Page 56 of Fiery Romance

There’s a thud in the doorway.

My eyes shoot open and I see Abe giving me a look of betrayal in the hall.

Damn. The weight starts pressing on me again. It multiplies the longer we hold eye contact. I feel like I’ve done something wrong. Something unforgivable.

Maybe I have.

My son whirls around and takes off down the hallway.

“Abe,” I call.

Island’s playful tone shifts immediately. “Is that your son?”

“Yeah, he…” I rub the heel of my hand over my face, “it’s a long story.”

“We all have a couple of those.”

“I’ll call you later. I have an update on the people behind the burglary.”

“Oh, I know who’s behind the burglary. Rasheeda told me everything.”

I freeze. “Wait, she did?”

“I’d tell you the details, but it’s confidential and it seems like you’re doing something important with your son. Just know that we’ve told the police and I’ve already had a stern conversation with Rasheeda about it.”

I want to press her for more information, but I can’t scrub Abe’s pinched expression from my face.

A little reluctantly, I tell Island, “I need to…”

“Go. I’ll handle my business. You handle yours.”

I hang up and hurry to my son’s room, only to meet a locked door. Loud rock music is slipping into the hallway.

I knock on the door. “Abe.”

No response.

I knock harder. “Abe!”

The music gets louder.

“Daddy?” A faint voice says.

I glance behind me and see Regan in Cody’s arms.

My brother fixes his green eyes on me. He mouths, “What’s going on?”

I shrug and look away. How the hell do I explain this? It doesn’t even make sense. Abe saw me on the phone and got angry, but it’s not like he knew I was talking to another woman. Or did he? Was it that obvious?

My heart is racing and all I want to do is pound the hell out of my punching bag or run a marathon on the treadmill. Instead, I suck in a deep breath, tuck my emotions deep in my chest and try to remember everything Abe’s therapist told me.

Space.

My kid needs space.

I can’t just barge into his room even though I own the house, the clothes on his back and the freaking lock keeping me out.

“Should I try?” Cody asks.

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