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I groaned. He didn’t even think about it. “I’m just giving you notice so you’re not ambushed like I was. But I’ve decided to give Mom a chance, despite the fact that she repeatedly did the same thing to me that Nix did to you. So maybe you can bury the hatchet too?” I paused, but when Rome didn’t say anything, I went on. “Remember right before he went into rehab and you two kissed and made up? What’s changed between then and now? Why won’t you see him?”
“I just said that shit so he’d get help. I don’t think he even apologized, did he? Or if he did, it wasn’t sincere. And he hasn’t even once tried to discuss it since. So I don’t forgive him. He sold me and Sophia out. I’m not going to play happy families with him. It’s bullshit.”
“Rome, come on. You can’t—”
“Look, I’m sorry. I really want to see Zoe and you, and so does Sophia. But if Phoenix is gonna be there, I’m not. It’s that simple.”
“Rome you can’t—”
“I can, and I do. Let me know when orifhe leaves. Be careful, bro. He’s a leech. Always has been, always will be. Give Mom my love.”
“Rome—”
But I was talking to dead air. Rome had ended the call.
Son of a bitch.
The family drama was never ending.
I trudged the rest of the way to my trailer. The one thing that’d make me feel better was seeing my girls.
Only when I opened my trailer door, a wave of sobbing slapped me in the face. I raced into the room to find Zoe was sprawled on the floor, arms and legs flailing as she screamed and cried. And Briar nowhere to be seen.
What the fuck?
“Zoe! Are you okay? What’s wrong?” I gathered her into my arms, making shushing sounds. Her little heart pounded against her chest, but she didn’t let up screaming. She tucked her head into my neck and made this gasping, sobbing sound that I felt deep in my heart.
Briar came waltzing down the hall like nothing was wrong. Like she hadn’t been MIA while my daughter was crying herself sick.
I shot a glare Briar’s way. “What the hell happened?”
I had to shout to be heard over Zoe’s cries.
Briar frowned. “She’s tired, and she’s had a tough day. Being away from home this long without her familiar stuff has got her frustrated.”
“So you just left the room?” All my frustration and annoyance bled into my tone. I’d had a shit day, and this was just the turd on top of it.
“Giving a crying toddler an audience only makes it worse. I tried to turn her focus when she started to get fussy, butsometimes you just have to let them cry. She’s full of a lot of emotions right now. But I sure as sugar wasn’t going to let her punch and kick me. It’s best just to let her cry it out. I could hear her from the bedroom—I knew she was okay. She was actually winding down before you showed up.” Briar said the last bit like it was my fault I’d showed up and found them like this.
I gritted my teeth. “I seriously can’t believe your solution to her crying is to walk away.”
“Our entire routine has been interrupted because you didn’t want us at the house with your family.” Briar gave me a disbelieving look and gestured to the whining girl in my arms. “This is what happens.”
Meanwhile Zoe had eased from screaming to hiccupping sobs. The sound still tore a hole through my heart. I hated to hear her crying.
I gathered my still hiccupping daughter close and stood up, holding her tight against me. “Where’s your bodyguard? I didn’t see him out front at his usual post.”
“Like you, he couldn’t take the crying.” Briar buzzed around the room, collecting stuff and shoving it into her huge bag. “He went to pull the car around. Said he’d wait for us by the entrance to the lot.” She grabbed Bunny off the bed and held him out to Zoe with a gentle smile. “You feeling better, peanut? Now that Daddy is here?”
Zoe’s breath shuddered as she nodded against Bunny now clutched tight in her tiny arms.
Briar bussed a kiss across Zoe’s cheek. “Sorry it’s been such a tough day, Zo. Tomorrow will be better.”
And just like that, all my annoyance leached away. Maybe Briar knew what she was doing. If I were honest, I’d had Zoe collapse in a screaming puddle a time or two on my watch. And I’d always felt like a failure, like I should’ve done somethingdifferent or been able to pacify my little girl. But Briar just let her feel her feelings and gave her a hug afterward.
Huh.
I was too tired to put all that into words. Instead, I led the way out of the trailer and through the lot with Zoe in my arms. When I saw the black SUV idling at the curb, I thought we were home free—barring traffic of course—but this wasn’t my day. Three photographers jumped out from nowhere and blinded us with their flashes.
