Page 49 of Love and Other Lost Things

But he’d already slammed the door in her face. The lock clicked into place.

Jane shook the doorknob, but the door didn’t budge. He was joking. He had to be joking. She knocked once and then harder. Scarlett wailed louder, but Matteo remained silent inside the apartment. “Matteo,” Jane screamed, pounding on the door, “let me in.”

She kept knocking, kept shaking the doorknob, sure that any moment he’d let her back inside. Five minutes went by, and then ten, and finally exhausted, hoarse, and with her fist aching, Jane backed away from the door. She searched the narrow hallway for some idea of what to do now. Theirs was the only apartment above the club, so she didn’t have any neighbors to ask for help. It was 4 a.m. and the club was closed. If she’d had her phone, she could call Yolanda, but Matteo had it locked inside. And she couldn’t very well go walking around on the streets of LA with a crying baby and no shoes or wallet in order to find a 24-hour convenience store with a phone.

Jane slid down to the floor still rocking her wailing daughter. “It’s going to be okay,” she murmured, over and over. But at this point, she wasn’t sure if she was saying it for her own benefit or the baby’s.

Jane woke up on the floor, with Scarlett on her chest and Matteo standing over her. Dazed, she hauled herself to a seated position, trying not to disturb the baby, who had finally fallen asleep.

“Shit, Jane,” Matteo said, his voice cracking. “I’m sorry.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I was just so tired I wasn’t thinking straight.” He held out a hand to help her to her feet.

“How could you do that to me?” Jane mumbled, but she was too exhausted to put up much of a fight. Her neck hurt from sleeping at a strange angle, her arms ached from holding Scarlett for hours on end, and she was desperate to pee.

Matteo took the baby from her arms while she ran to the bathroom. When she opened the door a few minutes later, he was waiting there, rocking a sleeping Scarlett, a contrite look on his face. He shifted Scarlett to one arm so he could wrap the other around Jane. “You sleep as long as you need to. I don’t have to be at work until eight. I’ll take care of Scarlett.”

When she woke, Matteo had given Scarlett a bath and changed her, and he had dinner waiting.

“You can’t ever do that again,” Jane told him.

“I know. I know. I won’t.”

Scarlett’s colic seemed to improve, and Jane figured out that if the crying grew too loud, she could take the baby in the bathroom and close the door. Matteo started sleeping better, and another month went by as they settled into this new routine. Soon, Jane grew more confident with Scarlett and began venturing out for short walks with the stroller.

On the way home from one of these walks, she passed Teddy, one of the club’s bouncers, on his way to work. They’d always been friendly when she saw him at the club. Jane gave him a wave, and he fell into step beside her. “You’re looking good, Jane. How’s Mom-life treating you?”

“I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.” She waved at Scarlett in the stroller, who was sleeping peacefully for once.

“She’s an angel,” Teddy said, which sounded so funny coming from a six-foot five former Division 1 offensive lineman that Jane had to laugh.

“Don’t let her fool you,” she said.

“Oh, I won’t.” He gave Jane a wink.

“What are you doing out here?” came a sharp voice behind them.

Jane whirled around to find Matteo standing in the doorway to the club, arms crossed over his chest, face red.

“Scarlett and I were coming home from a walk.”

“You’re home now,” Matteo barked, “so go inside.”

Jane felt her own face flush crimson. Why was he speaking to her in that tone? She glanced at Teddy, who just shrugged his enormous shoulders.

“Now,” Matteo ordered.

Jane hurried inside, leaving the stroller at the bottom of the stairs and carrying Scarlett up to the apartment. She’d just gotten the baby settled in her crib when she heard the front door open. The next thing she knew, she was flying across the room, her shoulder slamming into the bedroom doorframe and her face burning with pain.

Oh, my God.

He hit me.

Jane gasped, one hand flying to her cheek, the other grasping the door handle to keep herself upright as her head spun and nausea rolled over her.

“Don’t let me find you flirting with my staff ever again,” Matteo said in a low voice.

“I—” In her shock, Jane could barely form the words. He hit me. “I wasn’t?—”

“You weren’t what?” He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her so hard her teeth rattled.

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