Page 30 of Steel

“Why don’t you want to live with her anymore, Princess?” I ask, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“I just don’t like the things she does. They hurt me.”

Her words make my heart pound so hard that I have to caution myself not to get too angry until I find out the meaning behind them. I swear to fuck, though, if that bitch laid a hand on her, I’m finishing her life tonight.

“Gonna have to make that a little more clear for Dad. How is Mom mean? Does she hit you?”

Lyric’s eyes widen, and she shakes her head. “No. I promise.”

“Know you can tell me if she or anyone else touches you, right? You won’t get in trouble.”

“I know, Daddy, but she doesn’t.”

“Okay. Said you don’t like the things she does, that they hurt you. Can you tell me what you’re talkin’ about?”

The next few minutes are spent listening about how my daughter doesn’t like when her mom acts funny. She tells Lyric that she’s sick and has to take medicine to get better and that there are only certain people who can get her medicine for her.

Lyric is fucking smart, so I think she has some idea about what’s happening with her mom, but she also doesn’t really understand.

“Does she take this medicine when you’re around, Lyric?”

“No. She said it’s only for adults and doesn’t want me accidentally taking it. When I asked her where she takes it, she says outside because that’s where she keeps it.”

Well, she’s trying to be as honest as possible to Lyric, so I guess she gets credit there, but it doesn’t negate the fact she’s still fucking high around my daughter.

“How many times you see her when she’s not feelin’ good?”

“Not a whole bunch, but sometimes I do.”

I grit my teeth to control the explicit words that want to spew from my mouth. Lyric doesn’t deserve to have them aimed her way when her mother is the one who should get them.

Heather has been skating on thin ice for the last seven years, but today was the first time she’s offered to get clean for Lyric, so I have to hold out hope that our daughter is worth that much to her.

“I’m sorry, baby girl. Me and Mom will have a talk. It’ll take some time to get you here with me full-time, but I’ll do whatever I have to, to try to help your mom get over her sickness. Okay?”

“You promise you’ll try? I don’t like when she’s sick.”

With a sigh, I wrap my arm around her shoulder and snuggle her to me, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “Promise, Princess. Now, what did you have for dinner?”

“Mommy gave me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

“That’s all?”

She nods. “Mommy said that’s all we had.”

Fuck. Looks like I’m going to have to do the goddamn grocery shopping so I know my daughter has fucking food to eat.

“How about I order us some pizza?”

Lyric beams up at me. “Really?”

“Of course. I have to make sure my favorite girl eats, don’t I?” I tease, gently poking my finger into her belly before lumbering to my feet.

Her beautiful little giggle is music to my ears, and it’s a sound that never fails to bring a smile to my face.

“Bathtime, Princess,” I tell Lyric as I start to clean up our pizza mess.

“Daddy, don’t you know you aren’t supposed to get into water for at least thirty minutes after you eat?”

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