Page 29 of Quiet Chaos

Seth turns sideways, facing me, taking a sip of his beer. I wasn’t positive he knew me. His appearance is rough from the gritty wrinkles around his eyes and mouth to the long grayish hair, thinning at the hairline. Seth’s eyes bear no resemblance to mine. They’re a dull hazel. The similarities I notice is his immense stature and thick, long hair.

“Not much of a talker.” He tilts his head. “For a long time, I wondered what happened to you after Christine died.” My eyes narrow at him. “I kept tabs on you for a while. Your real mom—”

“Christine is my real mom!”

He puts his hands up. “Okay, no offense.” Seth stares at me before saying, “I meant your biological mother, Julia. Her family couldn’t stand me, and then when she got pregnant…whoa! They went fucking crazy.” I turn away, watching him through themirror. “They had money. Lived somewhere in Nevada. When your mom had you, her mother brought you over to Utah and left you at a place near some resort. The information is hazy. I didn’t know—”

I smack the sheet down on the bar and say, “I didn’t fucking come here to reminisce. What do you want with my bourbon and barrels?”

Seth doesn’t flinch. Eyes still on me, he takes another sip of beer and says, “It doesn’t concern you.”

“The fuck it doesn’t concern me.”

He turns back toward the stage. “It’s a purchase, Cade. Fill it.”

I stand, place my bottle on top of the order and say, “I’m not getting involved with your illegal shit. I fill this order and the cops will tear my company apart, my dad’s company, to find any connection to you.” My fists keep clenching at my sides. “And when they find out you’re my biological father, they’ll be swarming around, waiting for a chance to get me on something.”

I walk away and he shouts, “Cade! I need it!”

“Find someone else.”

I smack the door open, hop on my bike, and head home. There’s no way I’m compromising the family business for a man who never contacted me to make amends. Fuck him.

***

I’m still fuming when I get home. The nurse is leaving and says Sky is in a lot of pain, reminding me about the medication and ice packs. In her bedroom, pillows surround her to keep her upright. She looks miserable, and some of my anger subsides.

I walk to the bed. “Do you need anything?”

She shakes her head. I inform her I’ll be back once dinner is ready. Armstrong is outside running around in the backyard. For a good hour, I chop vegetables, toss them into a broth, and add some beef. Then I work on a salad. When I open the slidingdoors, Armstrong comes running in, dirty leaves stuck to his fur. I clean him off, feed him, and head upstairs.

Sky isn’t in her bed, and I hear crying from the bathroom. I release an aggravated sigh. It’s been a tough day and all I want to do is eat and sleep. Looks like I can scrap those plans. I step in something wet by the door, curse, and lift my foot to remove my socks. I tap on the door, asking if she’s okay. She’s crying so hard, she can’t even answer. I tell her I’m coming in and she begs me not to. Disregarding her request, I crack the door and see her on the toilet. Tremors rack her body from crying.

I remain by the door, my heartbeat increasing, as I ask, “What’s wrong, Sky?”

Her tear-soaked face makes me feel like shit. Her entire body trembles as she says, “Nothing. Please go.”

“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”

Sky’s shaking increases along with her whimpering. Breathing is excruciating for her. She shouldn’t get this upset or she might tear her stitches. I close the door and call the nurse, asking if she can come back, which isn’t a possibility. Patsy is the next one to call, but she can’t come for at least a few hours.

Goddamnit!Fuck!

My fists punch the air and then I run my hands through my hair, exhausted and pissed off from the day. Now I have to figure out how to calm her and find out what’s wrong. There’s a trickle of water from the bed to the bathroom, so my guess is she accidentally peed. She’s so helpless and I’m sure embarrassed. I’m the last person she wants assisting her. But I can’t leave her there, hoping Patsy can come by sooner. All I can do is take charge of the situation and try to ease her anxiety. I inhale a deep breath before opening the door.

Still clothed on the toilet, I crouch down in front of her and place my hands on her knees. Her whole damn body is convulsing.

I cup her face and wipe at her cheeks. “Look at me, Sky.” Her watery eyes are on my determined ones. “Good. Focus on me. I need you to calm down. Can you do that for me?” She gives a slight nod.

I grab some toilet paper to wipe her nose, while my other hand continues to rub her face. “Breathe in and out as much as you can before the pain strikes.” She follows my direction. “That’s good, Princess. Keep it going.”

I join her breathing. Her tears have stopped, and she’s not shaking as much. Sky’s eyes haven’t faltered from me, following my every move.

“I’m going to ask you something. I don’t want you upset. Just answer yes or no, okay?” She’s still staring at me, anguish clenched in her face when she agrees. “Did you pee on the floor?”

Her breathing kicks up. “Sky, I’m not mad and I don’t want you upset. Yes or no.”

Again, she takes time to calm her painful panting. An unsteadyyescomes out, followed by a scratchy voice. “I didn’t m-make i-it…” Her bottom lip droops and crocodile tears are about to pour down again.

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