wouldn’t open all the way, and her mouth appeared tight when she tried to form words. She didn’t seem to be in too much pain, but the doped-out slurring to her words suggested the morphine was doing its job.
“Hi, baby girl,” Matt cooed, brushing her cheek softly. This was the charming guy who had lured Alice to bed, but now all his charm was for their child. It was better this way, since his sweet nothings were just that to Alice. Nothing.
“You came?”
“Of course I did, sweetheart.” Matt kissed each of her cheeks and grasped her hand. Alice stayed in her place on the end of the bed, one hand clamped down on her baby’s leg. She was afraid to let go, worried one wrong move would make the girl slip away again.
“What…happened?”
“There was an accident, baby,” Alice whispered. “But you’re okay.”
“Uncle…Kevin?” Olivia tried to look around but winced and lay still, watching the two of them imploringly.
Alice glanced in the direction of Kevin’s bed. He hadn’t stirred since the accident, but the doctors assured her there was no reason to worry. He ought to make a full recovery.
“Uncle Kevin is fine. Everyone is fine.”
“I’m really tired.” Her voice sounded whiny, but for once it didn’t bother Alice in the least.
“You can go back to bed. Sleep all you want.”
“Are you staying?” Olivia asked, her wide eyes focused solely on Matt.
“For a little while.”
