Page 57 of Simply You & Me

Julian and Zach have swapped in and out, keeping watch outside too. Not trusting one cop to keep our girls safe. Gabby’s spent each night with Rory and Addie, helping with anything she can. So now, as I knock on the door with Tuesday tacos in hand for lunch and a bleeding heart in my chest, I'm not surprised when it's Gabby who opens the door.

We've discussed endlessly who should come today, but she has already refused Wyatt, Zach, and Julian. We're hoping she’ll see me since I was the one most adamantly against keeping this shit from her.

Gabby looks pissed to see me, which is new. Rylee has a similar look in her eye when she looks at us lately, too, but I still see the love she has for me. Gabby is cold when she opens the door, but her anxious energy gives her away. She's tired, worried for her friend, and at a loss.

"Let me help, please," I beg, lifting the bag of tacos and giving her my best earnest look.

Gabby shakes her head, pink hair falling loose from her high bun. "I don't think that's a good idea, Tate." Sadness swallows any and all anger from her red-rimmed eyes. The look of defeat on our bubbliest friend freaks me the fuck out.

"Please, Gabby." I don't try to explain myself to her. She’s in full protective mode. Just as I'm sure I'll officially be dismissed; a little hand grips the door by Gabby's hip and pulls it open.

"Can I talk to Tate, Pixie? Please?" Rory looks unsure, and it breaks my soul. She's always so sure of everything.

Addie took her out of school a few days early before Thanksgiving break starts later this week. I'm so fucking glad she made that decision. I don't know how I could handle either of them being out on their own like that right now. Not until we end this shit.

The way she won't look at me longer than a second makes my heart want to shrivel up and die. What did we do!? The answer is obvious. We broke an eight-year-old’s trust. An eight-year-old who has loved us from day one and demanded we be her friends. Now, she hovers feet away from me, twiddling her fingers. The lack of hugs and high-pitched happiness makes me want to rage and throw something.

I've cried and had a panic attack already. Now I'm determined and angry. At myself, the guys, and Cadell's group. How they are invisible in this town is beyond me. Better than us, a nasty voice whispers in my mind.

No, they can't be better than us because to be less would mean the safety of Addie, our baby, and the little girl in front of me.

Adelyn saw them, and we know she made a statement to the police, yet she won't tell us anything about what happened to her. I can guess based on her injuries, but it's not the same as living it. Someone knowing I was stabbed in the leg isn't the same as me telling them I was stabbed in the leg while trying to get to my unconscious sister as her abusive ex taunted me, telling me she was dead.

Hell, I won't even ask her anything about that night until she understands my feelings for her, and I make sure she's okay. I wouldn't ever force her to tell me what happened until she was ready.

"Rory," Gabby starts, only for the little one to widen her eyes and push her bottom lip out. Gabby sighs. "Fine, only for a couple minutes, and I'm telling your mom." She eyes me, a warning in her steely gaze, and I nod, taking a step into the apartment.

Rory grumbles something about Gabby being a tattletale, but I hide my chuckle in a cough, not wanting to offend the only person in this apartment that wants to talk to me.

I follow Rory into the living room and take a seat on the same couch as her, making sure to leave enough space between us. The distance makes my stomach squeeze uncomfortably.

"Rory..." My throat is thick with emotion and fear.

"I'm going to be a big sister. Did you know that? Mom told me about Baby Bean. Did she tell you?" Rory twists her fingers in her lap as she shares her news. Her eyes shoot from her lap to me and back down again, seemingly uneasy with my presence.

I swallow. "Yeah, Dino. I did know your momma was having a baby." I want to reach out to her so badly, but the divide between us is heavy with regret, sadness, and confusion.

I see the uncertainty in Rory's eyes, like she doesn't truly understand how she feels or maybe why she's feeling what she is. But I'm damn proud of her. We didn't do right by her or her mom, so she should be wary of the man in her safe space. Even if it fucking kills me that I'm the one she is scared of.

She eyes the bag of tacos with a tiny frown, making me wonder what she's thinking about. "It's Tuesday," she mumbles. "You came."

"Of course I came for Taco Tuesday." I try to keep the hurt out of my voice at Rory's surprise, but shit, why the hell wouldn't I be here?

"You didn't last week," she whispers, tucking her feet beneath her thighs. I don't know what to say, so I stay quiet, hoping something will come to me. Before I can come up with something, Rory breaks my soul into tiny little pieces. "Will Bean have a daddy? Mom said Julian is the baby's dad, but he's not here, just like my dad."

I open my mouth to respond, but Rory continues her quiet ramble. "Bean would be okay without one, just like me, because Mom is the best one ever. But sometimes I get sad just like Mom does, and I don't want my baby sibling to ever be sad. I hope I'm a good enough big sister like Addie is. She's such a good sister she became my mom. I hope I can be half as awesome as she is."

"Rory, look at me please," I beg, my hand reaching across the cushions but not touching her. "Bean will have a dad no matter what. Julian might be the biological dad, but me, Wyatt and Zach will be here too. I swear." I hope she understands what I'm saying. Sometimes I forget that she's just nine and I don't really know how to communicate at her level.

She eyes me, flaying my pale skin with her piercing gaze. "Why would you be here? Just for the baby, you mean?"

My heart thumps painfully at her words and the hopeful opening I see to gain her trust back. "No, not just for the baby, Dino. For you and for your momma. We love you both so much."

Rory frowns. "So, why did you get my mom hurt?"

I stutter out a breath, breaking eye contact and trying to control my racing pulse.

How do I tell a young girl about how astronomically we fucked up. How much I fucked up. Maybe the truth? With less swearing, of course.

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