Redeemed (Dirty Air #4)(13)

“Let him do what he wants. And stop handling me with kid gloves, Maya. While I love that you care, I think raising one kid is enough for you, don’t you think? No need to baby me too,” I snap.

Maya stiffens.

Noah rises from the seat parallel to mine. “Outside. Now.”

The lethality in his tone has my spine straightening. He doesn’t bother looking back to check if I follow him.

Regret hits me instantly, and I face my sister. “I’m sorry about what I said. I need to control myself better.” I pull Marko off my lap and place his feet on the floor.

Maya nods, looking away from me. She swipes at her face with the sleeve of her sweater.

“Maya, don’t cry. I’m sorry.” I tug her into a hug.

She pushes me off after a few seconds, still not looking me in the eyes. “It’s fine. I’m just hormonal. Go talk to Noah.”

I deserve her brushing me off. My sister is the last one I want to make cry, but I can’t avoid the surge of anger exploding out of me every time I feel weak and babied. It’s not easy going from being the provider to someone everyone coddles. It makes me feel less than. And most importantly, it reminds me of everything I lost.

I walk outside my house, finding Noah standing by the lake’s shore.

“Hurry the fuck up! My patience is thinning,” Noah calls out and turns his back toward me.

Noah’s anger makes me instantly regret losing my cool with Maya. No one messes with his wife. Not even me.

“I’m coming, asshole.” I walk toward him with ease. After my excruciating journey through physical therapy, I can walk like a normal person. So normal, if I wasn’t wearing pants, people wouldn’t know I was missing a key component. It’s one of the reasons I choose to wear sweats in the scorching heat. I prefer pretending. It keeps the darkness away enough for me to function around my family.

I stop by his side but remain quiet. His anger hits me like a wave as he focuses on the lake in front of us.

“You act like that around Maya again and I’ll rip off one of your balls to match your leg.” He doesn’t bother looking my way.

I wince. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap like that and make her cry.”

His shoulders drop. It’s subtle, but the change in his demeanor sets me on alert. Noah isn’t one to look defeated.

“What’s wrong?”

He stays silent.

“Why did you both decide to pop in unannounced? That’s not like you two.” The words tumble out of my mouth.

“We’re having a hard time.”

“Trouble in paradise?” I elbow him in the ribs, trying to lighten the mood. These two are crazy about each other. Noah dotes on Maya every chance he has, and she makes him happy in return. I can’t imagine them having marital issues.

“No. Nothing like that.” Noah sighs. He looks over at me. His eyes cloud in a way I’ve never seen before on him.

“What’s going on, man? You’re worrying me.” I stay rooted to the ground, staring wide-eyed as he covers up a sniffle with a grunt.

“Maya and I…” He curses under his breath. “Maya and I need you to take care of Marko for a couple of weeks while I’m on summer break from the Championship.”

Acid rolls in my stomach. “Why? You always spend summer break prepping for the back half of the season.”

“Something more important came up. So, Maya and I need some time to connect and take a break from everything. Go off the grid.”

“And you want me to take care of Marko? Why not my parents?”

“They were our first option, but they’re leaving for a two-week Caribbean cruise today and Maya doesn’t want to stop them.”

Ouch. I don’t know what’s worse—not knowing my parents were going on a vacation or being a second-best choice. “Okay…”

“Maya was pregnant.” His voice breaks.

He’s got to be fucking kidding me. No…

Noah can’t tear his gaze away from the lake. “The baby…”

I place my hand on Noah’s shoulder and give him a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t have to say anything else.”

He brushes away a stray tear with the back of his hand.

Fuck. My poor sister. She hasn’t stopped talking about wanting another baby since last year. To know she is hurting from losing a child…it makes me ache in ways I didn’t know possible.

She was right after all. There are things I can’t save her from, and this is one of them. It must kill Noah to feel this kind of helplessness, too.

He coughs. “We need to take a little vacation. She needs one. I doubt I can convince Maya to stay away from Marko for the full two weeks as it is, but I want to try. She just needs some time to…”

“I got it. No need to explain.” I raise my chin.

Noah looks at me with red eyes. “I kind of do. If you keep acting like an asshole, she’s going to end up canceling the idea. She thinks you can’t handle Marko on your own.”

“I can do it.” The fact that my sister thinks I can’t take care of my nephew for two goddamn weeks makes me more sad than angry. I’d never do anything to put him in jeopardy.

Noah shrugs. “I mean, feel free to take offense, but you don’t exactly scream capable.”