AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hailee gnaws on her bottom lip, then reaches over, grabs the cat next to her, and hands it to me. “Cuddle Luna. She made me feel better about not going to the planetarium. Maybe she’ll make you feel better too?”
Smiling, I take Luna from Hailee and exhale as she nuzzles her cute little button nose into my neck and starts purring. “Thank you, Hailee, and I’m sorry I raised my voice at you.”
She weakly smiles. “It’s okay, Mommy… is Dad really angry?”
I grimace. “He should be here any min—”
“Zoey! Where the fuck are you?” Kyle yells as he storms through the center, not giving two fucks about the embarrassment he is about to cause.
I exhale, gently placing Luna down, and move to stand. Blake’s already tense as I shift in beside him. “This is going to be fun,” I murmur as Kyle rampages, escorted by Clara.
Kyle spots Hailee, and a minute fraction of his anger dissipates as he surges forward. “Baby girl, you’re all right. Thank God!” He pulls her to him in a tight embrace, but I don’t miss the death glare he sends my way.
“You should have called me when you found her, Zo!” he snaps.
I fold my arms over my chest, more to comfort myself than anything. “We’ve only just found her. I didn’t have time to call you before you got here.”
“How the fuck did you lose her? It’s not like this place is huge. Did you panic before you did a thorough search?”
“This is a back area, Kyle. We didn’t even know she could come in here. I don’t even think the staff thought she would have come back here.”
“This is fucking bullshit, Zoey. You’re supposed to be watching her. Taking care of her. Instead, you’re letting her wander off to God knows where and doing fuck knows what. What kind of a mother does that?”
I sink in on myself because he is right.
I let Hailee down by not watching her.
Blake steps forward, shaking his head. “Control what you say while Hailee is here. Sure, have anger about this situation, but you donotneed to show it in front of your daught—”
“Who thefuckare you to come in here and have an opinion about this,Brad.”
“It’s Blake, and I know you know that.”
Kyle smirks. “Yeah, but I don’t care. Hailee ismydaughter, and you, Zoey, are unfit to care for her. You work long hours, and I always have to pick up the slack. And now you’re failing to take care of her and do something as simple as watch her when she’s with you… I don’t know, Zoey. Tamara and I have been talking, and I think we will need to discuss what this means going forward.”
I stand taller, my eyes widening in sheer terror at what he’s saying. “What the hell does that mean?”
He cuddles into Hailee and shakes his head. “C’mon, Hailee, you’re coming home with me for the night. I can’t trust your mother to look after you while she is…distracted.”
I gasp as I go to reach out for her. “What are you talking about? She’s coming home with me. It’s not your night.”
“Zo, I’m taking Hailee home where it’s safe. You need to seriously think about what you’re doing with your life.”
“But I want to stay with Mommy and Blake, Daddy,” Hailee whimpers as Kyle walks out.
“No, Hailee. It’s not safe for you with them.”
My stomach twists, hearing him talk like this.
Blake’s nostrils flare while he scrubs at his face. “You’re talking out your ass, Kyle. Zoey is the most attentive mother I have ever known. She took her eyes off Hailee for one moment, just a moment. And she wasn’t in any danger. She was holed up, sleeping with a kitten, for crying out loud!”
Kyle spins, glaring at Blake. “Just a moment? Hailee was asleep, you ignorant jerk. If it was ‘just a moment,’ how comemydaughter,notyours,had time to fall asleep, andneitherof you noticed her missing before then?”
Blake’s chest is rising and falling rapidly, and the intense stare in his eyes tells me he wants nothing more than to punch Kyle—much like I do right now—but the tear that falls onto Hailee’s cheek is enough to have the tension between Kyle and Blake simmering.
“C’mon, baby girl, let’s get you home.”
“Daddy, I don’t want—”
