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She groaned and I heard Maddie snicker in the background, “Yes, Mama,” Penelope groaned.
“Good.” I smiled, “Are you having fun? Do you miss me?” I asked slyly and she giggled.
“Yes! Are you going to work tonight?”
“Not tonight, baby, I’m staying home on the couch curled up with a blanket and one of my boring movies. Then I can fall asleep without you poking me the whole time. And then I can sleep alone in my bed without you hogging the blankets all night.”
“You’re so boring.” She giggled again. I heard Aunt Suzie call her from somewhere off in the distance and she yelled out blaring in my ear, “Coming! Mama, I have to go help mop a stall or something like that.”
“Ooh,” I laughed, “You have fun with that one, you’ll have to let me know tomorrow if you’re as excited about that task as you are now.”
I could almost hear her pretty hazel eyes roll, “Mom.” She groaned, “I have to go. I’m important things to do.”
I didn’t correct her grammar because I loved the sass behind it, and I missed her already. “You go have the time of your life. I love you. I can’t wait to see you.”
“Love you, Mama.” She said and hung up.
I held the phone to my chest and took a deep breath, feeling lighter from just speaking to my baby girl and knowing that she was safe and having fun.
When I turned around to go back into the house and tell Fox the truth though, I found him standing in the doorway to the house waiting for me.
His hazel eyes were nearly black with anger and his face was pinched tight. “Who the fuck was that?”
Chapter 24 – Delilah
Present
Itrippedovermyfeet as I took a step backward away from the menace in Fox’s voice and body language as he stood in the doorway.
“I asked you a fucking question, D!” He snapped, “Who was on the phone?”
“Were you spying on me?” I countered angrily, but it wasn’t really anger that I was feeling. It was fear. And guilt.
He glared at me, “I came out to make sure you were okay, and because I can’t fucking stand to be apart from you. Then I hear you talking to some fucker about spending your night alone in bed without him hogging the blankets. Then you hang up the phone and tell him you love him!” He bellowed, taking another step toward me. “Love him?”
“Him?” I shook my head as I tried to remember what I said to Penny and Maddie, “Wait.” I walked toward him, but he held his hand up and backed away.
“I’m so fucking pissed right now. Just give me some space.”
“Let’s go inside and I’ll tell you everything.” I tried again gently, because as I replayed my conversation over in my head, I could understand why hearing just my side of it looked bad.
Really bad. Fox had never been good at sharing me with others, and it didn’t seem like five years apart helped with that at all.
He growled but turned and stormed back inside and I followed him, tossing my phone down on the counter as he started pacing in front of the fireplace. “Just spit it out.” He ordered, “Tell me now if there’s someone else.” He stopped with his hands fisted on his hips and glared at me. “Whoever it is, it’s fucking over between you two. But tell me who it is.”
“Please, sit down.” I asked softly but he growled again and started pacing again as I sighed and tried to find the right words. I sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to me, but he just balked at that.
“Delilah!” He snapped as his anger mounted.
“It wasn’t a man.” I laced my fingers together in my lap and squeezed tight to ground myself as I fought through this part. “It was Maddie.”
“Maddie?” He snapped with a glare, “Do you think I’m stupid?”
“Yes I do, if you keep cutting me off while simultaneously demanding answers.” I deadpanned and he clenched his jaw shut and scowled even more. “She’s at my Aunt Suzie’s in Kansas for a week. She left yesterday and was calling to check in with me.”
“Why?” He barked, “Why was that so important that you let her call interrupt us and our five year long overdue conversation?”
I bit my bottom lip as tears burned the back of my eyes, “Because she has my daughter with her. And I’ll drop everything in this world when my little girl calls. Even our important conversations.”
