Page 54 of Say You Love Me

“Ava,” I call out.

She turns, waiting for me to keep talking.

“Don’t tell anyone what you saw that night, okay?”

“Or what?”

“Don’t test me.”

A smile creeps over her face and she turns, walking out the door.

“Ava!” I shout, but she just ignores me, disappearing down the hall.

“What was that all about?” Liam asks, walking back inside. The scent of nicotine is heavy on him and I turn away.

“Nothing.”

“Didn’t sound like nothing.”

“Well it was.”

chapter twenty-four

THEN

~

HUSDON

I hear her cries even before I open the door to the house. Racing up the stairs, I find Calla lying in her bed, face red from crying, cheeks wet with tears. Her fists are clenched and she’s waving them in the air.

“Shhh.” I pick her up and hold her close to my chest, swaying gently to soothe her. “Shhh, baby girl. Where’s your mama? Where is she?”

Calla calms a little when I hold her close. Her screams turn to sobs, then just gasps of air and finally nothing but hiccups. Her hair smells fresh and clean as I press kisses to her to scalp. I jiggle her up and down as I walk back down the stairs, searching for Finity.

I find her in the back yard, wine glass in hand, head tipped back and staring at the stars.

“Could you not hear her crying?” I can’t help the bitterness in my tone. Who knows how long Calla had been lying there screaming?

“She’s fine.” Finity dismisses my concern with a wave of her hand.

“And how would you know that? You’re outside getting drunk while she was screaming upstairs. Did you even hear her?”

“Of course I could hear her. How could I not? And I’m not drunk.”

I merely raise my brows, noting the flush of color to Finity’s cheeks, the slight slur to her words and glaze to her eyes.

“So you were just ignoring her then?”

Finity sighs. She gets to her feet, brushing past me as she walks into the kitchen and pours herself another glass of wine. “I just needed a few moments of peace. That’s not too much to ask for, is it? I’ve been with her all day. I’d only just put her down.”

“Only just put her down?” I snort. “That bottle was full last night and now it’s almost empty.”

“So you’re checking up on me now?” Finity looks at me challengingly as she brings the glass to her lips and downs all the contents. She wipes the back of her hand across her mouth and places the glass on the counter forcefully. I keep jiggling Calla as she continues to hiccup.

Finity just stares at me defiantly as she opens the fridge and reaches for another bottle of wine. “Thank goodness we’ve got another one, huh?” She walks back outside, lowering herself into one of the chairs. She slouches, tipping her head back so she can stare at the stars again.

I lean in the doorway, patting Calla’s back. Her hiccups have reduced now and her head is tilted to my shoulder, her body warm against my chest.

---