Page 113 of No Place Like Home

I didn’t know if Leo did it or not, but I couldn’t work today. This documentary was something I had been excited about, but now it was gone. I wanted to know everything about that little girl.

When I got back to the house, Simba ran toward the front. Following behind him, I quickly heard the voices of people arguing.

“Ms. Morrison,” Leo said.

My step halted.

Jess was here?

“Weren’t you dealt with?” he barked.

Was he talking about the fact that she was the mother of my child? Was he taking care of this so soon? Still, I wasn’t liking the tone he was using with her.

“I need to speak to Quincy,” she bit out.

I knew her, and she was angry. It was one of the looks I missed about her, because feeling anger meant that she was at least feeling something other than numbness.

“He’s not here,” Leo went on.

I shook my head and got moving before things got out of hand. She was the mother of my child, and even though I didn't respect what she did, I still respected the fact that she was the mother ofmy child.

“I thought we had come to an agreement, Ms. Morrison.”

“Look, I’m done talking to you. I want to speak to Quincy.” Jess’s voice was icy, kind of like the time she’d laid it out to me after her mom’s funeral. “I know someone like me isn’t good enough for someone like him.”

My blood ran cold.

“And as you said, I’m just going to stain his name. But this isn’t about me anymore.”

That was all it took for me to be livid with this conversation. Leo opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, he and Jess both turned when Simba woofed.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked through gritted teeth. My questions were directed at Leo.

He looked surprised. His throat bobbed, and the guilty look was one I couldn’t ignore.

My chest was rising and falling rapidly.

Since I was met with silence, I turned to look at Jess, who looked like she’d lost some of her fight now that I was here.

“Who gave you the idea that I would ever fucking think you weren’t good enough for me?”

She held in her breath and then looked away from me.

I turned back to Leo. “What does she mean by that? Stain fucking what?”

Leo still wasn’t answering, when he had an answer for everything.

I walked up to him and pulled him by the collar of his shirt. I was so angry at the words that came out of her mouth, knowing she was repeating something Leo had said.

“Hardwell,” he hissed, surprised I’d even laid a hand on him.

“Tell me what the fuck is she talking about.”

Still no answer, so I shook him out of desperation.

“I did you a favor!” he screamed.

The fuck? I let him go and took a step back. Leo fixed his shirt and glared at Jess.

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