Page 96 of Beneath the Stars (Sugarlake 1)

“The station. I’m sorry, Lee. My hands are tied.”

“Stop apologizin’, Johnny. The only one who should be sorry is Daddy. Thanks for the call.”

I hang up, my tears of frustration boiling over. Chase rushes to me, kneeling between my legs. His hands squeeze my knees and I focus on his touch to keep me grounded.

“I’m so sorry. Our date is ruined and I was so lookin’ forward—” My voice chokes, my hand coming up to cover my mouth.

“Hey, hey… it’s okay, baby.” He brushes my hair back. “Our date isn’t ruined. We’ll go take care of this, and then you’re gonna come right back here. With me. Where you belong. Okay?”

I hiccup. “Okay.”

He doesn’t ask any more questions. Not until we’re on the road and he needs to know where to go. The whole drive, he touches me. Rubbing my knee, stroking the back of my hand. He’s just there. Supporting me. Letting me know I’m not alone. That he’s in it with me, now.

I don’t remember when I fell in love with Chase Adams the first time around. It was mixed in somewhere with all the other feelings of growing up.

But this time? This time, I’ll remember.

40

Chase

Goldi’s fucking dad, man. I shouldn’t be surprised we had to pick him up from the Sweetwater County Detention Center, but I am. I assumed Eli would take his father’s issues seriously. Goldi let me know that wasn’t the case. Maybe this will be the wake-up call Eli needs because things are not okay here. He left Goldi with a hell of a burden on her shoulders. One that she didn’t ask for, and that she shouldn’t have to carry alone.

Goldi’s pissed. She didn’t say the words, but I got the gist when she didn’t even attempt a conversation with her dad. Not that he tried to talk to her. I’ve noticed he never does. My stomach burns when I think about it. I’m sad she has to experience how addiction steals people’s love.

Her dad struggles to walk himself to the front door. My arm goes around his waist, his around my shoulders. We’ve already learned the steps to this dance. It’s one we practice often. All the while, Goldi’s gearing up for battle. I see it in the rigidness of her features and the way she stomps through the door.

Eli and his fiancée Sarah are sitting on the living room couch, watching TV.

He shoots to his feet when he sees Goldi. “Sis, what are you doing here?”

She walks right up to him and shoves his shoulders. He stumbles back, his legs hitting the furniture.

“What the hell, Lee?”

“When are you gonna get it, huh?” she hisses. “I thought you bein’ back would make you see. Get you to realize how bad things are, but here you are… sittin’ pretty with your girl while Daddy’s runnin’ around town makin’ a fool of himself.”

“I’m not his babysitter. Pops is a grown man.”

I scoff. I can’t help it. This dude is being so fucking blind.

“Do you know where we just came from, Eli?” Goldi asks.

I’m still standing in the doorway, Mr. Carson in my arms. He shifts, his weight sinking into me. I move forward, sitting him in his recliner. He hunches over, passed out. Sarah gasps when she notices the state of Mr. Carson. Eli moves his gaze from Goldi over to me and his shit-faced father.

His mouth parts and he lifts a heavy brow. “What happened?”

Goldi huffs out a laugh. “What do you think happened, Eli? The same thing that always happens. If Daddy doesn’t have a babysitter, he gets behind the wheel, drunk as a skunk, and ends up at his favorite bar. Only his favorite bar has banned him ‘cause he always causes a scene.”

Eli cringes. “Lee, I didn’t know…”

“I’ve told you a thousand times!” she screams, throwing her arms in the air. “Begged you a hundred more. You don’t listen, Eli. You don’t wanna hear it.”

Eli looks over at his dad, the grief settling heavy in his eyes. “I didn’t think it was this bad,” he whispers. “Pops said he was meeting up with his buddies. He said you just like to hover, like to control things ever since Ma die—since Ma’s been gone.”

Goldi shakes her head, exhaustion blanketing her features. “The only buddies Daddy has are Jim, Jack, and Johnny. Oh, and the cops that picked him up and booked him tonight.”

Eli’s eyes grow big. “He was arrested?”

---