Love's Suicide (Love's Suicide #1)(65)

B giggled. “B lob Dada.”

Her sentences were getting better, but her pronunciation was still hard to decipher at times. Still, that was as clear as day.

She touched his whiskered face and he lost it.

His head fell onto her body and he sobbed like I’d never seen a man do. He turned and looked at me, his eyes soaked with anguish. “I don’t want to lose you. Dada loves you with all his heart.”

Finally, when it became confusing for B, I had to literally pull him away from her. He seated himself down in a recliner, while she followed us and climbed on his lap. I sat on the chair next to them and watched her wiping away his tears. “No cry.”

She was so confused and didn’t like seeing him in pain. Watching her responding to his emotions was heartbreaking. I wished I knew a way to make it all disappear, but I didn’t. To make matters ten times worse, Brooks was going to be showing up in the afternoon to take her somewhere and I hadn’t even told him that part yet.

He was at a breaking point, so fragile and yet so destructive bottled into one man. At any moment he was going to lose it and I feared the outcome.

I could deal with emotional Bobby, but I couldn’t deal with the side of him that filled with rage. If it peeked its ugly head out, it would change everything.

I had to keep him in the loop, and feeling like he was a part of all of this. Our happiness depended on it and I wasn’t going to take it lightly. The three of us adults had an opportunity to give our little girl the best life possible, if we could work together.

“Bobby, why don’t you go back to sleep for a while? You’re so tired and there’s nothing going on this morning that’s important.”

“You trying to get rid of me,” he joked.

“Of course not.” I reached over and stroked his thick dark hair. “I just know when I’m tired my emotions get crazy. If you were better rested you’d see that both of your girls are right here where we belong.”

Bobby looked at B when he spoke. “I’d rather you go and get some rest. Me and B are goin’ to watch cartoons for a while, aren’t we?”

She shook her head and got excited when he grabbed the remote.

I stood up, knowing he wasn’t going to change his mind. If he wanted alone time with her, I was going to give it to him. After all, when he found out Brooks was coming to do the same thing, he’d be happy knowing he had her all morning.

I leaned over and kissed him on the head. “If you need me, just call.”

He grabbed my hand and I stopped. “When’s he comin’ again? Did he talk about it?”

I looked down at the floor, hoping to wait out on telling him. “He said something about coming this evening. I think he said around three thirty. He wanted to take B to the park if it was nice, but I told him he wasn’t taking her anywhere without me or you there.”

He raised his one brow. “You said me?”

I smiled, remembering Brooks suggesting in a joking way that we all tag along. “Yes,” I lied. I hated myself for doing it, but I knew it put his mind at ease.

Bobby said nothing.

“We could just meet him there if you want.”

He shook his head. “No. I’ll stay here. You can go and make sure she don’t get scared. He is still a stranger.”

I understood what he meant, but hated that’s what he was to her. It was about to change.

When I climbed back into my bed my head was pounding. Bobby was probably cussing me out in his mind and Brooks, even though he seemed calmer, wanted my head on a stake. I was tired of crying, knowing it got me nowhere.

Just like B learning something new, I had to learn to take baby steps. I had to be patient and kind if I wanted this to all work out. For the sake of my daughter and my family, I had to put my feelings for Brooks aside and focus on everyone else. I was the glue that was going to hold it all together and I wasn’t willing to lose any of them in the process.





Chapter 31


“Katy, wake up.”

I sat up in the bed and saw Bobby standing at the door. “What time is it?”

“Around three forty. Brooks is here.”

I jumped out of bed, scrounging around for clothes. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“You needed your rest. Besides, he’s got B outside and said he’d wait if you wanted to go with him.”

I stopped what I was doing and looked at him. “What should I do? I won’t go if you don’t me to.”

Bobby scratched his head. “It’s fine, Katy. I’d rather you be there.”

I pulled on a pair of shorts and rushed to find a shirt. “When I get home, I can bring us a pizza.”

“You probably won’t be back for a while. I’ll make somethin’ here.”

I felt so bad, knowing that he was going to be sitting at home, consumed with hurt. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?”

“I’m sure. If B gets scared she’s goin’ to need you there.”

I ran into the bathroom, to use the facilities and brush my teeth. When I came back out, Bobby was sitting on the bed with his face covered. I walked up and wrapped my arms around him. “If you need anything, you let me know by calling.”

He nodded, but said nothing as I walked out the door.