“Daddy and I were going to go to brunch,” she whispers. I can tell she’s been crying because she sniffs every so often. “And then when we were on the road, he started saying how nice it would be to go pick up this lady he knows from church and invite her to come. That she has two kids and that I would really like hanging out with them.” She scoffs. “Except they’re three and five, so Ithink he meant to say babysit. Which is fine too. I love to babysit. But not when I think I’m going to brunch with my dad on the one weekend he’s been home to see me all month long!” she screech whispers.
“Totally understandable.” I look at Knox as I say it. He’s definitely up now, even pulled himself into a more upright position, leaning his head against the back of the sofa. He looks concerned, but for now he’s remaining patiently silent.
“I thought so too,” she goes on. “But when I told Daddy I really just wanted to spend time with him and not make it a group thing, he got really pissed and said he already invited them.” Her voice cracks like she’s about to start crying again. “So, I asked if he could just drop me off at home on the way then. But that made it even worse. He started speeding up, driving all crazy and then he had to slam on the breaks a lot to keep from hitting other cars or running a red light. It was scary. And all he said was, ‘You win. No brunch’. And then he gave me the silent treatment all the way back to his house. And I didn’t even say I wanted him to cancel brunch with his friend. I just didn’t want to go.”
I take a breath, trying to calm myself. Just once, I’d like to get through one overnight visit at his house without getting a call like this. “So, what’s happening now?” I ask as calmly as I can.
“I don’t know. I’m locked in the bathroom. But I can hear him slamming things around out in the kitchen.” She sniffs again. “I don’t really want to go back out there. But I don’t know what to do.”
I do. And I’m already getting out of bed to do it. “Just stay put. I’ll be over to pick you up in twenty minutes.”
“No,” she winces. “That’ll only make him madder.”
“He can be mad at me. I’ll just tell him we had something come up and I needed to get you earlier than planned,” I assure her, trying to pull on my pants and keep my phone wedgedbetween my shoulder and ear at the same time. “Let me handle it. It’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Okay.”
“Do you want to stay on the phone until I get there?” I offer, digging through the shoe basket in my closet for a pair of flip flops.
“No, I’ll go pack my stuff so I’m ready to go,” she says quietly.
“Alright. See you in a few.” I swallow down my own anxiety. “Love you.”
“Love you too.” Then she hangs up.
I find my flipflops and fly out of the closet into the bathroom to speed-brush my teeth. A minute later I’m racing back into my room, fully prepared to tell Knox I have to go as I run by him.
Except he’s already standing in the doorway, fully clothed, my truck keys in hand. “Ready?”
“I have to go get Sloan,” I explain, going to take the keys from him. “She had a fight with her dad.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t really hear what was being said, but I kinda pieced things together from your expression and how quickly you got dressed.” He ushers me from my own room and toward the stairs, as if he’s the one now hurrying me along.
“I’m really sorry. You’re welcome to hang out here until you can get a ride, of course,” I offer, already reaching the last step and turning toward front door.
“I know you don’t think you’re going over there without me,” he says dryly.
“You can’t come.” I tell him flatly. “And even though this is new for you, it’s old news to me. I’ve been dealing with him and his temper for many years. I can handle him.”
Knox follows me outside. “I never said you couldn’t. I’m saying you no longer have to.”
We reach the truck, and he doesn’t hesitate to reach for the passenger side door. “You don’t have to argue with me. And I’mnot changing my mind. I promise to respect your boundaries with Sloan. I’ll just be there as a friend. Or as Knox Marley who you won a one-on-one lunch date with at the concert last night. I don’t fucking care what you tell her. I’ll play along with it. Promise.”
I nod. But only because I might start crying if I try to talk right now.
I get to my ex’s house faster than normal and when I’m pulling into his driveway, my heart is still pounding just as much as it was when I ran out of my own house to get here. This isn’t going to be pretty.
Then I notice there’s another car here.
“Shit,” I hiss, shutting off the engine.
“What?”
“He has company.” Must have rearranged his brunch plans. “He doesn’t do well with having his picture perfect ‘dad and daughter’ life tainted in front of others.”
“What can I do?” Knox offers.
“Just wait for me out here,” I tell him as I unbuckle, though I notice he does the same. “I’ll just walk in and get her. He always keeps the door unlocked when he’s home,” I explain as I’m getting out. Again, Knox follows my lead. “What are you doing?”
