Sway (Landry Family #1)(89)

After a half hour, Hux looks at me, his eyes serious. “Mom?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“I know you’ve been crying.”

My heart breaks at the worry in his eyes, the one thing I try desperately to never let him feel. I want him to grow up confident, knowing everything is okay. Not worrying about adult problems until he’s an adult, and if I can keep him from it then, I know I will. Huxley is my life, comes before anything in my world, and the look on his face destroys me.

“Girls cry sometimes, Hux. You know that.” I try to laugh and play it off, but he doesn’t bite.

“I know. The girls in my class cry all the time about really stupid stuff. But you’re not just a girl. You’re my mom. You’re tough. So if you cry . . . maybe I should worry.”

“No, you shouldn’t,” I say. “Because no matter what happens, as long as I have you, everything will be okay.”

He tilts his little head. “Did you have a fight with Barrett?”

“Not really. It’s not anything you need to worry about, okay?”

“You don’t have anyone else to worry about you. When I’m sick or sad, you take care of me. Who takes care of you?”

His words nearly bring fresh tears to my eyes. I fight them back, but it takes everything I have.

“I’m fine, Hux.”

“Is this about the man with the camera? Because if it is, I’m fine, Mom.”

Luckily, my phone ringing distracts the conversation. But when I pull it out of my pocket, I see Lincoln’s name.

I only have a few percent left on my phone, so I answer it, figuring I can’t get trapped into anything big. But I want to know if something has happened over the girl at Luxor, so I answer.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?” Linc asks.

“Driving. Is everything okay?”

“Where are you though? Specifically?”

“I don’t know,” I say, looking around. “Why? What’s happening?”

He sighs. “For one, I’m standing on your porch and you aren’t here.”

“I already told you that.”

“For two, Graham just got a call that you were involved in some altercation at work tonight. We wanted to make sure you were okay before we tell Barrett because he’s going to go ape-shit when he finds out.”

My spirits sink and I want to close my eyes and rest them, quiet the pounding in my skull, but I can’t.

Huxley watches me from the other seat, not missing a thing. I have to choose my words carefully so I don’t panic him.

“There was a little thing,” I admit carefully. “I hope it’s not causing you any issues.”

“Is Huxley right there? Is that why you aren’t answering me?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re okay? You aren’t physically harmed or anything, right?”

“No.”

“Did you fill out a police report?”

“No. I called Barrett to tell him, but . . .”

“But what?” he asks ominously.

“Nolan answered.”

He exhales harshly and I know he too is choosing his words. “Did he fuck with you? I hate that son of a bitch.”

I don’t answer him. I can’t say it out loud in front of Huxley, and I don’t really want to hear the words ringing in the air myself again anyway.

“Ali?”

“He had things to say, yes, that I didn’t expect.”

“That fucker. That motherfucker. What did he say?”

“I. . . . really don’t want to talk about it,” I gulp.

“Where are you?” he asks, his voice taking on a level of authority I’ve never heard out of Lincoln. It’s so reminiscent of Barrett that it makes my heart hurt. “I’m coming after you.”

“No, you aren’t. I’m taking Hux out of town for the weekend.”

“Alison . . .” he sighs. “Barrett had no idea Daphne was going to be walking with him tonight at the Gala—”

My laughter, a sad, heavy chuckle, stops him.

“That’s not even the biggest issue, Linc.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means . . . it means that I’m overwhelmed and I need some space, okay?”

“No, no, it’s not,” he huffs. “Barrett left the event early because he wanted to find you, realizing what it probably looked like, especially on the heels of the baby thing earlier today. And when he finds out about the incident with you . . .”

I take a deep breath and hold tight to my guns. If I go back now, I’m setting myself up for heartbreak. How do I know the thing with Lacy tonight doesn’t just make Barrett feel bad? Maybe they want to spin that to make Barrett look better in the media too?

I can’t back down. Not until I know for sure.

“Let him know I’m fine and that I’m not necessarily running from him,” I say, gauging Huxley’s response out of the corner of my eye. “I’m just overwhelmed right now, and I feel like I need to take Hux and just settle down.”

“My brother loves you. I’ve never seen him like this about anyone. He’s always been pretty hedonistic, to tell you the truth, and right now, all he’s thinking about is you.”