Page 120 of The Forever Play

“Yeah, well, you weren’t there.”

“How am I supposed to stick around when this stink bomb here keeps making our house smell like a dumpster!” He points to Zoey, and my hackles go up.

I shift to block my girl from his view, but Zander steps forward before I can, getting up in Carson’s face and hissing, “She’s my daughter. Show some respect.”

“I don’t care who the fuck she is! She doesn’t belonghere!” His eyes swing to me. “Neither of them do. It’s not fair to the rest of us,” Carson thunders.

And now my eyes are burning.

I don’t want to leave, but I don’t think we should stay if this is the kind of angst we’re causing. The thought of going back to Russell’s is like a boulder in my stomach, but?—

Zander growls and starts complaining that he has to put up with Carson’s shit all the time. Carson counters his shouting with some growls and complaints of his own, and I think they’ve totally forgotten that my sweet two-year-old is caught between them.

Until she lets out an ear-piercing scream, then yells, “Ba-da-ba-da-ba!”

We all freeze still, every eye in the room bulging as we look at her indignant expression.

“Excuse me?” Carson frowns at her.

She holds up her little finger. “No souting.” Her face puckers. “Too loud.”

Carson rolls his eyes and gives Zander a pointed look. My boyfriend stares down at his daughter, mumbling a soft apology, but Zoey doesn’t hear him. She’s too busy reaching out toward Carson.

“What are you doing?” Mr. Scarecrow frowns. “I don’t want to hold yo—okay, so this is happening.” He catches her before she starts to fall, pulling her against his chest and staring down at her like she’s a mystery he doesn’t want to solve.

She touches his cheeks, squishing them together as she softly demands, “Nice voice, pease.”

I cover my mouth, trying not to laugh as Carson talks through squished lips.

“You want a nice voice?” His tone dances over the words like he’s a happy camp counselor. Pulling away from Zoey, he stares down at her, still talking in that singsong way. “Okay, well, your daddy is being a complete dick right now.”

My mouth opens and I frown at him while Zoey’s nose scrunches up.

“What’s dick?”

“Something your daddy isn’t very good at wrapping.”

“Okay, that’s enough.” I step around Zander with a little growl and pull Zoey out of Carson’s arms. “We’re going to eat this up in Zander’s room, and you two can shout at each other as much as you like.” Snatching Zoey’s dinner, I walk out of the room and hear Carson’s voice drifting down the hallway as I go.

“All right, fine, she’s adorable.”

I grin.

“But she still can’t stay here. This is not a place to raise a toddler, and you know it.”

My smile fades.

Shit, he’s right. And Zander knows it too.

I hear his reply as I reach the stairwell. “It’s just a few nights until we can sort something else out for them.”

“Make it quick” Carson snaps before stomping out of the kitchen.

I hurry up the stairs so I don’t have to interact with him again.

Placing Zoey on Zander’s bedroom floor, I set her up with a picnic dinner. She’s eating so much later than usual, and it’s going to throw off her bedtime routine. Oh man, I hope she doesn’t have a rough night. That’s the lastthing we need right now. It’ll be the nail in the coffin from Carson’s perspective.

A motorcycle engine roars to life outside, and I get up, walking to the window and staring down at the driveway. Carson revs the engine and squeals away from the house.

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