“Thank you. I’ll be back in twenty minutes,” she said as her gaze moved to the table with two plates of pasta sitting there, accompanied by a basket of garlic bread and some salad. “What’s going on here? Looks like it’s getting cold.”
I put the pizza rolls in the oven and leaned against the kitchen counter before blowing out a frustrated breath. “I don’t know. Harps says she doesn’t want to eat. She’s been in her room lying in bed since we got home, and I’m pretty sure she’s been crying.”
Violet narrowed her gaze at me. “You’re pretty sure she’s been crying? Does she not make any noise when she cries?”
“She was quiet on the drive home, and then I started dinner out here, and when I went to go get her, I found her in her bed. She kept sniffing, and her eyes were puffy.”
Just like yours are.
“She’s definitely been crying, genius.” She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, as if I’d been the one to make my daughter cry. “Did you ask her why she was upset?”
“I asked her if she was hungry, and she said no. I asked her if she was sick, and she said no.” I trailed a hand down my face.
“Well, there’s lots of other reasons for someone to cry other than being sick or hungry. Especially when you’re six years old. You shouldalways just ask the damn questions. Most people want to talk about it—they just don’t think you care.”
“Of course I care. She’s never done this before, and I didn’t know if I should push,” I admitted, feeling like an insecure asshole because most of the time I didn’t know what I was doing when it came to parenting.
“You always push, Charles.”
“All right. Well, it looks like you’ve been crying too. What’s going on with you?”
“It’s none of your damn business, you big Neanderthal,” she hissed.
“You told me to ask.”
“And I have a right to tell you it’s none of your business. Now watch my pizza rolls for me, and I’ll go talk to Harper. I’m very good at figuring out why someone’s upset.” She moved past me like she owned the place.
The woman had a way of lighting up any room she entered.
Even when she was pissed off at me, which was most of the time.
Moving around on a mission, like a goddamn firefly.
“Thank you. It’s the second door on the left.” My house wasn’t that big, so it wouldn’t be hard to find her, but I needed to say something.
I poured myself a beer now because I was on edge. I was letting my ridiculously annoying yet sexy neighbor talk to my daughter when I should’ve been the one doing it.
But Harper had never closed herself off to me like this.
This was a first, and I was at a loss.
I took a swig of my beer, then moved down the hallway quietly, positioning myself outside the door so I could listen.
“It’s okay to have a bad day every now and then,” Violet said as I stood completely still. “I didn’t have a great day today either. How about you tell me what happened, and maybe we can help each other?”
“You didn’t have a good day today?” My daughter’s voice cracked, as if she’d just stopped crying.
I had one fucking job in this world, and it was to give Harper a good life.
Yes, I ran a company, and I worked hard to provide for us.
But the one job that mattered, the only fucking thing that was my reason for waking up every single day and working hard, was the little girl on the other side of this wall.
And knowing that she was hurting did something to me. I felt it physically in the center of my chest, where a deep pain resided now.
Hell, I’d run away because I was too damn scared to ask her why she was crying. Harper had always been open with me. She’d never hesitated to tell me every feeling she had.
So why was she acting so strange about it now?
