Page 59 of Without You, Scotch and Sammy 2

My heart continues to pound with worry, but she’s fine, snugged up against his broad chest as she squeaks and eats. I hold my hand to my heart as I come down from my adrenaline-charged panic. “That squeak will go away eventually. The pediatrician said it’ll go away.”

“That’ll be a sad day,” Ang laments. “The noise has grown on me.”

“I didn’t do her iron yet,” Sam says quietly. “I thought I’d leave that to you, so we don’t mess up or double dose.”

“Okay.” I bite my lip and shuffle my feet when I remember I’m still in sleep shorts and surrounded by three large, fully dressed, smiling men. It’s one thing to be wearing pyjamas at eleven at night, and a wholly other thing to be wearing them in the middle of the morning, with Sam dressed in nice jeans, Luc in his work uniform, and Angelo already with grease smudges on his nose. “I’m just gonna get dressed. I’ll be out in two minutes, then you’ll be relieved of babysitting duty.”

“Take your time,” Sam murmurs softly.

We’re standing close, talking softly, attempting a private conversation, but Luc’s nose almost literally touches mine as he leans in with a goofy smirk. “Please, do go on.”

Sam rolls his eyes and pushes Luc’s face away. “Don’t rush. It’s not a big deal.”

“Thank you, for last night. I really needed it.”

Luc chuckles like a dirty pig. I turn on him. “I meant the sleep, dummy.”

He rolls his eyes and steps back. “Well that’s no fun.”

“Alright. I’ll shower and dress, you make her burp, then we’ll be set. I’ll get out of your hair this morning, and I’ll make sure the sheets are cleaned and the bed is remade before we leave.”

Luc’s goofiness is replaced by anger. “You’re leaving?”

“I’m just going to a hotel, then Lil and I will start looking for a short-term apartment.”

“No, you won’t. Get your shit, doll, you can come play house with me. I’ll be her daddy.”

Sam chuckles and shakes his head. “Relax. She’s staying here.”

“Oh, no.” I look back to him. “It’s okay, truly. We tried, it didn’t work. I’d rather make other arrangements instead of sitting here and feeling bad that you’re not comfortable enough to come home.” I turn and collect the still warm blanket I used overnight, and I roll it in my arms. “No hard feelings, I promise. We’re still going ahead with everything else, but now you get your home back.”

“Sammy--”

“I hope I didn’t cause too much trouble with your girlfriend. I knew my turning up here probably would have, but I was desperate enough to have you hear me out, I didn’t care about the repercussions of my actions. I’m sorry.”

Luc’s brows lift. “His girlfriend?”

“Blonde hair, big tits.” I hold my hand a few inches above my head. “Yay tall.” I turn back to Sam. “Pass on my apologies… or don’t. Do whatever smooths things over the easiest for you.”

“You’re not going anywhere, Sammy. Our original agreement stands.”

I wish he’d stop calling me Sammy, because now it feels like old times, like we’re friends again, but when his mood changes and he starts throwing ‘Samantha’ around again, it’s going to hurt more. “No, it doesn’t stand. I don’t feel comfortable here, because you don’t feel comfortable. So, it’s best if I just go--”

“I’m doing my best, Samantha!” Yup, there it is. “I’m still working through a lot of shit, but I’m working on it, okay? But in the meantime, I’m asking you to stay.”

“Why?” I angrily snap back. “You’re not even comfortable here. Why are you putting yourself through the torture?”

“Because you stole a lot of time from me, and I’m trying to reclaim a couple fucking minutes!”

“And we’re done.” Angelo pushes Sam backwards, gently, since Lily is still in his arms, and they move into the kitchen, and Luc takes my arm and pulls me back into the living room. It’s like we’re in a metaphorical boxing ring, and our cornermen have just separated us.

“I’m just trying to make this easier on him.”

Luc nods and pushes me until I slump back onto my temporary bed, then his hands remain on top of mine to stop me from getting up again. “Then I suggest you just stay.”

“You just saw him, Luc. He hates me. It’s like he’s got this tight grip on the reigns of his temper, but then it spews out when he’s done pretending. Why should he work so hard in his own home? Why should he tolerate us here when I could just as easily leave? As long as we stick to the plan, the end result is the same.”

“I think he just told you, Soda. He’s trying to reclaim something. He’s asking you to stay, because he obviously wants to spend time with you and Squeak.”

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