Page 33 of Penalty to the Heart

“Do you know when he’s going to wake up?”

“No, princess. I don’t,” I answer truthfully.

Her little forehead creases as if the answer isn’t good enough for her.

“It’s late, princess. You really do need to get some sleep.”

“Only if you read Goodnight Moon for me like momma does.”

“You drive a hard bargain.” I smile. “Scoot over.”

I lie beside her as best as I can in her tiny bed just so she can nestle her head on my chest and watch me flip the pages of her favorite book. After a few minutes, Cara’s breathing becomes labored, her chest rising and falling gently with each peaceful intake of breath, the rhythm of it lulling me into a sense of unexpected calm. As Cara drifts off to sleep, I am filled with a deep sense of love and protection, knowing that, at this moment, everything is right in her world. As she falls deeper into her slumber, she doesn’t have to worry about why her daddy is taking so long to come home.

Ever so carefully, I slip out of her bed, press a kiss on her temple, and then move over to her sister’s crib to do the same thing. I only leave after ensuring that all the women in the house are safe and sound asleep, knowing that tomorrow, I’ll be doing this exact same thing all over again.

Chapter 6

Caleb

I was warned by Trent’s assistant to be at the illustrious Dr. Roxanne Seymour’s office this afternoon at three o’clock on the dot.

So, of course, I arrived at four.

Just my little ‘fuck you’ to the GM for making me go through with this.

Argh.

Therapy.

Fucking therapy.

Like my life isn’t fucked up enough that I now have to discuss my feelings with some stranger.

As if that shit will help.

It fucking won’t.

I know it, and so does everyone else.

Not that it matters.

I’m not here for me.

I’m here for them— my friends—my so-called family.

Nate, Piper, and even fucking Trent all seem to have this incessant need to save me. Like they’re afraid of what I might do now that Jack is no longer around to restrain me.

I saw how they looked at me at that godawful intervention.

The fear in their eyes.

I saw how Nate, even pissed at me, would do everything in his power to pull me off the ledge before I self-destruct entirely.

Doesn’t he know that he’d be a better friend to me if he just fucking pushed me off it instead?

Argh.

Fuck it.

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