Page 40 of Girl Going Nowhere

He moves his hand to cup my cheek, brushing his thumb along the damp skin.

Trying to crack a joke to ease the mood, I put my hand over his and say, “I’d probably be in your room trying to distract myself.”

He chuckles, not taking me too seriously. “Damn. A missed opportunity.”

Before I can reply, my bedroom door opens, and Finn walks in, saying, “I loaded the Waco—Oh.” He stops and stares between Brodie and me standing much closer than we normally do. His hand grips the doorknob. “Uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”

His voice sounds strange.

“You weren’t,” I assure him, patting Brodie’s hand and stepping back.

Brodie offers Finn a lopsided grin. “I was just comforting our girl. My presence makes even the worst days some of the best.”

I roll my eyes at his dramatics.

Finn, on the other hand, stares at Brodie with a locked jaw. He doesn’t seem to find his mischief as innocent or amusing. Which was the goal, I guess.

“I’ll leave you two to it then,” Finn says, spinning around and closing the door harder than necessary.

“Well…” Brodie turns to me with raised brows. “That wasn’t quite the plan I had in mind, but it worked. We got a rise out of him.”

Right before I sit on the edge of my unmade bed, I hear Maia call out for me. Probably because she heard the door slam with Finn’s exit.

Jaw clenching, I close my eyes and count to three. She won’t go to sleep until I check on her, so there’s no point in hoping she’ll knock herself back out if I wait it out.

“I’ve got her,” Brodie promises. “Take the night off. I’ll keep an ear out for her if she fusses again after I get her back down.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I know I don’t.” He presses a kiss against my cheek and smiles. “But I’m offering, so accept the help and stop being stubborn.”

I swallow. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, babe. You know that.”

As he leaves, I wonder why there can’t be more Brodie Adams in the world. If I’d gotten into this situation with one of them, it’d feel a hell of a lot less dooming.

My phone goes off with a news alert that I set up a long time ago because I’m a masochist. Anytime Jonathan Dover’s name makes headlines, I know about it. Except this time, my stomach plummets at the announcement.

Philadelphia Phillies Right Fielder Jonathon Dover Expecting Third Child

I scan the article, scoffing when I see the quote they published from him.“We’ve always wanted three kids, so we’re excited to finally welcome the newest addition to the family.”

What a fucking joke.

Anger bubbles under my skin as I see him referenced asAmerica’s Favorite Family Man. If I could scream the truth from the top of my lungs, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

But then I’d put Maia at risk. Her financial future would be gone, all thanks to me.

Right before I switch my screen off, I see another number pop up that I don’t recognize. Debating on answering it to see who keeps trying to reach me, I realize I’m not in the mood to deal with anybody else today. So, I let it go to voicemail and set my phone face-down on my nightstand.

One thing I know for sure is that I will not be the reason my daughter doesn’t have a future. Unlike me, she’ll always have my support. No matter what she does.

Especially since she won’t have her father’s.

I hope I’ll be enough for her.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

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