Page 15 of Steel

There were so many times back then that we would do this, and it was something I never tired of. Despite how rough and gritty Steel is, he’s always been the most beautiful to me. He’s an asshole, sometimes to major proportions, but I’ve also been graced with his sweet and gentle sides too. Those were the parts that I fell in love with, which then made me fall in love with his churlish side too.

Steel rolls his head to peer over at me. “Why call me?”

The huskiness in his voice hits me right between my thighs. “Honestly? You’re the first person I thought of. Somewhere inside, I knew you’d do whatever you could to help me.”

His eyes heat up. “Didn’t think of your brother?”

“Not until after I’d already called you,” I admit.

“You thought of me first?” he murmurs, something in his eyes making my heart race.

“I did,” I croak.

After staring at me in silence for a few minutes, he slams the shutters over his eyes and nods. “Smart move. Get some sleep. Got a long day tomorrow. Appearance needs to changedrastically if we’re goin’ to have any chance at hidin’ you until I can figure shit out.”

“Oh, I get to be somebody new? No one can say my life is boring, that’s for sure,” I mumble as my eyes drift closed.

My hair jerks a little, and I smile sleepily at the familiar feeling. Whenever Steel stayed over, he would grab a piece of my hair and wrap it around his finger repeatedly as we were going to sleep.

Is this something he does withher?

Does Heather get this part of him too?

Just the thought of him giving her something that belongs to me has my eyes heating.

Why does she get him? Why does she get all the pieces of him that I crave so badly?

Parents split up and co-parent healthily all the time. If I was that important to him, wouldn’t that be something he would consider doing?

Shoot.

Even the thought makes me feel selfish.

Truthfully, I’m not sure I’d be able to let him do it, for the same reason he’s always gone back to Heather.

Lyric.

His precious daughter whom I know nothing about.

Steel refuses to tell me anything about her because sharing any piece of her, even if it’s just her favorite color, would make things too real between us. And Steel doesn’t do real.

Not with me.

He’d told me a little about her when he was trying to keep me lucid on the phone, but sadly, I only remember bits and pieces. Like her beautiful name, which I just know her daddy picked out, and that she’s got his green eyes. I remember that much.

He tugs on the hair wrapped around his finger. “Shut your mind down, Hummingbird, and go to sleep. Tomorrow is goin’ to be a long day.”

“Hey, Steel?”

A calloused finger settles against my lips. “Not now. Go to sleep.”

“Bossy man,” I mumble, my thoughts drifting away as I let sleep pull me into a slumber.

Chapter four

As I lay herewith heavy eyes trying to find sleep, the shit she told me about the mess she’s found herself in keeps playing in my head. The heat from her tiny body curled beside me helps sleep elude me.

As tempted as I am to go to the bathroom to finish myself off, I don’t want to leave Bailee in case she wakes needing me.

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