Page 19 of Sexting the Silverfox

“Hold on,” I stop her from walking past us and whisper in her ear while Lily curiously looks up at us. “I think we both know by now that what we have is more than a mere fling. You can talk to me; you can tell me anything. I think I’ve proven myself worthy of your trust by now.”

“Jason, I’m fine,” she manages, but tears are rushing to her eyes. “I’m just going through a stressful period, that’s all. You don’t need to worry about a thing.”

“Fine,” I sigh and take a step back. “You know where to reach me if you need to talk. Please, remember that.”

“Thank you,” Audrey replies. “And I hope to see you again, Miss Lily! Bye!”

Lily waves her goodbye while I stand at the bottom of the stairs, watching as Audrey hurriedly walks away, a trail of doubt and darkness lingering in her wake. I don’t believe a word she just said, and that’s because Audrey is a good woman and, therefore, a terrible liar.

I know when she’s not being truthful because it’s simply not in her nature, but the fact that she feels the need to try and deceive me speaks volumes.

“Daddy?” Lily asks, her warm hand still squeezing mine.

“Yes, honey?”

“She’s not okay like she said .”

Again, I’m compelled to glance down at my daughter in genuine surprise. “How on earth do you pick up on these things?” I wonder aloud.

“I don’t know,” Lily shrugs nonchalantly. “She just looked not okay.”

“I thought so, too,” I agree.

“So, can you fix it?” she asks earnestly.

“Fix it?”

“Yeah, like you fix me when I’m not okay.”

“You know what, sweet girl? I’m going to do everything I can.”

Everything.

Chapter 9

Jason

Once Lily is asleep, I leave Rita in charge while I drive back to Audrey’s place. It’s past midnight, and the streets are mostly clear. I like the city when it’s dark; there’s barely a soul around, and it’s quiet other than the occasional car or taxicab rushing by.

I’m alone with my thoughts as I try to figure out what it is that has me so bound to Audrey in the first place.

I don’t get easily attached, yet I am slowly becoming addicted to her.

I don’t mind it. I find I rather enjoy the feeling, but it makes me feel vulnerable. I haven’t felt that way in a long time, and it’s usually accompanied by hurt. Lily and I have been fine on our own, dealing with everything together, one day and one step at a time. We’ve made it work, especially with Rita’s help. It’s a formula that has made sense for nearly five years now, and I don’t want to spoil it. I don’t want to destroy this subtle balance.

But after seeing Audrey earlier, I’m worried about her.

I pull up outside her building, observing it for a while before I get out of my car. Audrey’s living room and bedroom window face the street, and I can see the lights are still on. I glance up and down the road and see nothing but an endless row of parked cars, most of them black and expensive. It’s a prosperous neighborhood. It’s always been a place for the crème de la crème of Chicago to live, and it’s a shame the previous owners of The Emerald didn’t have a clue about how to keep up this once-illustrious property.

It still needs more work, but I think it will start paying for itself in a couple of years. I’m a patient man in terms of business. Where Audrey is concerned, however, I feel restless, so I go into the building, using my skeleton key to enter. To my astonishment, when I reach Audrey’s apartment, she is sneakily stepping out with a large suitcase in tow.

“What the…?” I mutter and startle her so much that she jumps.

“For fuck’s sake!” she snaps as her hand goes to her chest, then instantly cools down as she recognizes me. “You scared the crap out of me, Jason. What are you doing here?”

“I think the better question is, what are you doing?”

She’s dressed like an undercover cop: she’s bare-faced, her blonde hair is tucked under a grey ballcap, and she’s wearing a heavy overcoat over a black tracksuit. And then there’s the large suitcase she’s lugging. She could fit a good part of her wardrobe in there, and I see a couple more bags waiting just inside the door.

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