Page 15 of Sacrifice
Crew picks her up and sits her on his shoulders. Ever looks down at me from her perch, her little blue eyes sparkling.
“Mommy’s being hardheaded, Ever. No worries.” His eyes never leave mine, his face blank.
“Damn it, Crew,” I whisper low enough that only he can hear.
“No, she’s not,” Ever says. “She’s taking me to the park. Will you come with us?”
“Uncle Crew doesn’t want to come to the park. He has things to do, baby girl.” I reach for her. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“No.” She pouts, pulling away from me. “I want Uncle Crew to come, too. Don’t be a hard head, Mommy.”
“Ever—” I warn, but Crew cuts me off.
“Ah, monkey. I shouldn’t have said that.” He watches me, his eyes twinkling now, too. Mischief has always made him happy. “Mommy’s just trying to make sure I have things to occupy my time.”
I glare at him and he laughs.
“Like what?” Everleigh asks, confused.
“Like not giving me papers that she finds.”
“Like the one on the door?”
I groan, praying my daughter keeps her mouth shut.
Crew nods his head slowly, a shit-eating grin sliding across his face. “What do you know about a note on the door, Ever?”
“Mommy got a note on the door yesterday. And she said she couldn’t let you see it. I heard her.”
“Everleigh, be quiet.”
“Did she now?” Crew lifts my daughter off his shoulders and cradles her in his arms.
“Tell ya what, monkey. I’ll give you a dollar every time you tell me you see one of those little notes on the door. Okay?”
“Okay,” she says. She looks up at him with so much adoration it almost slays me.
“Crew . . .”
He looks up as I say his name. We watch each other, feeling each other out. I want to argue with him, make him go get his money so I can pay my own rent. But I can’t, partly because there’s something in his eye that makes the words not come out of my mouth. And partly because, as much as I hate to admit it, it will take a huge burden off me.
I sigh and look towards the sky.
“Can we go to the park now?” Ever asks.
I look down at her. She looks so small in Crew’s arms.
Only yesterday, it seems, she was a baby. “Come on.” I reach for her.
Crew twists her up to his shoulders in one smooth movement. His grin reminds me of the Crew I used to know a long time ago.
“Wanna ride on my shoulders, monkey?”
Ever cheers, raising her arms over her head in victory.
“You don’t have to do this.” I take a step away from him. I’m not sure what he’s doing. Crew doesn’t go places with us.
I don’t let him.
