Page 69 of Stealing Forever

Being much bigger than she was when Addison left, Sailor is able to break free from her hold, and Addison’s forced to put her down, otherwise she will drop her.

The second her feet touch the floor, Sailor runs back to me, her arms wrapping around my leg as she steps behind me. Addison plasters a fake smile onto her face and smooths her blouse, but the look of fury is undeniable.

In a sickeningly sweet voice, she bends and addresses Sailor. “That’s okay, baby. You’ll remember me after we spend a few days together.”

A few days?Does Declan know she’s here?

“Does Declan know you’re here?” I verbalize my thoughts.

Her eyes narrow just a beat before she shakes her head. “Oh, no! I’m going to surprise Decky! I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he gets home from work. He’ll be so excited to see I’m back—I’ve been away from home for far too long.”

Decky? Away from home?

Alarm bells ring in my direction. She doesn’t outwardly say it, but with the way she’s speaking to me, I know she knows him and I are together.

Her smile is all teeth before her eyes travel down my body, fully and openly judging me. There’s a slight roll of her eyes before she jets her hand out, opening and closing it a couple of times in Sailor’s direction.

“Do you want to show Mommy your playroom?” Then, dramatically, she gasps. “Oh my gosh, Sai Sai. I forgot, I have a present for you!”

Practically gliding over to the table, she reaches for a small package wrapped in silver gift wrap, with an extravagant matching bow on top.

Sailor perks up at the wordpresent, curiously breaking away from me to go take it from Addison’s hands.

In true kid fashion, she obliterates the wrapping paper, tossing it to the floor before she rips open the box. Inside is a bright pink device that looks like a miniature cell phone.

“What is that?” I blurt, unable to contain my immediate irritation.

Addison eyes me like I’m the dumbest person in the world. Her tone reflects that, too. “You haven’t seen the KidzCall3? It’s the top-of-the-line kid's cell phone on the market right now!” There’s a hint of pride in her voice, and I wonder what level of delusion this woman is.

“She’s three,” I spit, my tone leaving no room for friendly banter or any sort of cordialness. I’m at a loss for words, completely flabbergasted by the woman in front of me. The educator in me immediately makes a mental list of the reasons why this is the worst idea on the planet.

“That’s why it’s only programmed to call me, and her father,” Addison tells me, annunciating like she’s speaking a language I don’t understand.

My mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water, trying to formulate a response. This woman really just shows up out of nowhere and gives her three-year-old a phone so she can call her.

Sailor looks just as confused as I am, inspecting the pink gadget for a moment before losing all interest and setting it on the floor.

Addison scoffs and bends to pick it up, putting it on the table instead. Then reaches for Sailor’s hand, not giving her the option of refusing to hold it. “Are you ready to show Mommy your playroom now, sweetheart? I can’t wait to see all your new toys.”

I flinch at the term of endearment, the nickname coming from her mouth immediately making me want to burst into tears.

Watching me through narrow eyes, Addison leads Sailor out of the kitchen, the click of her heels that she didn’t bother taking off growing fainter as they disappear down the hallway together.

And I’m left standing here wondering what the hell is going on, and is everything about to fall apart?

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Gareth Fox

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but one of the kiss videos has nineteen million views.

Austin Cooper

How is that bad? We’re selling out games, baby!

Gareth Fox

It’s bad because that’s Coach’s private moment broadcasted for the entire world to see.

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