Page 40 of Already At Risk
“Just let me kill him, Nat,” he groaned, his eyes searching my face for permission. “Please, I’m begging you. I’ll just kill that asshole ex of yours, and this will all be over with.”
“Noah.” I darted my eyes around the bleachers, but luckily, no one else sat too close. We were up high, toward the top of the stands—less of a chance that football fans might find Noah since he’d been trying to keep a low profile since Delilah’s birth. “Can you please not talk about murder so loudly at a youth figure skating club?”
Noah shook his head, half ignoring me. “It feels like every day that passes since your divorce, I learn something new that he did to you, and none of us were around to help. It makes me feel sick, Nat. I’m so fucking sorry.”
“You weren’t around because he wouldn’t let you be around,” I pressed. “It’s not your fault.”
Noah loved Chloe, but I also knew that this, right here, was part of the reason he’d been so insistent on being helpful since the divorce. A large part of it was guilt, and I wanted him to know he didn’t need to feel that way.
Noah clenched his jaw but didn’t push it, changing the topic. “Hey, did you still need help fixing that lock? I can probably swing by this weekend to take a look at it.”
“Oh, no.” I focused on the rink again, trying to find Chloe. “It’s good. Thank you, though.”
“Youfixed it?”
Goddamnit. Hewouldask for clarification, making me choose between lying to him or just being honest. But why shouldn’t I be honest? There was nothingwrongwith what had happened.
“Cameron fixed it,” I said, still averting my gaze, keeping it on my daughter. I’d found her. She was doing something I’d learned was called a forward swizzle while she made her way off the ice. I checked the time, realized that her lesson was over, and stood.
“Cameronfixed it,” Noah repeated, standing beside me as he cupped a large hand on the back of Delilah’s head.
I glanced over to find that my brother’s brows had flown way up into his hairline.
Right.Thatwas why I shouldn’t be honest.
“He stopped by for me to sign some paperwork, and I mentioned it, and he fixed it.” I waved it off, wishing this conversation could be over. Noah would look into this,toointo this. “Not a big deal. Took him a few minutes. Then he left.”
After staying for dinner and watching Chloe’s favorite TV show with us and then talking far too late into the night.
Yep.
Then he left.
I started down the bleachers, hoping that we could just end this conversation right here. Behind me, I heard Noah mutter something beneath his breath before sighing.
“Well, saves me a trip, I guess,” he said louder, following me to the bottom of the stands, where the skaters were lining up to take off their gear. My brother turned to me when we reached the side of the rink, and I prepared myself for a lecture, but all he said was, “We’re headed to the Bellflower for dinner after this since we’re already out of the house, and that doesn’t happen all that often anymore. We’re meeting Juni and Jules. You and Chloe should come.”
“Come where?” my daughter’s voice squeaked.
“Shit, sorry,” Noah grunted. “I didn’t know she was right there.” He pasted a smile on his face and then turned to Chloe,who had appeared at his elbow. “Hey, lil Lo. I was just mentioning to your mom that we’re going to get some dinner. But I don’t know…” He tipped his chin down, a questioning look. “You might have some homework you gotta get done.”
“I don’t.” Chloe immediately shook her head. “The research on homework does not prove that it is a useful intervention to increase student learning.”
For the second time this evening, Noah’s brows flew into his hairline.
“Yeah, her teacher is very anti-homework,” I said beneath my breath, leaning toward him. “And Chloe has taken it to heart. Might be a little problem when she gets homework from different teachers in the future.”
Noah laughed and nodded at his niece. “Noted, Lo.”
“Do you want to get dinner with your uncle, or do you want to go home?” I asked her.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind curling up on the couch with Chloe and watching another episode ofPercy Jackson. I wasn’t exactly dressed for an after-work outing, still wearing my scrubs since I hadn’t had a surgery today. But I also liked the idea of not having to cook, even if it did make me feel a little guilty since there’d been a few times this week I hadn’t cooked. Growing up, the Londons were always a “we have food at home”household, and I tried to bring that forward. It didn’t always work, though.
“Is Aunt Gemma going?” Chloe asked, checking over her shoulder at Noah’s girlfriend, who was chatting with one of the other coaches. Since she’d been on maternity leave, Chloe hadn’t seen her that much, and I knew she missed her.
“Yep, she’s coming,” Noah answered.
“Then let’s go!”
