“Where are you?” His deep, thunderous voice sends a shiver down my spine.
“Why?”
“Because I want to know.”
“I’m at home.”
“With who?”
“Yera little bossy, you know that?” I scoff, but it quickly turns into a hiccup.
“Are you drunk?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know, big guy.”
“Elias,” he growls. “Answer the question.”
“Which one? You asked two.”
“You’re a smartass.”
“Better than being a dumbass.” My head throws back, a belly laugh working its way up at my own joke. “I’m at home with Katie. And I may be a little drunk.”
“Only Katie?”
“Yes, daddy,” I purr, but in reality, it probably sounds more slurred than anything. I didn’t realize how drunk I actually was until I stood up.
Zeke sighs. I can totally picture him with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose in thatI’m so annoyed with everythingway he gets. “Will you be home tomorrow evening?” he asks in a tone that makes me think he’s over my shit.
“Yes.”
“I will come over and we can talk about all this.” It’s not a question. Zero room for negotiation.
“Okay.”
“Go drink some water and take some ibuprofen before bed.”
“Yes, daddy.”
Heaving another giant sigh, he mutters, “Goodnight, Elias,” before hanging up.
And just like that… it’s like I can finally breathe. Nothing is decided, everything is still a mess, but he won’t make me deal with this alone.
Chapter Forty-One
Zeke Alvarez
I’ve been sitting in my car in the driveway of my house for the past fifteen minutes, dreading going inside. Valerie is here, and we need to talk. I’m glad she’s here because she didn’t come home last night. Must’ve stayed at her sisters. I texted her before I left the office to find out if she’d be here or not. She confirmed she would be, and she also agreed to sit down with me and go over everything.
Now that I’m here, though, I’m a ball of nerves. I still cherish her friendship, and it’s not something I want to lose. But I don’t know if our friendship became so intertwined with our marriage in her eyes, that they’re now mutually exclusive. Can she, and will she want to, be friends with me after the dust settles? Or have we lost that entirely?
I’m supposed to go to Elias’s house later, once this is through. That’s another situation I’m unsure how it’ll go.
I’m a man who thrives with structure and routine and control. I need to know what’s going to happen. I need to know what to expect, and with both of these situations, I don’t know any of that. To say I feel all the way off my axis would be an understatement.
But I guess I deserve it.
Turning off the ignition, I grab my briefcase off the passenger seat and climb out. Time to face the music.
