We take the first exit, winding along an isolated road, and end up in a parking lot behind a deserted warehouse. I shift my truck intopark.
“Whatcha thinking about over there?” I thread my fingers through hers. “Lay it onme.”
Her thumb slides back and forth across my hand. “How is this supposed to work?” With a sad sigh, she pulls away. “I understand everything that happened with Jamie, and I totally get where you were coming from and what happened last night with him. But what I can’t reconcile is where I stand with you and Allison. Jamie told me you guys were talking on the phone every day, and you have photos of her all over thehouse—”
“Let me clear this up.”Tori is jealous. Glad I’m not the only one who loses it over this kind of thing.“Allison calledmeevery day. Left messages. To ask about stupid shit or tell me she had invited someone else to the party. Since you left to your sister’s, I’ve only talked to her once on the phone.” I reach for her hand again. “As for the photos, I never wanted Mila to miss her momma. She started having nightmares, and I thought keeping pics of our family might help her, but she stopped having those a few weeks after you moved in with us, so maybe it’s time to tuck themaway.”
That wrinkle in her forehead smooths for a second, but then reappears. “Oh. No.” She shakes her head. “The kids should have the photos. That makes sense.Ugh. I soundcrazy.”
“No, you don’t.” I kiss her wrist. “What else? Tell me what else happened lastnight.”
Her shoulders slump. “It was bad.” She swallows. “She threw me out of your house, Ethan. She threatened to call the cops for a whole host of made-upreasons.”
She fills me in on how Allison told her off after I ran to check on Cody, and my blood starts to boil all over again, making me even more confident in my decision. “Baby, I don’t want you to worry. There is no me andAllison.”
“How can you say that? You guys are signing that co-op deal this week, and she made it clear she intends to reconcile withyou.”
“Trust me when I say it won’t be a problem.” That gets me an eye roll. She huffs and turns toward the window, which is fogged over. Unclicking my seatbelt and then hers, I scoop her out of her seat and into my lap. That gets me aglare.
“Seriously?”
I shrug. “What? I want to make sure you’re hearing me when I say this. Are youlistening?”
After another eye roll, she nods and settles in myarms.
“This is simple. I’m not going through with the co-op. Not with her atleast.”
“What are you talking about? How do you plan to pay her back thatmoney?”
I rest my hand on her thigh. “Logan and I talked about it in the ER lastnight.”
“After I told Logan what happened in the kitchen, he and I decided we’re not moving forward with Allison as a partner.” I’ve never been more grateful than last night to have my brother by my side. Once he knew Cody would be okay at the hospital, he got a ride home from a friend so he could get back to Mila, who was with ourmom.
“We love the co-op idea, though, so we’re spending the next few weeks trying to find an investor or two, just not Allison.” I run my thumb along the hem of Tori’s scrubs. “She showed her true colors yesterday, and I plan to fight for sole custody with no shared visitations if she threatensme.”
“Oh,wow.”
“I haven’t wanted to play dirty, to drag her through the mud, but I will if she pushes me. I’m tired of her shit and disgusted with the way she treated you. The way she treats the kids, like they’re an afterthought. The idea of getting back with her is so fucking insane, I’m still shocked she wentthere.”
Allison didn’t even bother to come to the hospital last night. After she saw our son wailing and hurt and crying for her, she left with Felicia. That’s all I need to know about where her loyaltieslie.
I tangle my fingers in Tori’s hair and move her closer. “I feel like crap I wasn’t there to protect you. My house is your home too, and I want you to be comfortablethere.”
Her eyes get misty. “Thanks. That means a lot tome.”
“You mean a lot to me. You mean everything.” I stroke her soft cheek. “I love you, Tori. Somuch.”
“I love you too.” Her eyes shift down, and an embarrassed smile tilts her lips. “I’ve sort of had it bad for you for a whilenow.”
“Oh, yeah?” I kiss her neck, and she shivers in my arms. “You cold,baby?”
She nods and turns her face toward me. “But I’m thinking you could warm meup.”
That’s an idea I can getbehind.
Glad we’re parked off the beaten path, I scoot her around so she can straddle my lap, except my hand gets trapped between her and the door, and Iwince.
“What’s wrong?” she asks. I tilt her toward the passenger seat so I can slide my hand free. When she sees the bruises, she gasps. “Did I do that just now?” She takes my hand inhers.
