Page 65 of Dear Mr. Brody

“It’s Sunday, doesn’t she try to con you into making her dinner on Sunday nights?” She smiled and ate another one of my fucking mushrooms.

“Lanie, why are you here?”

Her brows knitted together, my tone sharper than she was used to hearing. But she couldn’t just barge into my house whenever she pleased, with this air of familiarity like she still had some right to my life and my damn food.

“I told you I have to work. I have two classes tonight. One at seven and another at nine.”

“Since when?” The palms of my hands were sweaty, and I wiped them off on my jeans as I checked the time again.

“I picked it up, the money is too good not to.”

“Can we have waffles for dinner?” Anne climbed onto a barstool, sending a dubious stare at the cutting board filled with various types of vegetables.

Waffles…

Holy shit.

“Lanie, I…” This wasn’t happening. Anne couldn’t be here. “I can’t…”

What the hell was I supposed to tell her? My head ached as I stared at my daughter, her dark pigtails swaying as she hummed to herself, lining up the mushrooms in neat, orderly rows.

“I tried to call, Van. What’s the big deal? I can pick her up in the morning for school if it’s such a hassle.”

“My daughter is not a hassle,” I snapped.

“Our daughter.” Lanie scowled at me. “Why are you being difficult?”

“I’m not.”

“You are… I’m sorry if I’m disrupting whatever plans you had for tonight, but I had no other choice.” Lanie walked over to Anne and kissed her on the cheek. “I have to go, baby. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She pulled her keys out of her shorts, and I pinched the bridge of my nose, the trapped feeling in my chest smothering me.

“Do you need me to get her in the morning or not?”

Maybe I had time to call him. Even if he was on his way, he’d understand.

“I can take her.”

Lanie narrowed her green eyes. “Thanks for the help.”

I followed her to the door feeling like an asshole. I would spend every damn second with my daughter if I could. And Lanie knew that.

“Hey,” I said, and she turned to face me. “Don’t act like I don’t want her around. I’m always here for her. You caught me by surprise.”

“What do you want me to say? I tried to call.”

I reached around her to open the door. “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

“I’m sorry, too,” she said, and it sounded sincere. “I was stressed. I didn’t think you would mind.”

“I don’t mind. But—”

The doorbell rang and my stomach dropped.

Lanie cocked her head when I didn’t move. I was frozen in place, wishing I could throw up, or better yet, disappear.

“Are you going to answer that?”

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