AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There’s a hint of accusation in her tone, and I don’t like it. Kinsley probably thought she was being clever and hitting me where it hurts, but this isn’t about me. I’m not the one who is upset and disappointed that she isn’t here.
Kinsley is actively hurting our daughter this time, and I’m going to make her regret that decision.
“I don’t know where she is, sweetheart,” I answer as truthfully as I can. “Maybe she got stuck in traffic. Or something could have come up. I’ll call her, okay? But I really don’t think she’s going to be able to make it tonight.”
I’m not going to call her and I know for sure she isn’t going to make it tonight, but I can only dish out so many hurtful truths at one time when Isla is already on the verge of tears.
“She isn’t coming?” Those tears start to spill down her cheeks as she drags her eyes away from the elevator doors to look at me again. “You’re sure?”
Fuck, I hate Kinsley for this. For this and a million other reasons, I don’t ever want to let her see Isla again. The worst part is that Isla will still worship her, even after this latest disappointment. After so many years of building Kinsley up in her mind, Isla is convinced the woman can do no wrong.
How am I supposed to argue with that?
I can’t. I won’t. I’ll be damned if I’m the one who’s going to ruin my child’s perception of her mother. Kinsley will do a great job of poisoning that relationship all by herself. She certainly doesn’t need any help from me.
“Pretty sure, honey,” I finally answer. “She isn’t coming tonight, but I’ll see if I can find out when she’ll be in town again, okay?”
“I want to see her tonight!” Isla slides down off the sofa and starts running toward her bedroom. “I don’t want to do anything else until I can see Mama!”
“Isla,” I call after her. “Let’s try to—”
Her bedroom door slams shut, ending our conversation before I can finish what I was going to say.
Dammit, Kinsley.
She’s really gone too far this time. And just like always, Ella and I will be the ones who have to pick up the pieces.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE
ELLA
It’s been a hell of a night.
After the whole Kinsley drama, Keir and I tried everything we could think of to cheer Isla up. We ordered two of her favorite foods, a plate of macaroni and a plate of spaghetti, then ended up sharing them between ourselves when she refused to eat.
It was only after we turned her favorite song on repeat and made it sound like we were having our own private dance party in the living room that she finally peeked out to see what she was missing.
I grabbed her and hugged her, then we both tickled her until she threatened to pee her pants. Even after all that, she still looked like she was only a few seconds away from crying again.
A pillow fort and two movies later, she finally passed out in the living room floor between us—and not a moment too soon, since I could have happily fallen asleep at least two hours ago.
“We’ve destroyed this living room,” Keir whispers as he tucks a blanket up around Isla’s shoulders before carefully extracting himself from the half-demolished pillow fort.
“It was for a good cause, though.” I reach down and push a strand of hair back away from her face. “Poor kid. I was afraid she was going to end up crying herself to sleep.”
“I still can’t believe Kinsley would stoop to—actually, no. I can believe it. And I won’t be shocked if she does it again sometime.”
As a general rule, I try to keep my opinions about Kinsley to myself. Mostly to myself, at least. I’m sure I’ve let a few judgmental thoughts slip when Isla was out of earshot, but I do try to be as supportive as I can without trashing Keir’s ex or his parents or his brother.
There’s usually enough negativity in the air without me piling on, right?
Tonight, though? It feels personal.
Kinsley used Isla to hurt Keir, and that’s inexcusable.
The two of us stand up and stretch, then move to the sofa so we can relax on the few remaining cushions that weren’t used to build the fort. “Do you think she’ll try to call tomorrow?” I ask. “Kinsley, I mean. Maybe she really did forget, and this was all just a big mistake?”
He shoots me a skeptical look. “She didn’t forget. She sent that note on purpose, knowing she had no intention of following through. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive her for hurting Isla like that.” He shakes his head. “Anyway, it wouldn’t matter if she actually did call tomorrow. Isla needs to be here when James and my parents arrive.”
