Page 257 of Lilah
The guys turn to me. They look at me expectantly, waiting for me to walk in first. I roll my eyes and push the door open.
Dawn's baby sits on the floor next to the small bed in the center of the room, his clothes dirty and tears in his eyes. Theo goes to him as soon as he sees him.
Dawn's nowhere to be found.
I walk to the closed bathroom door and pray to God she's not in there doing something I really don't want to see.
I open the door and she lies on the ground pale and looking like she's passed out with her head propped up against the bathtub, facing the sink.
White powder covers a small portion of the sink counter. I look down and a syringe hangs out the veins of her left arm.
She's not just passed out.
"Fuck," I whisper.
~~~
"Hello sweet," Azalea answers on just the second ring and I relax at hearing her voice.
"Are you on your way back? Because I was thinking about having spaghetti for dinner, I know how much you like it," her voice comes out sweetly and happily and I frown.
"I'm not gonna be home until later. Some things went not according to plan and now I have a shit ton of paperwork to do," I tell her gently and she lets out a soft 'oh.'
"I'm sorry."
"No, no, hush your mouth crackhead. It's perfectly fine, I understand," she assures me aggressively.
I look down at the baby attached to my leg, holding onto it for dear life.
"Go and get your work done and I love you," she says.
"I love you too," we hang up and I look down at the one-year-old.
Why does he like me? Hell if I know.
He looks up at me.
"Dada?"
"Jesus Christ," I mumble.
We could've been gone almost an hour ago but the CPS social worker who's supposed to come get the baby left on vacation. So they had to call in another.
The fucker is really taking his time.
"Do you think you might actually be the dad?" Lincoln questions from beside me. I swear to God I'm going to break his arms.
I look down at the kid's curly bright red hair.
"You know what? I bet I am his fucking dad- shut the fuck up," I send him a glare.
I feel a rumble from the kid's ass on my foot. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
"Theo, this kid just shit on my foot."
"Nuh-uh," he dismisses.
"Ifeltit."
