Unplugged (Blue Phoenix, #3)(62)

“Ella’s asleep though.”

Craig switches to banging on the door. “I doubt for much longer,” says Liam. “Do you want me to answer?”

“No!”

The Craig on the doorstep isn’t one I want to deal with right now; he has the stiff stance and darkened brown eyes I’ve seen in arguments in the past.

“Nice tan,” he says as he pushes into the house. “Where is she?”

“Asleep. The time zones mess with her and she’s tired.”

As he sees Liam, Craig pulls himself straighter and crosses his arms.

“Hello, Craig,” says Liam but there’s nothing friendly about his tone.

“I didn’t think he’d be here.”

“We haven’t been here long; Liam dropped us home.”

“So he’s going now?” asks Craig pointedly. “We have things to talk about.”

“I’m too tired to argue with you right now, Craig.” I sit back onto the sofa next to Liam. “Come back tomorrow.”

“I came to see my daughter.”

“She’s asleep!”

“I’m sure she wants to see her dad.” He heads toward the stairs, calling her name.

“For f-uck’s sake,” mutters Liam. “Do you want me to get him to leave?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Maybe you should make yourself scarce while I sort this out.”

“I don’t think so; I’m not leaving you with a man behaving like this.”

“He won’t do anything to me, he’s not violent.”

“You don’t have to be violent to hurt someone, Cerys.”

“Wait there,” I tell him and follow Craig.

Mentally, I’ve prepared for this, but I shake with anger at Craig’s behaviour. Before he gets to the top of the stairs, I grab his arm. “Craig! Be reasonable!”

He yanks his arm from my touch. “Me? You took her away…with him!”

“For two weeks! You’ve had two weeks where you haven’t seen her before,” I hiss. “Remember Christmas?”

“Oh right, throw that at me!”

“Look, let’s go downstairs before we wake Ella up and upset her.”

“No. I need to see her and make sure she’s okay.”

“Okay? What do you think we’ve been doing to her?”

“I don’t know, but I didn’t like seeing her picture all over the place with you and him playing happy f-ucking families!”

I step back down a stair, incensed by his language. “This is what it’s about! Liam’s right. You’re just being territorial. You don’t care about Ella!”

“Don’t you f-ucking dare!” he yells. “I’m her dad!”

I could say so much more but I know those words have already pushed him too far. The look he gets that frightens me, the one where I’m unsure if violence is far away.

“Fine. Go and see her.” I turn to walk away.

“Stupid bitch,” he mumbles.

I spin round. “What the hell did you just call me?”

“I called you a stupid bitch,” he says. “You’re deliberately trying to keep her away from me. Well, you can’t!”

“Don’t speak to me like that!” I yell back.

Ella appears at the top of the stairs, bleary eyed and brown hair sticking up around her head. “What’s happening?”

My heart sinks at her life rewinding, witnessing her mum and dad’s intolerance, the one that borders on hatred these days.

“Nothing, baby,” I say.

“Hey, Ella!” Craig switches to sweet and gentle mode as quickly as he turned anger on me. “I missed you.”

“Why are you fighting?” she asks.

“Daddy is upset about your holiday,” I say.

“Why?”

“I think Daddy wishes he’d gone, too.”

Craig looks at me sharply. “Very funny, Cerys.”

“Daddy missed you, that’s all. I think he should come and see you tomorrow, though.”

Ella chews her lips. “I’m tired.”

“See?” I hiss.

“Give me some time with her now,” says Craig. “Then I’ll go.”

“Is that okay, Ella?”

Ella nods. “I have lots to show him.” Oh, great, she’s going to pull out every souvenir she got from Disneyland.

Reluctantly, I return to the lounge. Liam is in the doorway, arms crossed tightly and jaw hard. “I am this f-ucking close to smacking that guy,” he says, holding his fingers a centimetre apart.

“That wouldn’t help,” I say, relieved he didn’t hear what Craig called me. If he had, I doubt Craig would be upright anymore.

“I know. A couple of arrests for assault and you soon learn self-control.”

“I can’t imagine you getting arrested for assault!” I say with a half-laugh.

He looks at me curiously. “Maybe I was young and stupid; maybe I hide it well. But if that dickhead so much as…”

I stroke his face. “He’s not worth it.”

Liam pulls my hand away. “I’m going into the garden until he leaves. If you need me, come and get me.”