Page 117 of Broken Grump

I blow raspberries into the air. “Because I don’t deserve it, don’t you see?”

“Hayden.” She walks closer to me and tries to put a hand on my shoulder, but I dodge her touch.

“Please,” I beg, the monster within me seconds away from exploding. “Please just leave.”

“Hayd—”

By that point, it’s too late, and I shriek, “Get the fuck out of my house! Now!”

Chapter thirty-three

Addie

Ever since I wasa little girl, I’ve reacted to people raising their voices at me by crying. As much as I wish I could scream back, I just never could.

The same goes for Hayden tonight. Although I’m shaking and crying, I still drive home carefully.

But once I reach the solace of my empty house, I let all of my inhibitions go, and I fall to my knees and sob.

You idiot. Every time you think he’s going to change—or that he has changed— he resorts back to that monster. That terrifying, out-of-control monster. Just like his father.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t at least worried that Luna would somehow inherit that Cohen trait. But thankfully, it seemsas though she didn’t or that I’d managed to raise her with emotional intelligence that they all seemed to lack.

Sure, she gets angry and frustrated, we all do at various points in our lives. But she never flew off the handle like I’ve seen Hayden and his father do on multiple occasions.

Why? Why the hell did I let him fool me again? And even worse, I put my daughter in danger of falling victim to one of his wraths.

I continue to stew on all of my mistakes when my phone buzzes in my pocket. It’s Denton, Hayden’s friend.

Trying to calm myself down, I answer it while wiping tears off of my cheeks.

“Addie? Hey. I’m sorry to call so late, but I just wanted to make sure he was okay.”

“Well, if you call being surrounded by a bunch of booze and smashed glass as okay, then . . .”

He audibly gasps. “You’re kidding me.”

“I wish I was. Thankfully, I was able to clean his wounds and the mess a bit. But then he made it apparent that he didn’t want me around.”

“Oh, my God. I can’t believe this. I swear, Addie. He was just talking about how excited he was to start a future with you and Luna.”

He told his friends about us?For a moment, I allow myself to be charmed. But then, I focus on the issue at hand. “Well, I don’t know what to tell you.”

“I’m so sorry about all of this, Addie.” I can tell by the sound of his voice that he’s a genuinely nice guy. From the start, I wasn’t sure if I remembered him from the past or not. Although his name sounded somewhat familiar. “I think he may have just had too much to drink.”

I roll my eyes as I’ve heard that excuse time and time again.

“I’ll try to stop over there tomorrow and make sure everything is okay. I would’ve gone tonight but—”

“No, I know.” He’d also been drinking and didn’t want to risk the drive.

“But call me back if you need anything, okay?”

“Thanks, Denton.” Again, he seems like a super sweet man.If only your friend would take a note from your book.

After we hang up, I’m left to curse at myself some more.

Also, I decide to break into my abuelo’s infamous liquor cabinet.

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