Page 52 of Fate

It’s Sunday, and normally I’d plan to hole her up in her apartment and keep her naked all day, but I’ve already been away from home all night. Which reminds me, I turned my phone off when I got here. I wanted nothing between Kat and me last night. I’m so glad I did. We made a huge breakthrough when it came to her scars and our relationship. Now I just need to get over the hump of telling her aboutCora.

Guilt whistles through my body like an ice-cold breeze on a hot day. I step off the stool and find my jacket, plucking out my phone.

“Uh, don’t know my schedule just yet.” I go the cryptic route, not wanting to cause any suspicion.

Fuck, I hate lying to her. A lie of omission is still a lie, and this one is a whopper.

I power up my phone. “Need to check some things. What’s your plan?” My phone comes to life. And when I say it comes to life, I mean angry dings sound off as text message after text message assault my phone. Then come the dings of voicemails. Five to be exact. Five fucking voicemails and fifteen text messages. All from one number. Misty.

“Fuck!” I growl and scan the first set of messages.

Where are you? I have dinner warm in the oven waiting.

We’re going to eat withoutyou.

I guess you’re not coming home for dinner. Cora misses her daddy. Metoo.

It’s two in the morning. I’m worried. Cora isn’t feelingwell.

Cora’s been throwing up all night. Where areyou?

“Jesus Christ!” I run my hand through my hair and start pacing as I see the nextset.

Cora’s really sick. We needyou.

Come home. Please. I don’t know what to do. She wants her daddy.

Carson. I’m scared.

Carson. Cora needs to go to the emergencyroom.

Carson! Where are you? Please, please, comehome!

The once scrumptious waffles now lie like lead in my stomach. A set of hands falls against my bareback.

“Hey, hey, hey. Babe, what’s wrong? What isit?”

I swallow. “She’s sick. I gotta go. I gotta go right now,” I say with more force, shaking off her touch and searching for my shirt. Once I find it, I tug it on, slip on my shoes sans socks. I don’t have time to find my fucking socks.

“Who’s sick? What’s going on?” Kathleen’s voice cracks as I clutch my keys with such force, the metal cuts into mypalm.

“I’m sorry. I can’t talk about this right now. I need to go!” My voice is practically a roar as I grip the handle for thedoor.

Kathleen grabs the door, pushes it shut, and slams her palm against my chest. “Carson, don’t do this to me again. Fucking talk to me!” Her voice is as sharp as her gaze. She’s pissed and hurt at the same time, but there’s nothing I can do to fix it rightnow.

I tug her to me and kiss her hard. Once is all I can handle or I’ll lose myself in her again. Instead, I grip the door and pull it open. “Baby, trust me. I’ll call you later.”

And I’m out thedoor.

“Carson! Carson!” she yells as the elevator doors close out the sound of her voice.

The tiresof my car screech against the pavement as I jump out of my truck and take the stairs to my house two at a time. I open the door and instantly hear them. Cora’s cries rip through the walls of my home. I follow the sound.

“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. Daddy will be here soon. He will. He loves you,” Misty says against Cora’s temple.

I enter the room with heavy feet. “What’s wrong with my daughter?” I reach for her. She’s clad only in a diaper, but her little arms cling to me as I pull her against my chest. Her crying starts to settle down into a low whine of whimpers once she’s against my chest.

“Where have you been?” Misty’s voice is tinged with an anger I haven’t heard from her before. “I’ve been up all night, taking care of our sick daughter. And where were you? Huh? Nowhere to be found!”

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