Page 28 of Steel

Until Lyric was born anyway.

At least I can say I tried. Fuck, I tried for so long for Lyric, but it was never going to work.

All the lights in the apartment are on when I pull up, and I spot Lyric watching from the window.

My heart softens as I see her bounce up and down when she catches sight of my Bronco. Heather walks over to her and says something that has my girl losing all her animation, and my fingers tighten around the steering wheel.

I’m up and out of my vehicle in less than twenty seconds.

I don’t know what she said, and at this point, I don’t even give a shit. She fucked with my girl’s happiness, and that’s all I need to know.

Normally, I’d do the decent thing and knock, but right now, I’m too pissed off to worry about formalities.

Heather’s scowling down at Lyric when I walk through the door.

“Lyra,” I rumble, using the nickname I gave her soon after she was born.

She glances at me and gives me the brightest fucking smile ever. It never fails to light up my heart.

“Daddy,” she squeals, pulling away from Heather and running over to me.

I catch her and swing her into my arms, settling her on my hip with a kiss to the crown of her head. “Hey, Princess. Got your stuff ready?”

Before much longer, she’s going to be too big for me to hold like this, and I’m going to miss the fuck out of it.

She nods. “Yup. My bag is on my bed.”

“Go get it while I have a chat with your mom.”

“Okay,” she says happily, scooting down and running off.

“The hell did you say to her?” I growl when Lyric is out of earshot.

She shakes her head. “Nothing. Just told her to get out of the damn window.”

Fucking liar.

Heather struts up to me and rests her hands on my chest. “When are you going to come back home, baby? Lyric and I want you back with us.”

I hold in my sigh at the old song and dance. I go through this with her every damn time we split. Normally, I’d give in right away, but this is the longest we’ve split up since Lyric was born, and for the most part, it’s been fucking nice not having to wake up to her dysfunctional bullshit.

Grabbing her chin between my fingers, I pull her head back so I can look into her face. Her eyes are clear, but there’s white residue around her nostrils.

I rub it onto my thumb and hold it up to her. “How long?”

She knows better than to lie about this, so her shoulders sag. “Last night.”

“Where the fuck was my daughter?”

“She was sleeping, Steel. I went outside. I swear, I didn’t bring it in here. I promised, and I haven’t broken it.”

Strangely, I believe her, so I release her chin and step back. “Nothin’ has changed, Heather. Shit’s too unstable when we’re together. Our girl deserves better than that. She deserves happy parents, and we’re never goin’ to be that if we’re in a relationship.”

Heather cups my cheeks. “But we can be that, Steel. I can do better. I can stay clean. I promise. For you and Lyric, I will.”

She lifts to her toes and tries to kiss me, but I turn my head away. There’re only a few times I’ve kissed her, and it’s been almost two years since the last time. I don’t like it because it feels too intimate, and that’s something that Heather and I rarely are.

Except with Bailee, a little voice whispers.

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