Page 110 of Whenever You Call

“It’s never nice.”

“Do you have nightmares about them?”

“Sometimes, but it’s not something I like to think about a lot. However, these things happen, and my colleagues and I have to do what we can to try and save the victims of such crimes.”

“But sometimes they die.”

“I, uh…”

“Brax,” the teacher warned. “A little sensitivity, please.”

The kid rolled his eyes, neither bothered, or entertained by my answer, and I didn’t have time to linger on it too much before the teacher pointed to another child, leaving Brax’s morbid curiosity behind, while I clutched my hands together tightly, desperate for this to be over already.

Give me a crime scene I’d have nightmares about every night over this. I’d become a man on trial, with the judges being a bunch of rich kids with zero fucks to give.

“Frankie, why don’t you go next?” the teacher said.

Frankie looked like trouble with his shaggy blond hair, and his don’t give a fuck stare that didn’t allow him to blink. “You’re not even Bella’s real dad, are you?” he asked bluntly.

Without thinking, I looked at Bella sitting behind her desk, only to see her brows knit together as she looked down at her open notebook, the question causing her physical pain.

Clearing my throat, I turned back to the blunt kid. “No, Frankie. I’m not. I’m not her father at all.”

“Then, why are you here?”

“Frankie Spellman,” the teacher warned. “That’s inappropriate and extremely—”

“Actually, it’s a good question,” I said, talking over the teacher, not wanting her to draw attention or sympathy to the fact Bella’s dad had died.

The girl deserved a normal day in a normal world without constantly having to remember the recent loss of her father.

“I guess I’m here because Bella loves what I do, and despite the fact that her mom could have stood up here and given just as good a talk as I have,” I smirked, looking directly at Bella, whose eyes had risen to mine again. “I lost a very important game of hide and seek with Bella not too long ago, and the result of that loss was me having to stand in front of a classroom of her friends and talk about what I do. Never take a bet against her. She’ll chew you up and spit you out in no time.” A few of the parents around the edges laughed, along with some of their children. “All bets aside, Bella thought you guys might enjoy learning about something a bit different to what all the other moms and dads here do. Is that all right?”

Frankie shrugged like he couldn’t care less. “Suppose.”

Bella’s smile came alive, and I internally exhaled with relief, while the teacher beside me did so without any restraint as she looked around the room for another child to choose.

“Yes, Paisley. What do you have to ask Mr. Thomas?”

Paisley was a sweet little girl with a bright smile who lowered her hand only to pick up the pigtail over her shoulder and fiddle with it as she looked at me.

“Hello, Mr. Thomas.”

“Hey, Paisley.” I smiled.

“So…do you… like… have a wife?”

My brows rose, and I couldn’t stop myself looking up to see Hannah, who had pressed her palm to her mouth to stop herself from laughing. It made my own smile hard to contain, but I managed to close my eyes for a few seconds, count to ten, and drag my attention back to Paisley as I rocked on my feet.

“Erm, no, Paisley, I don’t.”

“A girlfriend?”

“Paisley…” the teacher warned while the other children giggled. “That’s none of our business.”

“You said we could ask anything,” she hit back, her voice small.

“It’s fine,” I said, offering the teacher a glance of understanding before looking back at Paisley.

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